Ansei Purge

The Ansei Purge (安政の大獄 Ansei no taigoku) was a purge, in 1858 and 1859, of over 100 people from the bakufu, various han, and the Japanese Imperial court.^[1] Eight of those "purged" were also executed.

• Ansei 5 (1858): Beginning of arrests of troublemakers by order of Ii Naosuke.
• Ansei 6 (1859): Arrests and investigations continuing.

Edo Castle's Sakurada Gate (Sakurada-mon): The assassination of Ii Naosuke occurred nearby.

• Ansei 7 (March 3, 1860): Ii Naosuke assassinated, also known as "the Sakurada-mon Incident."^[2] The purge was carried out by Ii Naosuke in an effort to quiet opposition to his handling of the question of shogunal succession and the signing of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce.

  Those prosecuted at the purge include:

  • Matsudaira Yoshinaga - head of Fukui Domain
  • Date Munenari - head of Uwajima Domain
  • Yamanouchi Toyoshige - head of Tosa Domain

  References

  1. ^ In the name "Ansei Purge," the noun "Ansei" refers to the nengō (Japanese era name) after "Kaei" and before "Man'en." In other words, the Ansei Purge occurred during Ansei, which was a time period spanning the years from 1854 through 1860.
  2. ^ Kusunoki, pp. 52-66.

  
  

  
  

  • Kusunoki Sei'ichirō (1991). Nihon shi omoshiro suiri: Nazo no satsujin jiken wo oe. Tokyo: Futami bunko.

  The article incorporates text from OpenHistory.

  External links

  • National Diet Library, photograph of Sakurada-mon (1900)
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  ja:安政の大獄