Shogun succession issue

A political struggle ensued over the decision on the succession of the 13th Shogun, Tokugawa Iesada (reigned 1853-58), who took office shortly after the arrival of Perry. The conflict between the two supporters of Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu and Kishu Tokugawa Yoshitomi became a political issue and was one of the causes of the Ansei Purge. Iesada was born in poor health, had no children, and left government affairs to the senior councilors, so there was a strong demand for a successor to be decided, and two candidates were considered: Yoshinobu, the son of Tokugawa Nariaki, the former lord of Mito, and Yoshitomi, Iesada's cousin. Matsudaira Yoshinaga, in cooperation with other daimyo such as Shimazu Nariakira, and supported by the bannerman Iwase Tadanari of the Coast Defense Division, sought to consolidate the foundations of the Shogunate by promoting the wise and elder Yoshinobu, and to establish a unified system of powerful and wise rulers under him to solve the many problems both at home and abroad, with the tacit consent of the senior councilor Abe Masahiro (Hitotsubashi faction). On the other hand, Ii Naosuke, the head of the Fudai daimyo, was of the opinion that the intervention of a third party in the Shogun succession would lead to the breakdown of order, and fiercely opposed the Hitotsubashi faction, arguing that Yoshinobu, who was close to Iesada's bloodline and supported by Iesada himself, was more suitable than Iisada (Nanki faction). In 1858 (Ansei 5), both factions sent their strategists, Hashimoto Sanai and Nagano Shuzen (Yoshitoki), to Kyoto to try to get favorable words from the Imperial Court, but in April, with the appearance of the Ii Tairo, the decision to appoint Yoshifuku (Iemochi) was announced on June 25th. On July 5th, Yoshinaga and other Hitotsubashi faction daimyo were placed under house arrest in retirement, and Bakufu officials in the Coast Defense Division were punished one after another. This issue is seen as a movement by related and outside daimyo who had not previously been involved in national politics to seek a say in the affairs of the state.

[Muneyuki Yamaguchi]

"The History of the Meiji Restoration, compiled by the Ministry of Education's Office for the Compilation of Historiographical Materials on the Meiji Restoration (1939-41, Meiji Shoin)" ▽ "The Biography of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, by Shibusawa Eiichi (1918-31, Ryumonsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ペリー来航直後に就任した13代将軍徳川家定(いえさだ)（在位1853～58）の継嗣決定をめぐる政争。一橋慶喜(ひとつばしよしのぶ)・紀州徳川慶福(よしとみ)両擁立派が対立して政治問題化し、安政(あんせい)の大獄の一原因となった。家定は生来虚弱で子がなく政務も老中任せであったため、継嗣決定を望む声が強く、水戸前藩主徳川斉昭(なりあき)の子慶喜と家定の従兄弟(いとこ)にあたる慶福の2人が候補者に擬せられた。松平慶永(よしなが)は島津斉彬(なりあきら)ら有志大名と図り、海防掛の旗本岩瀬忠震(ただなり)らの支持のもと、年長で英明な慶喜をあげて幕府の基礎を固め、そのもとに雄藩明君を結集した統一体制を樹立して内外多難の問題を解決せんと図り、老中阿部正弘(まさひろ)の暗黙の了解を得ていた（一橋派）。一方、譜代(ふだい)大名の筆頭井伊直弼(いいなおすけ)は、将軍相続に第三者が介入することは秩序の破綻(はたん)を招くとの考えのもとに、血統近く家定自身も支持する慶福こそふさわしいとして一橋派に激しく対抗した（南紀派）。1858年（安政5）両派ともそれぞれ謀臣橋本左内(さない)、長野主膳(しゅぜん)（義言(よしとき)）を京都へ送り、朝廷の有利な言辞を得ようと奔走したが、4月井伊大老の出現によって6月25日慶福（家茂(いえもち)）決定の発表がなされた。7月5日慶永ら一橋派大名は隠居謹慎となり、海防掛の幕吏も次々に処罰された。この問題は、これまで国政の動向にかかわりをもたなかった親藩・外様(とざま)有志大名が発言権を求めた運動として評価される。

［山口宗之］

『文部省維新史料編纂事務局編『維新史』（1939～41・明治書院）』▽『渋沢栄一著『徳川慶喜公伝』（1918～31・竜門社）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例