Database: Shinobi of Iga and Koga

In the general context of 16th-century feudal wars, the inhabitants of Iga province and their neighbors in the Koga district established an original political structure led by local warriors and relying on the peasantry. These structures formed into small local republics. They were based on consultation between leaders and included oaths of allegiance from the local population. Importantly, the people of Iga did not act with a particular ideological perspective, but simply sought to create a form of autonomous governance that would ensure their freedom at the local level. It is likely that, since the 14th century, their leaders had formed auxiliary troops of mercenaries for the lords of neighboring provinces at war with each other and practiced methods of infiltration and guerrilla warfare. The method of waging war based on raids served them well when they were imprudently attacked in 1579 by Oda Nobukatsu, the son of Nobunaga, and they managed to rout the attacking forces. However, in 1581 when Nobunaga attacked Iga from several directions, with a considerable invasion force, Iga's resistance collapsed within a few weeks.

In general, the great feudal lords, especially those operating with the aim of unifying the country like Nobunaga and later Hideyoshi, considered these federations of small warriors as hindrances to their political project of absolute territorial domination and that is why they fought them one after the other. Their resistance was often met with fierce repression.