II Naosuke

Born Oct. 12, 1815, in the city of Hikone; died Mar. 3, 1860, in the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo). Japanese statesman.

Beginning in 1858, in his position as tairo (or first minister), Ii headed the bakufu (the military-feudal government of Japan under the shoguns). In 1858 he signed the unequal treaties, the so-called Ansei treaties, with the USA and European countries. Ii sought to strengthen the position of the bakufu amid a crisis of the feudal system and cruelly suppressed the antigovernment movement. He was murdered by samurai from the principality of Mito, who had been sent by his political opponents.