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The Ii were originally from [[Totomi province|Tôtômi Province]] and claimed descent from the son of the sixth descendent of [[Fujiwara Fuyutsugu]] (775-826), [[Fujiwara Tomoyasu]], who lived in the Ii Valley (Iinoya, 井伊谷). They supported the Southern Court during the [[Nambokucho Period]], and subsequently lost much of their holdings and authority to the [[Imagawa clan]].  During the early Sengoku period they fought with the Imagawa in cooperation with [[Shiba Yoshisato]] but later became Imagawa vassals.  After the Imagawa defeats by the [[Oda clan|Oda]], however, they helped destroy the Imagawa and attempted to reclaim their prominence.  The Ii became powerful under [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] thanks to [[Ii Naomasa]], one of the Ieyasu's four most famous generals.

The Ii were originally from [[Totomi province|Tôtômi Province]] and claimed descent from the son of the sixth descendent of [[Fujiwara Fuyutsugu]] (775-826), [[Fujiwara Tomoyasu]], who lived in the Ii Valley (Iinoya, 井伊谷). They supported the Southern Court during the [[Nambokucho Period]], and subsequently lost much of their holdings and authority to the [[Imagawa clan]].  During the early Sengoku period they fought with the Imagawa in cooperation with [[Shiba Yoshisato]] but later became Imagawa vassals.  After the Imagawa defeats by the [[Oda clan|Oda]], however, they helped destroy the Imagawa and attempted to reclaim their prominence.  The Ii became powerful under [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] thanks to [[Ii Naomasa]], one of the Ieyasu's four most famous generals.

The Ii remained politically important throughout the [[Edo Period]], being named lords of [[Hikone han]] in [[1601]], and retaining control of that domain throughout the period. Members of the clan also held prominent positions in the shogunate government, often serving as ''[[roju|rôjû]]'', culminating with [[Tairo|Tairô]] [[Ii Naosuke]] and his [[Ansei Purge]] and [[Incident at Sakuradamon|assassination]] in [[1860]] in front of the Sakuradamon gate of [[Edo castle]]. The Ii also enjoyed the unique privilege of conducting the "capping" portion of each shogun's ''[[genpuku]]'' ceremony, fitting the shogun with a formal ''[[eboshi]]'' court cap as part of his coming-of-age.<ref>Mori Yoshikazu 母利美和, "Buke girei to tachi" 武家儀礼と太刀, ''Gekkan bunkazai'' (1989/8), 32.</ref>

The Ii remained politically important throughout the [[Edo Period]], being named lords of the 350,000 ''[[koku]]''<ref>Gallery labels, Futagawa-juku honjin shiryôkan.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/45389864635/sizes/3k/]</ref> [[han|domain]] of [[Hikone han]] in [[1601]], and retaining control of that domain throughout the period. Members of the clan also held prominent positions in the shogunate government, often serving as ''[[roju|rôjû]]'', culminating with [[Tairo|Tairô]] [[Ii Naosuke]] and his [[Ansei Purge]] and [[Incident at Sakuradamon|assassination]] in [[1860]] in front of the Sakuradamon gate of [[Edo castle]]. The Ii also enjoyed the unique privilege of conducting the "capping" portion of each shogun's ''[[genpuku]]'' ceremony, fitting the shogun with a formal ''[[eboshi]]'' court cap as part of his coming-of-age.<ref>Mori Yoshikazu 母利美和, "Buke girei to tachi" 武家儀礼と太刀, ''Gekkan bunkazai'' (1989/8), 32.</ref>

==Selected Members of the Ii Clan==

==Selected Members of the Ii Clan==