Kuki Hisataka (九鬼久隆)

Hisataka KUKI (1617 - March 6, 1649) is the second lord of Toba Domain in the Province of Shima and the first load of Sanda Domain in the Province of Settsu. He is the second head of the Kuki family.

He is the fifth son of Moritaka KUKI, the first lord of Taba Domain. His grandfather is Yoshitaka KUKI, who is famous as a general of naval force serving Nobunaga ODA. His mother is a daughter of 可慶 ASAKURA. His lawful wife is a daughter of the Honda clan. His son is Takamasa KUKI (the first son) and his daughter is a lawful wife of Muneharu YAGYU. His official court rank is Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) Yamato no kuni no kami (Governor of Yamato Province).

It is said that his birth year is 1617 or 1618. He became an adopted child of Sakon, a son of his father's older brother by a concubine Naritaka KUKI, and he was fostered out to Kongosho-ji Temple at the age of eight and took the name of Hisayoshi. After his eldest brother and legitimate son Yoshitaka KUKI was disinherited because of poor health, Hisataka became adopted heir of Yoshitaka. Then, after his father died in 1632, he took over as head of the family. However, because his older brother Takasue KUKI was opposed Hisataka with a sense of dissatisfaction about this succession and caused a commotion, Hisataka was required by bakufu to take responsibility for this, and was transferred and decreased to Sanda Domain, Settsu Province of 36000 koku from Toba Domain, Shima Province, and Takasue was transferred to Ayabe Domain, Tanba Province of 20000 koku, then the Kuki clan lost their naval force inherited from Yoshitaka.

After that he served as Shuei (guard) of Takatsuki Domain. He died on March 6, 1649, and his first son, Takamasa succeeded him. Hogo (posthumous Buddhist name): Seiyo Sogen Shunkoin. Graveyard: Shingetsuin in Nishiyamacho, Sanda City, Hyogo Prefecture.

It is said that the changing the territory of the Kuki clan to Settsu was the policy of reducing power; transferring daimyo who seems to be a risk of bakufu to other domain amid the furor.

[Original Japanese]