Ieyasu

Ieyasu, commonly known as Tokugawa Ieyasu, was a Japanese daimyo and the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan in the Edo period. Born Matsudaira Takechiyo in Okazaki, Mikawa Province, he was taken as a hostage by the Imagawa clan as a child before being returned to power with the support of Oda Nobunaga.

He aligned with Nobunaga, using his position to expand influence; after Nobunaga's death he formed an alliance with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He emerged victorious at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, a turning point that solidified the Tokugawa hold over the country and led to the formal establishment of the shogunate in 1603, with Edo (modern Tokyo) as its center.

As shogun, Ieyasu implemented policies to stabilize the realm, including the Buke shohatto laws and a system of measures to restrain the daimyo. He laid foundations for a centralized, disciplined administration and a long period of peace, though real power remained in the hands of the shogunate.

He died in 1616 at Sunpu, leaving the government to his son Hidetada; his legacy continued through the Tokugawa lineage, which ruled Japan for more than two centuries until the Meiji Restoration. His mausoleum is enshrined at Nikko Toshogu, where he is commemorated as a pivotal figure in Japanese history.