Born a son of Nagao Masakage of Echigo; his mother was Uesugi Kenshin's elder sister.
After his father's death he was adopted by his uncle Uesugi Kenshin.
When Kenshin died suddenly, he fought his fellow adoptee Uesugi Kagetora for the succession (the Otate Rebellion). The next year he defeated Kagetora and became head of the house.
The Oda took Uozu castle in Etchū and were about to invade Echigo, but withdrew after the Honnō-ji Incident.
He went to Kyoto with Naoe Kanetsugu and submitted to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
He was moved to Aizu at 1.2 million koku and became one of the Five Elders of the Toyotomi government.
Rebuked by Tokugawa Ieyasu for strengthening castles and roads, he faced Ieyasu's campaign against Aizu; Ishida Mitsunari seized the moment to rise, leading to Sekigahara.
Submitting to Ieyasu, he was reduced to Yonezawa at 300,000 koku. With Kanetsugu he sustained the strained domain without dismissing retainers.
He joined the Winter Siege of Osaka on the Tokugawa side.
He died at Yonezawa. He is said to have been taciturn and seldom smiled. The Uesugi continued as lords of Yonezawa through the Edo period.
Uesugi KenshinToyotomi HideyoshiTokugawa IeyasuHōjō UjimasaTakeda KatsuyoriMogami YoshiakiSanada Yukimura (Nobushige)Yuki Hideyasu
Hori HidemasaSuminokura RyōiGamō UjisatoTōdō TakatoraOda NobutadaKatakura KagetsunaIshida MitsunariNaoe Kanetsugu
People of the Sengoku/Azuchi-Momoyama period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.