Database: Tamba

The Tamba province was geographically important because of its border with the Yamashiro Province (where Kyoto is located) and had been ruled since the late 14th century by the Hosokawa family: the most powerful feudal lords under the Muromachi shogunate. However, the mountainous terrain divided the province into numerous valleys (encouraging the development of small fiefs between) that made it difficult for the daimyo to exercise effective control.

Even Oda Nobunaga had trouble conquering Tamba. After expelling Ashikaga Yoshiaki from the capital and gaining complete control of the region, it took him four years to complete the takeover of Tamba (even after deploying Akechi Mitsuhide, one of the most competent commanders under his service).

During this period, a rather famous incident is well known. In order to secure peace with the lord of Yakami Castle (Nobunaga's main enemy in this campaign), Mitsuhide sent his own mother to the castle as a hostage. However, when this lord requested an audience with Nobunaga, he was killed by the latter, prompting the enemy to execute Mitsuhide's mother as retribution. It is supposed that this incident may have led Mitsuhide to attack Nobunaga at Honnō-ji in 1582 out of resentment, but this episode is only an invention by posterity, not grounded in historical fact.