Tokugawa clan

Japanese: 徳川氏 - とくがわうじ

The family name of the Shogunate of the Edo Shogunate. Matsudaira Ieyasu, a feudal lord of Mikawa Province (eastern Aichi Prefecture) during the Warring States period, changed his family name from Matsudaira to Tokugawa at the end of 1566 (Eiroku 9). At that time, Ieyasu had almost the entire Mikawa Province under his control, and he needed to consolidate his base and give himself authority in order to control his vassals. He obtained imperial permission from the Imperial Court to change his family name, and furthermore was appointed as Mikawa no Kami (Lower Fifth Rank), thus giving himself authority. Since Ieyasu personally took the name Tokugawa after receiving imperial permission, it was also effective in controlling his family and vassals, as Ieyasu was the only one who took the name Tokugawa for a while.

[Ueno Shuji]

Reason for change of surname

According to legend, Ieyasu's ancestor was a man named Chikauji. His ancestor was Yoshisue, the youngest son of Nitta Yoshishige, who lived in Tokugawa-go, Serata-no-sho, Nitta-gun, Kozuke Province (Ojima-cho, Ota City, Gunma Prefecture) and called himself Tokugawa (or Tokugawa). His descendant Chikauji is said to have wandered around the country with his father Arichika, and later lived in Matsudaira-go, Mikawa (Toyoda City, Aichi Prefecture) and called himself Matsudaira, so he adopted the surname of the first ancestor of the Matsudaira clan, but it is unclear whether the Matsudaira clan was originally from the Nitta clan. In any case, it is believed that the fact that the Matsudaira clan was a branch of the prestigious Nitta clan, i.e. the Minamoto clan, gave them more authority.

[Ueno Shuji]

The Establishment of the Edo Shogunate and the Tokugawa Clan

After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Ieyasu won the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keicho 5), which was caused by conflicts between various feudal lords, and became the unifier of Japan. He was then proclaimed Shogun in 1603 and established the shogunate, and in 1605 he handed the position over to his son Hidetada, solidifying the system of hereditary succession of the position of Shogun to the Tokugawa family. At the time, only Ieyasu, Hidetada, and Ieyasu's three youngest sons bore the Tokugawa family name, while other relatives bore the Matsudaira family name. In addition, samurai were reluctant to use the Tokugawa family name, and farmers and townspeople were not allowed to use surnames as a rule, so the Tokugawa family name held absolute authority.

[Ueno Shuji]

Establishment of the Three Great Families

If the Tokugawa Shogunate were to become heirless, there would have been a possibility of a dispute over succession, so it was safe to decide in advance which family within the Shogunate family would be the successor. The family needed to use the Tokugawa surname and, unlike other feudal lords, to clearly show their blood relationship with the Shogunate. This is how the Gosanke (three branches of the family) were formed. All of the founders of the Gosanke were Ieyasu's sons, Yoshinao, Yorinobu, and Yorifusa, born between 1600 and 1603. Yoshinao was given Owari Province (western Aichi Prefecture) in 1607, and later lived in Nagoya Castle, where he was given a fief of 619,500 koku, becoming a powerful domain that controlled the Tokaido region, and came to be known as the Owari family. In 1609, Yorinobu came to hold 500,000 koku in Suruga and Totomi Provinces (Shizuoka Prefecture), and in 1619 (Genwa 5) he was transferred to 555,000 koku in Wakayama, Kii, which put him in a position to support Osaka, the shogunate's major base in western Japan. They are generally known as the Kishu family. In 1609, Yorifusa was granted 250,000 koku in Hitachi (Ibaraki Prefecture) and Mito, to guard the area north of Edo, and they are known as the Mito family. Yorifusa's fief was later increased to 280,000 koku, but it was not until 1701 (Genroku 14) under the third lord, Tsunaeda, that it was increased to 350,000 koku. The Gosanke clan also had the highest official ranks after the Shogun, with the Owari and Kishu clans holding the highest rank of Junior Second Rank Provincial Dainagon (Gondainagon), and the Mito clan holding the highest rank of Junior Third Rank Provincial Chunagon (Gondainagon). The eighth Shogun Yoshimune and the fourteenth Shogun Iemochi (both from the Kishu clan) were the two Shoguns who later became Shoguns from the Gosanke clan.

