What is ansei purge?

The Ansei Purge was a political purge that occurred in Japan in 1858 during the Edo period. The Tokugawa shogunate became concerned with the increasing power of certain samurai clans who opposed the shogunate's foreign policy, particularly the opening of Japan to foreign trade. The shogunate ordered a purge of these anti-foreigner samurai clans, resulting in the execution of over 100 samurai and the exile of several more. The term "Ansei" comes from the era name of the period in which the purge took place. The Ansei Purge demonstrated the Tokugawa shogunate's determination to maintain control over Japan and solidify its alliance with the Western powers, even at the cost of sacrificing samurai who opposed its policies.