Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did Tokugawa Ieyasu make his new eastern domain more secure?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Statue of Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Tōshō Shrine in Nikkō, Japan.
To secure his domain after moving to the region near Edo, Tokugawa Ieyasu implemented a series of strategic administrative and military measures:
- Strategic Deployment: He stationed his most powerful and trusted vassals along the perimeter of his territory and at key access routes, while keeping less powerful, potentially less dangerous vassals closer to his headquarters in Edo.1
- Direct Administration: He placed large tracts of land surrounding Edo under his direct control, ensuring his castle had reliable access to food supplies.1
- Land and Tax Reform: Ieyasu conducted detailed surveys of land and property to regularize taxation and improve the economic stability of his domain.1
- Disarmament and Urban Development: He confiscated weapons from villagers to minimize the risk of rebellion and actively recruited skilled artisans and businessmen to transform Edo into a thriving castle town.1
- Infrastructure: He undertook major engineering projects to enlarge his castle, facilitate urban growth, and secure a consistent water supply for the population.1
These efforts ensured that by the time of his rise to national power, Ieyasu possessed the most productive, best-organized, and militarily reliable domain in Japan.1