Toyotomi Hideyoshi
1537–1598 · Japanese · Sengoku/Azuchi-Momoyama Period
Known for: Rose from peasant to supreme ruler of Japan—history's most dramatic social ascent
Toyotomi Hideyoshi accomplished the most remarkable social climb in human history: born a peasant with no surname, he rose to become the undisputed ruler of all Japan. He served under Oda Nobunaga, and after Nobunaga's assassination, he avenged his lord and seized power through a combination of military skill, political cunning, and personal charm.
He completed the unification of Japan that Nobunaga had begun, reformed land and class systems, and launched two disastrous invasions of Korea. He became paranoid in his later years, executing his own nephew and persecuting Christians. His death in 1598 led to the power struggle that Tokugawa Ieyasu ultimately won.
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