[Ueno Shuji]

Tokugawa daimyo, the younger brother of Shogun Iemitsu

Following Ieyasu's three children who took the Tokugawa surname, the children of the second shogun Hidetada and the third shogun Iemitsu also branched off and became daimyo with the Tokugawa surname, except for the legitimate son. Hidetada's third son, Tadanaga, was given 500,000 koku in Suruga, Totomi, and Kai provinces (Yamanashi Prefecture) in 1624 (Kan'ei 1), and the family came to be known as the Suruga family. However, his territory was confiscated in 1632 for tyranny, and the following year he committed seppuku, ending the family line. Iemitsu's sons Tsunashige and Tsunayoshi were given 150,000 koku each in Kofu and Tatebayashi (Gunma Prefecture) in 1651 (Keian 4), and were known as the Kofu family and the Tatebayashi family, and were further granted an additional 100,000 koku each in 1661 (Kanbun 1). In 1680 (Enpo 8), Tsunayoshi became the successor of his brother Ietsuna, the 4th shogun, and the Tatebayashi family disappeared. On the other hand, the Kofu family also disappeared when Tsunashige's son Tsunatoyo (who later became the 6th shogun Ienobu) was adopted by Tsunayoshi in 1704 (Hoei 1).

[Ueno Shuji]

Establishment of the Gosankyo

The sons of the 8th Shogun Yoshimune, Munetake and Munetada, were given mansions within Edo Castle, and were called the Tayasu and Hitotsubashi families, respectively, took the surname Tokugawa, and in 1746 (Enkyo 3), were given fiefs of 100,000 koku each. The son of the 9th Shogun Ieshige, Shigeyoshi, was later given similar treatment and was called the Shimizu family. These were called the Gosankyo, but by the mid-Edo period, the blood ties between the Shogun family and the Gosankyo had become distant, so it was necessary to create families that were more closely related. The 11th Shogun Ienari and the 15th Shogun Yoshinobu (both from the Hitotsubashi family) later became Shoguns from the Gosankyo. Even in the Tokugawa families mentioned above, all but the eldest son were given the surname Matsudaira, and either enrolled in the Gokamon (a branch of the Gosanke family was specifically called Gorenshi) or were adopted into other families.

[Ueno Shuji]

"Tokugawa Ieyasu's Biography" by Takaya Nakamura (1965, Toshogu Shrine Office)" ▽ "Ieyasu's Family" by Takaya Nakamura (1965, Kodansha)

Tokugawa family (Shogun family) / Brief family tree
Note: In the diagram, biological children are indicated with | and adopted children with ‖ ©Shogakukan

Tokugawa family (Shogun family) / Brief family tree

Tokugawa family (Owari, Kii, Mito) / Brief family tree
Note: In the diagram, biological children are indicated with | and adopted children with ‖ ©Shogakukan

Tokugawa clan (Owari clan, Kii clan, Mito clan) / Abbreviated genealogy…

Tokugawa Ieyasu
"Portrait of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tenkai Seated Together" Partial replica owned by the Historiographical Institute, University of Tokyo © Historiographical Institute, University of Tokyo ">

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokugawa Hidetada
"Portrait of Tokugawa Hidetada" Reproduction (partial) owned by the Historiographical Institute, University of Tokyo © Historiographical Institute, University of Tokyo ">

Tokugawa Hidetada

Tokugawa Iemitsu
"Portrait of Tokugawa Iemitsu" Reproduction (partial) owned by the Historiographical Institute, University of Tokyo © Historiographical Institute, University of Tokyo ">

Tokugawa Iemitsu

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

江戸幕府将軍家の姓。三河国(みかわのくに)（愛知県東部）の戦国大名であった松平家康(まつだいらいえやす)は、1566年（永禄9）暮れに松平姓を徳川と改姓した。このころ家康は三河一国をほぼ手中に収めており、この地盤を固め、家臣団の統制をしていくうえで自己の権威づけも必要であった。そこで朝廷に改姓の勅許を得、さらに従五位下(じゅごいげ)三河守(みかわのかみ)の叙任を受けて権威づけを行った。勅許を得て家康個人が徳川を称したため、しばらくのあいだ徳川を名のるのは家康1人であった点において、一族、家臣団統制にも有効であった。

［上野秀治］

改姓の根拠

家康の先祖は伝承によると親氏(ちかうじ)という人物であった。親氏の先祖は新田義重(にったよししげ)の末子義季(よしすえ)で、義季は上野国(こうずけのくに)新田(にった)郡世良田荘(せらたのしょう)徳川郷（群馬県太田市尾島町(おじまちょう)）に住んで徳川（または得川）を称したという。子孫の親氏は父有親(ありちか)とともに諸国を流浪し、のち三河松平郷（愛知県豊田(とよた)市）に住んで松平を称したといわれるので、松平氏初代の先祖の苗字(みょうじ)を採用したことになるが、松平氏の祖先が新田氏であるか否かは明確でない。ともかく名族新田氏の分流、すなわち源氏であることを宣言したことによって、いっそうの権威づけがなされたとみられる。

