was Kenshin's primary fortress. Kenshin born as Kagetora, the third or fourth son of the noted warrior
Nagao Tamekage (長尾為景). His life presents a unique story – he was not from the
Uesugi, but the
Nagao clan. His father's family were the
retainers of the Yamanouchi branch of the Uesugi clan, and his father had gained some renown with his military victories over his lords
Uesugi Akisada,
Uesugi Sadanori and
Uesugi Funayoshi. However, in later years, Tamekage found himself at odds with the neighboring
Ikkō-ikki of
Hokuriku and, as the political power in the region started to shift in favor of the Ikkō-ikki (due largely to the sudden rise of
Hongan-ji), the situation for
Echigo quickly deteriorated. It came to a peak in 1536, when Kenshin's father gathered up an army and marched westward. However, upon arriving at
Sendanno (December 1536) in
Etchū, his forces were suddenly attacked by
Enami Kazuyori and in the resulting fracas Tamekage himself was slain and his army put to flight. The impact back at Echigo was immediate.
Nagao Harukage, Tamekage's eldest son, immediately made his bid for control of the
Nagao and succeeded in this claim after a power struggle which resulted in the death of one of his brothers, Kageyasu. Kenshin was removed from the conflict and relocated to
Rinsen-ji temple, where he spent his life from 7 to 14 dedicated to study, martial arts and
Zen. At the age of 14, Kenshin was suddenly contacted by
Usami Sadamitsu and a number of other acquaintances of his late father. They urged the young
Nagao son to go to
Echigo and contest his older brother's rule. It would seem that Harukage had not proven the most effective or inspiring leader (probably due to ill health) and his failure to exert control and gain support of the powerful
kokujin families had nearly torn the province apart. As the story is told, at first Kenshin was reluctant to take the field against his own brother, but was eventually convinced that it was necessary to the survival of Echigo. At the age of 15 he was placed in joint command of
Tochio Castle, making a reputation for himself by
successfully defending it against the rebels who were plotting against the
Uesugi. Kenshin succeeded in wresting control of the
Nagao clan from
Nagao Harukage in 1548.
Nagao Harukage stepped down from the lead of the clan and provincial government and gave the titles to his younger brother. Harukage died five years later in 1553. At the age of 19 Kenshin became the head of the
Nagao clan and entered the
Kasugayama Castle, but still as the retainer of the
Uesugi clan. In the year 1551, Kenshin was called upon to provide refuge in his castle for his nominal lord,
Uesugi Norimasa, who had been forced to flee there due to the expansion into the
Kantō region by the lord
Hōjō Ujiyasu from the
Hōjō clan. He agreed to give the warlord shelter, under specific terms, but was not in a position at the time to move against the Hōjō. The terms were Norimasa's adoption of Kenshin as his heir, the title Lord of Echigo, and the
Kantō Kanrei post as
shōguns deputy. Nagao Kagetora became
Uesugi Masatora and continued to gain power as the Governor of Echigo. In 1552, the Uesugi started to wage war against the Hōjō clan. Though his rule over the Nagao and Uesugi clans were now unquestioned, much of Echigo was still independent of this young warlord's grasp. Kenshin immediately set out to cement his power in the region, but these efforts were still in their infant stages when far more pressing concerns appeared. In 1553,
Ogasawara Nagatoki and
Murakami Yoshikiyo, two
Shinano lords, both appeared before Kenshin requesting his help in halting the advances of the powerful warlord
Takeda Shingen. Around the time Kenshin became the new lord of Echigo, Shingen had won major victories in
Shinano Province. With the
Takeda's conquests taking them remarkably close to the borders of Echigo, Kenshin agreed to take the field on two fronts, against Hojo and Takeda. However the conflicts between the three lords were more complex, as shown by the various alliances and treaties between them. In 1561, Masatora took the name of
Uesugi Terutora, upon succeeding as head of the Yamanouchi-Uesugi family and assuming the position of Kanto Kanrei. Later, he changed his name again, finally to 'Kenshin' after he became a Buddhist monk. ==Conflict with Takeda==