During the time of Nobunaga, Sengoku warfare was just brutal. Bloodshed was king and the losers were often slaughtered. The quote above says it all. In a time of constant chaos and warfare someone had to be strong enough and brutal enough to unite the country. Nobunaga was that man. The holocaust of Mt. Hiei was a prime example of Nobunaga's brutality, but in the end it was worth it and peace came to the surrounding area.
Chronicle of Lord Nobunaga (pp. 165-66)
"The 12th of the Ninth Month, he invested Mount Hiei. Surging round in swarms, his troops,in a flash set fire to a multitude of holy Buddhas, sacred shrines, monks' quarters, and sutra scrolls; they spared nothing. from the Konponchudo and the Twenty-One Sanno Shrines on down. How miserable it was to see it all reduced to ashes and scorched earth! At the foot of the mountain, men and women, young and old ran about panic-stricken. In feverish haste, barefooted, they all fled up Mount Hachioji, seeking refuge in the shrines there. Soldiers shouting battle cries advanced up the mountain from all sides. one by one they cut off the heads of priests and laymen, children, wise men, and holy men alike. they presented the heads to Lord Nobunaga, saying 'Here is an exalted prelate, a princely abbot, a learned doctor, all the men of renown at the top of Mt. Hiei.' Moreover, they captured countless beautiful women and boys, and led them before Nobunaga. "We don't care about the evil monks,' they shrieked, 'but spare us!' Nobunaga, however absolutely refused to reprieve them. One by one, they had their heads chopped off, a scene horrible to behold. Thousands of corpses lay scattered about like so many little sticks, a pitiful end."
Nobunaga even burned down the surrounding forts Nakae and Yanagashima in the Delta in 1574 and burned it down killing 20,000 plus. The strongman rises to the top while the weak is killed off.
Tenka no tame!
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