three secondary Tokugawa branch families (Tayasu, Shimizu, and Hitotsubashi)
Historical term referring to the three cadet branches of the Tokugawa shogunate, established to provide heirs to the main line. Often contrasted with the 御三家 (gosanke).
See also: 三卿
The Gosankyō consists of the three families: Tayasu, Shimizu, and Hitotsubashi.
During the Edo period, the Gosankyō played the role of providing successors to the shogun family.
三卿 (sankyō) is a broader term that can refer to the three Tokugawa branch families without the honorific prefix, or to three high-ranking court nobles in other contexts.
Standard kanji spelling for the three Tokugawa branch families.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; sometimes used for readability or in contexts where the honorific prefix is emphasized.
From 御 (honorific prefix) + 三 (three) + 卿 (noble, lord). The term was coined in the Edo period to designate the three cadet Tokugawa houses.