［上野秀治］

江戸幕府の開府と徳川氏

家康は、豊臣秀吉(とよとみひでよし)の死後、諸大名の対立を原因にして起こった1600年（慶長5）の関ヶ原の戦いに勝利を収め、天下統一者となる。ついで1603年将軍宣下を受けて幕府を開き、さらに1605年には子の秀忠(ひでただ)に将軍職を譲って、将軍職を徳川氏が世襲する体制を固めた。その当時、徳川氏を称する者は家康と秀忠、それに家康の末の男子3人に限られ、他の親族は松平氏を称していたし、また武士は徳川氏を名のることは遠慮し、農民・町人は原則として苗字を使用できなかったため、徳川の苗字は絶対的権威をもつことになった。

［上野秀治］

御三家の成立

徳川将軍家に跡継ぎを欠く状態になった場合、相続争いが生ずる可能性もあるところから、あらかじめ将軍家一族のうちで将軍の後継者となれる家柄を決めておくのが安全であった。その家は徳川姓を名のらせ、他の大名とは違って将軍家との血縁関係を明確にしておく必要があった。そこで成立したのが御三家(ごさんけ)である。その祖はいずれも家康の子で、1600年から1603年に生まれた義直(よしなお)、頼宣(よりのぶ)、頼房(よりふさ)である。義直は1607年に尾張国(おわりのくに)（愛知県西部）を与えられ、のち名古屋城に住して61万9500石を領し、東海道を抑える雄藩となり、尾張家とよばれる。頼宣は1609年駿河(するが)・遠江国(とおとうみのくに)（静岡県）で50万石を領するに至り、1619年（元和5）紀伊和歌山55万5000石に移され、幕府の西日本における一大拠点たる大坂を援護する位置にあった。一般に紀州家とよばれる。そして頼房は1609年常陸(ひたち)（茨城県）水戸(みと)25万石に封ぜられて江戸北方の備えとなり、水戸家とよばれる。頼房はのち28万石に加増されるが、35万石になるのは3代目綱条(つなえだ)の1701年（元禄14）である。この御三家は官位も将軍家に次いで高く、尾張・紀州家が従二位権大納言(ごんだいなごん)、水戸家が従三位権中納言を極位極官とした。のち御三家より将軍となったのは8代吉宗(よしむね)と14代家茂(いえもち)（ともに紀州家）である。

［上野秀治］

将軍家光子弟の徳川姓大名

家康の子3人が徳川姓を称したのに続いて、2代将軍秀忠、3代将軍家光(いえみつ)の子も嫡子以外は分家して徳川姓の大名となった。秀忠三男忠長(ただなが)は1624年（寛永1）駿河、遠江、甲斐国(かいのくに)（山梨県）で50万石を与えられ、駿河家とよばれるようになった。しかし、暴政を理由に1632年所領を没収され、翌年切腹し断絶した。家光の子綱重(つなしげ)と綱吉(つなよし)は、1651年（慶安4）それぞれ甲府、館林(たてばやし)（群馬県）で15万石ずつ与えられ、甲府家、館林家とよばれ、さらに1661年（寛文1）10万石ずつ加増された。綱吉は1680年（延宝8）4代将軍の兄家綱(いえつな)の後継者となったので館林家は消滅し、一方甲府家も、綱重の子綱豊(つなとよ)（のち6代将軍家宣(いえのぶ)となる）が1704年（宝永1）綱吉の養子となって消滅した。

［上野秀治］

御三卿の成立

8代将軍吉宗の子宗武(むねたけ)、宗尹(むねただ)は江戸城内に邸宅を与えられ、それぞれ田安(たやす)家、一橋(ひとつばし)家とよばれ、徳川を姓とし、1746年（延享3）10万石ずつ所領を与えられた。9代将軍家重(いえしげ)の子重好(しげよし)ものち同様の待遇を受けて清水(しみず)家とよばれた。これを御三卿(ごさんきょう)というが、江戸時代中期ともなると将軍家と御三家の血が遠くなるので、より近親の家をつくっておく必要があった。御三卿からのち将軍になったのは11代家斉(いえなり)と15代慶喜(よしのぶ)（ともに一橋家）である。既述の徳川姓の家でも、嫡子以外はすべて、松平姓を名のらせ御家門(ごかもん)（御三家の分家をとくに御連枝(ごれんし)という）に列せしめたり、他家の養子にした。

［上野秀治］

『中村孝也著『徳川家康公伝』（1965・東照宮社務所）』▽『中村孝也著『家康の族葉』（1965・講談社）』

徳川氏（将軍家）／略系図

徳川氏（尾張家・紀伊家・水戸家）／略系…

徳川家康

徳川秀忠

徳川家光

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