Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康, January 31, 1543–June 1, 1616) was a Japaneseshogun of the Edo period. His rule started in 1603 and ended in 1605. He is one of the most famous military commanders in Japan.[1]
In 1562, he changed his name to Matsudaira Motoyasu. The second syllable -- -yasu -- comes from the name of his grandfather Kiyoyasu.[2] A few months later, he changed his first name to the one by which he is known today. The first syllable -- Ie- -- comes from the last part of the name of Minamoto Yoshile, who was a famous ancestor.[3] He received permission from the emperor to change his family name from Matsudaira to Tokugawa.[4]
