Akechi Mitsuhide

Akechi Mitsuhide was a Japanese samurai general of the Sengoku period best known as the assassin of Oda Nobunaga. He was a descendant of the Toki-Akechi family of the shugo Toki clan. He served under Saitō Dōsan and then Ashikaga Yoshiaki before joining Nobunaga's forces. He was a loyal and successful general under Nobunaga and participated in many battles and campaigns. He was rewarded with lands and titles by Nobunaga and became the lord of Sakamoto Castle and Kameyama Castle. He was also known as a cultured man who patronized arts and literature. However, in 1582, he suddenly rebelled against Nobunaga and attacked him at Honnō-ji, a temple in Kyoto, where Nobunaga was staying. Nobunaga was forced to commit seppuku and Mitsuhide took over his domains. He tried to establish himself as the ruler of Japan and sought recognition from the emperor and the shogun. However, his reign was short-lived as he was pursued by Nobunaga's loyal general Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who defeated him at the Battle of Yamazaki. Mitsuhide fled from the battlefield but was killed by a band of peasants or soldiers. His death remains a mystery and a source of many legends and stories. His motives for betraying Nobunaga are also unclear and have been speculated by historians and writers. Some possible reasons include personal grievances, political ambitions, ideological differences, or external influences. He is regarded as a tragic hero or a villain in Japanese history and culture.