Matsudaira Yasuhide

Matsudaira Yasuhide
Daimyō of Kawagoe
In office 1866–1869
Preceded by	Matsudaira Naokatsu
Succeeded by	Matsudaira Yasutoshi
Personal details
Born	(1830-07-16)July 16, 1830 Edo, Japan
Died	July 5, 1904(1904-07-05) (aged 73) Tokyo, Japan
Spouse(s)	Matsudaira Kagi, later Nabeshima Naoko

In this Japanese name, the surname is Matsudaira.

Matsudaira Yasuhide (松平まつだいら 康やすし英えい) (July 16, 1830 – July 5, 1904) was a Japanese daimyō of the late Edo period, who ruled the Tanakura and then Kawagoe Domains. He served as gaikoku bugyō and rōjū in the Tokugawa administration.

Biography

Matsudaira Yasuhide was born in Edo to the high-ranking hatamoto Matsudaira Yasuzumi; his childhood name was Mantarō. He succeeded Yasuzumi upon the latter's retirement early in 1848, taking the name of Yasunao. Yasunao served in a variety of minor posts in the Tokugawa shogunate, before being appointed to the concurrent posts of gaikoku bugyō and Kanagawa bugyō in early 1860.

From 1860 to 1861, he was involved in boundary negotiations with Russia, and was a member of the Tokugawa shogunate's embassy to Europe.

Yasunao was adopted as the successor to Matsudaira Yasuhiro, lord of the Tanakura Domain, in late 1864. Shortly after his succession, he received the title of Suō no Kami and changed his name to Yasuhide.

Yasuhide was slated for transfer to the Utsunomiya Domain in the spring of 1865; however, this was canceled. Soon afterward he was appointed to the position of rōjū.

In 1866, he was again slated for transfer, this time to the Shirakawa Domain; however, because of the current ruling family's financial situation, this move was also canceled; Yasuhide was instead moved to the Kawagoe Domain. In Kawagoe, he is remembered for having opened the domain's school, the Chōzenkan (長ちょう善よし館かん). Yasuhide was relieved of his duties as rōjū during the disintegration of the Tokugawa government in early 1868. After the start of the Boshin War, he was briefly ordered into solitary confinement by the Meiji Government for a month in the spring of 1868; the next year, he retired in favor of his adopted heir, Yasutoshi.

Published work

• Matsudaira Yasuhide 松平まつだいら康やすし英えい and Onoma Ritsuken 尾間おま立たて顕あらわ (1919). Bakumatsu ken'ō shisetsu danpan shiki 幕末ばくまつ遣や欧おう使節しせつ談判だんぱん私記しき (A Private Record of Discussions Pertaining to the Diplomatic Mission to Europe in the Bakumatsu Period). Tokyo: Min'yūsha 民みん友とも社しゃ, 1919. (published posthumously)

Further reading

• Kawagoe Shiritsu Hakubutsukan 川越かわごえ市立しりつ博物館はくぶつかん (1991). Matsudaira Suō no Kami to Kawagoe-han: dai 3-kai kikakuten: kaiki 1991-nen 3-gatsu 19-nichi--5-gatsu 12-nichi, kaijō Kawagoe Shiritsu Hakubutsukan tokubetsu tenjishitsu 松平まつだいら周防すおう守まもると川越かわごえ藩はん : 第だい三さん回かい企画きかく展てん : 会期かいき一いち九きゅう九きゅう一いち年ねん三さん月がつ一いち九きゅう日にち—五ご月がつ一いち二に日にち・会場かいじょう川越かわごえ市立しりつ博物館はくぶつかん特別とくべつ展示てんじ室しつ. Kawagoe-shi: Kawagoe Shiritsu Hakubutsukan 川越かわごえ市立しりつ博物館はくぶつかん.