Tanuma Mototomo
Tanuma Mototomo was a prominent shogunate official, and the son of Tairô Tanuma Okitsugu.
He was granted court rank and the title of Yamato-no-kami on 1767/12/16, and two years later was named to the category of officials with seats in the Hall of Geese (kari no ma) and was granted the privilege of being preceded by two spear bearers. In 1781, he was named Harima-no-kami and Master of Shogunal Ceremony, being elevated to Yamashiro-no-kami the following year. In 1783, he was named a wakadoshiyori, with a salary of 5000 hyô.
Only very shortly after this rapid rise to power, however, in 1784, Mototomo was killed by an angry castle guard. The circumstances surrounding this assassination dealt a severe blow to the reputation and popularity of his father, Tanuma Okitsugu, as well.
References
- John Whitney Hall, Tanuma Okitsugu (1719-1788): Forerunner of Modern Japan, Harvard University Press (1955), 38-39.