Tokugawa Ieshige

Reign: 1745 – 1760
Life: 1712–1761

His mother died in 1713 when he was only 2 years old, so he was raised by Yoshimune's concubine, Okon no Kata; Okon later gave birth to Tokugawa Munetake, so he was raised by another of Yoshimune's concubines, Okume no Kata, as her biological son. His childhood name was Nagatomi-maru (長福丸). He underwent the genpuku coming-of-age ceremony in 1725. This famously good-natured second wife was the mother of Ieharu, who would become Ieshige's heir.

During Tokugawa Ieshige's reign, Frederick II of Prussia ruled Prussia, Elizabeth I of Russia ruled Russia, and Louis XV of France ruled France.

Want to learn more? Further reading

A Brief History of the Samurai by Jonathan Clements

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The World During Their Reign

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

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