Matsudaira Hirotada

In this Japanese name, the family name is Matsudaira.

Matsudaira Hirotada
Born	(1526-06-09)9 June 1526
Died

Matsudaira Hirotada (松平 広忠, June 9, 1526 – April 3, 1549) was the lord of Okazaki Castle in Mikawa province, Japan during the Sengoku Period of the 16th century. He is best known for being the father of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Biography

Hirotada was the son of Matsudaira Kiyoyasu (7th head of Mikawa Matsudaira clan) and the daughter of Aoki Kaga no Kami Norimune. He was known in his childhood as Senshōmaru, Senchiyo, and Jirōzaburō.

After his father's assassination in 1537, Hirotada was placed under the protection of a loyal retainer, Abe Sadayoshi. He allied with the Imagawa, and with their help was installed at Okazaki castle. The alliance with them brought him into conflict with the Tokugawa clan. In 1540, Oda Nobuhide attacked and took Nanjo castle, which was held by the Matsudaira family. He was assisted by Mizuno Tadamasa. Oda's son, Oda Nobuhiro, was installed as the lord of the castle.

In 1541, Hirotada married Okichi, his niece and sister of of Mizuno Tadamichi. A son, later known as Tokugawa Ieyasu, was born to them a year later. He joined Imagawa Yoshimoto to fight Oda Nobuhide at the First Battle of Azukizaka in 1542, and were defeated. His uncle, Matsudaira Nobutaka, rebelled in 1543, and joined Oda Nobuhide. Hirotada had a serious disagreement with his father-in-law, Mizuno Tadamasa, in 1544, and he divorced Okichi. He then married the daughter of Toda Yasumitsu. They had a son, who would later be known Iemoto, as well as three daughters.

He was posthumously conferred the rank of Dainagon by Ieyasu in 1612.