Who was this person?
The ninth shōgun of the Edo shogunate. Born the eldest son of the eighth shōgun Tokugawa Yoshimune, he became shōgun in 1745. He is said to have been frail and to have had difficulty speaking, and relied on his chamberlain Ōoka Tadamitsu. His reign saw the Hōreki river works ordered from the Satsuma domain and the judgment of the Gujō uprising, and he paved the way for the rise of Tanuma Okitsugu.
| Name | Tokugawa Ieshige (徳川家重) |
|---|---|
| Born–died | 1712 – 1761 |
| Period | Edo period |
| Birthplace | Edo |
| Main achievements |
|
He was born at the Wakayama domain residence in Akasaka, Edo, the eldest son of the domain lord Tokugawa Yoshimune. His childhood name was Chōfukumaru. He was frail from birth and had a disability that made his speech hard to understand; today some think it was caused by cerebral palsy. His mother Sumako died when he was small.
His father Yoshimune became the eighth shogun, and Ieshige moved into Edo Castle. He was raised with care as the shogun's eldest son, but because of his speech disability he rarely appeared in public and is said to have kept to the inner quarters. His father placed retainers around him to support him and prepare him for the future.
He was formally named heir to the shogun, and the next year received court rank, came of age and took the name Ieshige; it was the custom of the shogun's house to use the character Ie in names. He was compared with his younger brother Munetake, who excelled in learning and arms, and some in the shogunate said he was unfit to be heir.
He married Princess Nami (Masuko), daughter of Prince Kuninaga of the Fushimi-no-miya imperial branch. The match strengthened ties between the shogun's house and the imperial family, but Princess Nami later died young. Ieshige then took Okō no kata as a concubine, and she would bear his eldest son Ieharu.
His eldest son Ieharu was born. Ieharu was bright from childhood, and it is said that his grandfather Yoshimune doted on him and taught him learning and martial arts himself. For the frail Ieshige, having a capable heir growing up was a great support in carrying on the shogun's house.
His father Yoshimune retired as Ōgosho, and Ieshige became the ninth shogun. Yoshimune is said to have kept to the rule of succession by the eldest son, fearing that choosing a younger son for his talent would cause strife among brothers and relatives. Ieshige removed the rōjū Matsudaira Norisato, who had tried to set him aside in favor of Munetake.
His father Yoshimune, who as Ōgosho had held real power, died. Ieshige carried on the Kyōhō Reforms, strengthening the office that audited shogunate spending and introducing budgets for each department. Meanwhile, discontent over heavy taxes led to uprisings in many places.
He ordered Satsuma domain to carry out works on the flood-prone Kiso, Nagara and Ibi rivers, and construction began. Satsuma fell deeply into debt and many of its samurai lost their lives. The officer in charge, Hirata Yukie, is said to have taken his own life after completion. The Hōreki river works are still remembered in the region today.
As his speech grew ever harder to understand, he made Ōoka Tadamitsu, the only person who could follow it, his sobayonin. Tadamitsu bore the heavy task of conveying the shogun's words, yet is said never to have abused his power. The trust between the two later became the subject of novels.
Ieshige ordered a thorough investigation of the long peasant uprising in Gujō domain in Mino. Tanuma Okitsugu took part in the trial and was made a daimyō that year. Even a rōjū was punished, unprecedented for an uprising. Around the same time he had his second son Shigeyoshi found the Shimizu house, completing the system of the gosankyō.
When Ōoka Tadamitsu, on whom he had relied, died, Ieshige handed the post of shogun to his eldest son Ieharu the following month and became Ōgosho. The shogunate's records say that, often ill, he entrusted government to Ieharu though he was not yet old. He had served for about fifteen years.
He died in Edo Castle. He is said to have told Ieharu to make good use of Tanuma Okitsugu. The shogunate's records judge that, though frail, he entrusted government well to his retainers and the realm was at peace. A later study of his remains showed he had among the most well-formed features of all the shoguns.
A. The ninth shōgun of the Edo shogunate. Born the eldest son of the eighth shōgun Tokugawa Yoshimune, he became shōgun in 1745. He is said to have been frail and to have had difficulty speaking, and relied on his chamberlain Ōoka Tadamitsu. His reign saw the Hōreki river works ordered from the Satsuma domain and the judgment of the Gujō uprising, and he paved the way for the rise of Tanuma Okitsugu.
A. Period: Edo period. Born in 1712, died in 1761.
A. Tokugawa Ieshige was born in Edo.
A. A major project the shogunate ordered from the Satsuma domain to control the flood-prone Kiso, Nagara and Ibi rivers. Satsuma bore the cost, the work was very hard, and many of its retainers are said to have lost their lives. The people who carried out the work are still remembered locally.
See also: Wikipedia (ja) / Wikipedia (en) / Wikipedia (fr) / Wikipedia (zh) / Wikidata
Follow this life (autoplay)Tokugawa YoshimuneTanuma Okitsugu
Tokugawa YoshimuneIshida BaiganKamo no MabuchiAoki Kon'yōYosa BusonItō JakuchūTanuma OkitsuguMaeno Ryōtaku
People of the Edo period ・ People by period
Based on facts found in textbooks and biographies. Uncertain points are marked as such.