Ashikaga Tadayoshi vs Saito Dosan

Ashikaga Tadayoshi was appointed by his brother Takauji to a senior position in the newly established Ashikaga shogunate. He was tasked with overseeing civil administration and judicial matters, while Takauji focused on military affairs.

Tadayoshi governed Kyoto and managed the shogunate's civil affairs while Takauji campaigned against Emperor Go-Daigo's forces. He implemented policies to stabilize the capital and win support from the court nobility.

Tadayoshi's rivalry with Ko no Moronao, Takauji's favored general, escalated into open conflict. Tadayoshi accused Moronao of corruption and plotting against him, leading to a split within the Ashikaga leadership.

Tadayoshi raised an army and rebelled against his brother Takauji, allying with the Southern Court. The Kanno Disturbance (Kanno no Ran) erupted, a civil war within the Ashikaga shogunate that devastated Kyoto and weakened central authority.

Tadayoshi's forces were defeated by Takauji's army at the Battle of Uchino. He surrendered and was initially pardoned, but later died under suspicious circumstances, possibly poisoned on Takauji's orders.

Dosan overthrew the Toki clan, the legitimate rulers of Mino Province, and declared himself daimyo. This coup, achieved through a combination of military force and political maneuvering, marked his rise from a commoner to a powerful lord.

Dosan formed an alliance with Oda Nobuhide, sealed by the marriage of his daughter Nohime to Nobuhide's son Nobunaga. This alliance secured Dosan's eastern flank and strengthened both clans against the Imagawa.

Dosan was killed in battle against his son Saito Yoshitatsu at Nagara-gawa. Yoshitatsu, who had rebelled against his father, defeated Dosan's forces, ending Dosan's rule over Mino and his life.