* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Gamō Katahide
蒲生賢秀
Lord of Hino Castle, Ōmi Province
Description
Life
Born in 1534 as the son of Gamō Sadahide, a senior retainer of the Rokkaku clan in Ōmi Province. After serving the Rokkaku, he entered the service of Oda Nobunaga following Nobunaga's march on Kyoto, holding Hino Castle in Ōmi. He sent his eldest son Ujisato to Nobunaga as a hostage, strengthening the Gamō clan's ties to the Oda.
Key Events
In 1576, on Nobunaga's orders, Katahide served as caretaker of Azuchi Castle while his son Ujisato took over as lord of Hino Castle. When the Honnō-ji Incident struck in 1582, he protected Nobunaga's wife and children who were in Azuchi Castle, moving them to Hino Castle and holding out against overtures from Akechi Mitsuhide's forces.
Anecdote
According to the diary Kanemi-kyōki, Akechi Mitsuhide repeatedly urged Katahide to join his side, but Katahide refused to the end. His unwavering loyalty during the crisis significantly shaped the Gamō clan's standing in the aftermath of Nobunaga's death.
Later Reputation
His protection of Nobunaga's family amid the chaos following Nobunaga's assassination is credited with boosting the Gamō clan's reputation, laying the groundwork for his son Ujisato's later rise to a 920,000-koku domain in Aizu.