Changes

*''Born: [[1800]]''

*''Born: [[1800]]''

*''Died: [[1860]]''

*''Died: [[1860]]/8/15''

*''Japanese'': [[徳川]]斉昭 ''(Tokugawa Nariaki)''

*''Japanese'': [[徳川]]斉昭 ''(Tokugawa Nariaki)''

Tokugawa Nariaki was a lord of [[Mito han]], and a prominent presence in [[Bakumatsu period]] politics. His son, [[Tokugawa Yoshinobu]], went on to become the last [[shogun]] of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]].

Tokugawa Nariaki was a lord of [[Mito han]], and a prominent presence in [[Bakumatsu period]] politics. His son, [[Tokugawa Yoshinobu]], went on to become the last [[shogun]] of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]].

He married a [[kuge|court lady]] named Yoshiko, born in [[1804]] the twelfth daughter of an imperial prince.

He married a [[kuge|court lady]] named [[Princess Yoshiko (Arisugawa no miya)|Yoshiko]], born in [[1804]] the twelfth daughter of [[Imperial Prince Orihito]] (Arisugawa no miya).

As early as [[1839]], he petitioned the shogunate to take action to defend the northern borders against [[Russia]]n encroachment.<ref>David Howell, "Is Ainu History Japanese History?," in ann-elise lewallen, Mark Hudson, Mark Watson (eds.), ''Beyond Ainu Studies'', University of Hawaii Press (2015), 107.</ref> Five years later, he had fallen out of favor with the shogun & with the ''[[roju|rôjû]]''; after being found to have been stockpiling weapons in excess of limits set by the shogunate, he was forced to relocate himself, his family, and many of their attendants and retainers, from his domain's [[Mito Edo mansion|Koishikawa mansion]] to one at [[Komagome]], another district of Edo.

As early as [[1839]], he petitioned the shogunate to take action to defend the northern borders against [[Russia]]n encroachment.<ref>David Howell, "Is Ainu History Japanese History?," in ann-elise lewallen, Mark Hudson, Mark Watson (eds.), ''Beyond Ainu Studies'', University of Hawaii Press (2015), 107.</ref> Five years later, he had fallen out of favor with the shogun & with the ''[[roju|rôjû]]''; after being found to have been stockpiling weapons in excess of limits set by the shogunate, he was forced to relocate himself, his family, and many of their attendants and retainers, from his domain's [[Mito Edo mansion|Koishikawa mansion]] to one at [[Komagome]], another district of Edo (he would later return to the Koishikawa mansion in [[1853]]). In [[1844]], he was forced to step down as lord of Mito in favor of his underage son [[Tokugawa Yoshiatsu]], and was sentenced to house arrest. After considerable efforts by loyal retainers and others petitioning the shogunate to exonerate Nariaki of his supposed crimes, he was ultimately released from house arrest some years later.

In [[1853]], Nariaki was appointed by the shogunate to oversee decisions concerning the naval defense of the realm. He was an avid supporter of [[kaikin|maritime restrictions]], opposing [[Abe Masahiro|Abe Masahiro's]] decision to give in to the demands of [[Commodore Perry]] and [[Hotta Masayoshi|Hotta Masayoshi's]] signing of the [[Harris Treaty]], and expressing his support for [[Emperor Komei|Emperor Kômei's]] opposition to acceding to the terms of that treaty. Nariaki is thus strongly associated with the ''[[sonno|sonnô]] [[joi|jôi]]'' movement, though his involvement was chiefly in negotiations and disputes amongst members of the highest levels of samurai and Imperial Court society.

In [[1853]], Nariaki was appointed by the shogunate to oversee decisions concerning the naval defense of the realm. He was an avid supporter of [[kaikin|maritime restrictions]], opposing [[Abe Masahiro|Abe Masahiro's]] decision to give in to the demands of [[Commodore Perry]] and [[Hotta Masayoshi|Hotta Masayoshi's]] signing of the [[Harris Treaty]], and expressing his support for [[Emperor Komei|Emperor Kômei's]] opposition to acceding to the terms of that treaty. Nariaki is thus strongly associated with the ''[[sonno|sonnô]] [[joi|jôi]]'' movement, though his involvement was chiefly in negotiations and disputes amongst members of the highest levels of samurai and Imperial Court society.

That same year, Nariaki saw one more of his political plans go awry; he had arranged with Iesada that Iesada's successor as shogun, [[Tokugawa Iemochi]], would marry one of Yoshiko's princely (Imperial) relatives. This would have enhanced the prestige and influence of Nariaki's own family. However, it was announced in 1860 that Iemochi would instead marry [[Kazu-no-Miya]], a younger sister of [[Emperor Komei|Emperor Kômei]], something of which "everyone in Mito disapproved."<ref>Walthall, 49.</ref>

That same year, Nariaki saw one more of his political plans go awry; he had arranged with Iesada that Iesada's successor as shogun, [[Tokugawa Iemochi]], would marry one of Yoshiko's princely (Imperial) relatives. This would have enhanced the prestige and influence of Nariaki's own family. However, it was announced in 1860 that Iemochi would instead marry [[Kazu-no-Miya]], a younger sister of [[Emperor Komei|Emperor Kômei]], something of which "everyone in Mito disapproved."<ref>Walthall, 49.</ref>

Nariaki died later that year, and was succeeded as lord of Mito by his eldest son, [[Tokugawa Yoshiatsu]].

Nariaki died later that year, on 1860/8/15. He was posthumously promoted to the Junior Second Rank and the title of Gondainagon, and then later to the Senior First Rank. His death was initially kept secret for a time.<ref>Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 336.</ref>

 

Nariaki's sons included [[Tokugawa Yoshiatsu]] (his successor as lord of Mito), [[Tokugawa Yoshinobu]] (the final Tokugawa shogun), [[Ikeda Yoshinori]] (lord of [[Tottori han]]), and [[Matsudaira Naoyoshi]] (lord of [[Kawagoe han]]).

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*[[Anne Walthall]], "Nishimiya Hide: Turning Palace Arts into Marketable Skills," in Walthall (ed.), ''The Human Tradition in Modern Japan," Scholarly Resources, Inc. (2002), 45-60.

*[[Anne Walthall]], "Nishimiya Hide: Turning Palace Arts into Marketable Skills," in Walthall (ed.), ''The Human Tradition in Modern Japan," Scholarly Resources, Inc. (2002), 45-60.

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[[Category:Samurai]]

[[Category:Samurai]]

[[Category:Bakumatsu]]

[[Category:Bakumatsu]]