Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Ruler of Japan
"The world under a single roof."โ Phrase expressing his ambition to bring all under his rule.
Biography
Toyotomi Hideyoshi began life as the son of a foot soldier and served under Oda Nobunaga, one of the most powerful warlords of the Sengoku period.
After Nobunaga's death, Hideyoshi outmaneuvered rivals and completed the unification of most of Japan through war and diplomacy.
As ruler, he carried out land surveys, disarmed peasants through the "sword hunt," and tried to freeze the social order, separating warriors, farmers, artisans, and merchants.
Seeking glory and a way to occupy restless samurai, he ordered massive invasions of Korea in 1592 and 1597, intending to march on to China. The campaigns ultimately failed, draining Japanese resources and ending only with his death in 1598.