History of Asia

[Tokugawa Ienari] 53 children? Was the 11th Shogun Tokugawa working hard to make children out of politics?

"Reform is a nuisance to everyone, it's not something like that!"

That was the 11th Shogun of Tokugawa, Ienari Tokugawa . ( Tokugawa Nari ) It was Mr.

Actually, it's a manga line, but it's actually the case.

And he had more than 40 wives and gave birth to 53 children from 16 of them . It's a big daddy with a tough body.

Why did you have a lot of children out of politics even though you were a shogun?

Or did I have to make it?

I will introduce it along with the historical background of those days.

The era that was called the "Tanuma period"!

Tokugawa 9th Shogun Ieshige Tokugawa ( Tokugawa Ie Shige ) Mr., teenage general, Ieharu ( Ieharu ) Tanuma Okitsugu ( Tanuma Okitsugu ) The shogunate reforms centered on Mr. San, and this time was "Tanuma period" I was in control so much that I was called.

Prior to this, the 8th Shogun, Yoshimune ( Yoshimune ) " Kyoho ( " Today ) Reform " Is frugal ( Slowly ) Although the shogunate's finances were recovering, the government was also raising the annual tribute tax to the farmers, so there was an increasing tendency due to dissatisfaction.

Mr. Okitsugu had the opposite idea to Mr. Yoshimune, who had the idea of ​​making the people wealthy and rebuilding their finances, rather than paying heavy taxes on the farmers.

In this era, the development of the monetary economy and the commodity economy led to the advancement of capitalism and the success of merchants.

However, on the other hand, bribes ( among the officials Bribe ) "Bribery Politics" The image of is attached. In addition, the gap in profits between urban and rural areas can lead to farmers abandoning their fields.

When the 11th Shogun Ienari, the main character of this time, took office, he quit Mr. Okitsugu in order to correct the turbulent world, and Rikuoku Shirakawa ( , the grandson of Mr. Yoshimune. Mutsu Shirakawa ) Feudal lord Matsudaira Sadanobu ( Matsudaira Sadanobu ) " Kansei ( " Kansei ) Reform " The we.

"Water of Shirakawa that cleanses rice fields, swamps, and dirty worlds"

It was expected that such a song would become popular among the people.

Tokugawa Ienari, until he has a lot of children!

"Kansei Reforms" that encouraged frugality!

Teen Shogun Ieharu Tokugawa When his firstborn died at the age of 18, there was no other successor boy, so Gosankyo ( Gosankyo ) Hitotsubashi ( One time ) The eldest son of the house, Ienari, will be adopted. ..

When Ieharu died, Ienari became the 11th shogun at the young age of 15.

With the recommendation of the Tokugawa Gosanke, Matsudaira Sadanobu has been named as a general candidate as a link until the young Ienari grows up. I will leave the shogunate administration to Mr.

However, Mr. Sadanobu's "Kansei Reforms" Has become an antipathy reform that has led to economic and cultural stagnation due to extreme frugality aimed at stabilizing the world with disturbed morals.

The song that was popular in anticipation of Mr. Sadanobu, who blamed Tanuma Okitsugu, is

"He is the original muddy Tanuma Kohishiki, who is a habitat for fish in the cleanliness of Shirakawa."

On the contrary, he criticized Mr. Sadanobu and changed to say that he missed the time of Mr. Okitsugu. It's really convenient.

Furthermore, due to the decline in trust and confrontation from Mr. Ienari, Sadanobu was ousted in just 6 years . I will do it.

Gorgeous in the "Ogosho period"!

It was Matsudaira Nobuaki who was left behind after Mr. Sadanobu's demise. ( Matsudaira nobu Akira ) A person named Mr.

However, since this person was involved in the shogunate administration under Mr. Sadanobu, what he was doing was only an extension of the Kansei Reforms, even if the person changed.

25 years later When Nobuaki died, Ienari alienated the people involved in the Kansei Reforms and once belonged to Tanuma Okitsugu Tadaakira Mizuno . ( Mizuno Tadashi Akira ) I will leave the shogunate to Mr.

Then, this time, "bribery politics" Will be rampant again, causing financial collapse and moral turmoil. Ienari himself has come to lead a luxurious life ..

Ienari finally handed over the shogunate to his son after 50 years in office as a 65-year-old shogun, but he remained in control of the shogunate until he died at the age of 69.

Since the death of Mr. Ienari, " Tenpo ( ", which is one of the three major reforms of the Edo period alongside "Kyoho" and "Kansei" Tempou ) Reform " Has started.

However, the authority of the corrupt shogunate has declined, and the number of feudal lords who have begun to take power against it has increased, so Japan is "end of the shogunate" . It will rush into.

Ienari Tokugawa makes 53 children!

Survival rate of children in the Edo period!

Not only in the Edo period, medical care was not well developed in the past, famine And infectious diseases When the epidemic became popular, he died from a child with low resistance. This is the same for children of the shogunate.

The eating habits at that time were also rice and vegetables At first glance, it looked healthy, but the nutritional balance was not considered at all.

Perhaps it was even more troublesome to be a higher-ranking child, white powder that the nannies applied from the face to the neck and chest. ( Oshiroi ) is not it.

Lead poisoning for white powder Was included, which was licked by the baby and then applied to the body, gradually appearing as a sequela.

Because of this, children's survival rate was less than 50% It is said that.

Events that still remain "Shichigosan" ..

It was a much heavier event than it is now, celebrating the safe life of children aged 3, 5, and 7 for children who died too easily.

In fact, half of the 53 children of Ienari's children were grown up, 28 . was.

The 12th Shogun, Ieyoshi , who succeeded Ienari ( No good ) He also had 27 children, but the adult was the 13th Shogun, Iesada . ( I'm sorry ) I was sick, but I had to succeed.

Do you take the Tokugawa family with the Hitotsubashi family?

"The Tokugawa family will only be the bloodline of Hitotsubashi!"

I don't know if it's a lie or true, but the reason why he made so many children is that he was told by his parents' Hitotsubashi family when he was adopted and succeeded to the shogunate.

Ienari liked high-protein dairy products for his diet, and drank ginger and powdered fur seal penis to boost his energy. Fur seals are animals in which one male monopolizes multiple females to make a harem. You are exactly Mr. Ienari. From that time "General Fur Seal" Was called.

And he had little to do with the shogunate, immersing himself in the depths, and even after he was 50 years old, he was still working hard to make children.

Thanks to this, Ienari's children have been adopted by the three families and the three lords, excluding the Mito Tokugawa family.

14th Shogun Iemochi ( Iemochi ) He is also from the Kishu family, but his bloodline is the grandson of Ienari.

Such a adoption strategy It was the Hitotsubashi family who was doing this, but his own Hitotsubashi family lost his bloodline in his 8th generation, and the 15th shogun Yoshinobu after the Mito family. ( Yoshinobu ) It felt like it was dark under the lighthouse to welcome him as an adopted child.