Kamakurafu - Kamakurafu

The name of the local administrative organization established in Kamakura by the Muromachi Shogunate. It is also called the Kanto-fu. The Kamakura Kubo and his assistant, the Kanto Kanrei, were the central figures in the administration of the Kanto region. Ashikaga Takauji recognized the importance of Kamakura and placed his eldest son, Yoshiakira, in Kamakura to govern the eastern provinces. In 1349 (Shohei 4, Sadawa 5), ​​Yoshiakira's younger brother, Motouji, took over as the so-called Kamakura Kubo, and thereafter his descendants (Ujimitsu, Mitsukane, Mochiuji) inherited the position and ran the Kamakura-fu. During Mochiuji's time, he openly expressed dissatisfaction with the shogunate due to the issue of the succession to the shogun, which led to conflict with the pro-shogunate Kanrei Uesugi clan, and he was eventually pursued by the shogunate and defeated and killed (Eikyō Rebellion). As the shogunate had not appointed a shogun, the Kamakura shogunate was run by the Kanrei Uesugi clan, but at the request of the vassals of the Kamakura shogunate, Mochiuji's son Shigeuji was appointed as the shogun, and the original Kamakura shogunate system was restored. However, the relationship between Shigeuji and the Uesugi clan did not improve, and Shigeuji murdered Uesugi Noritada, and the Uesugi clan eventually drove Shigeuji to Shimousa Koga (Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture), and an irregular political system was established with the Kanrei Uesugi clan at its center. However, this situation did not last long, and the Kanrei Uesugi clan also split internally, and the Kamakura shogunate effectively collapsed. The Kamakura government governed each province through the Kamakura Kubo and the Kanto Kanrei, and the shugo (military governors) that were placed in each province. During the time of Yoshiakira and Motouji, the Kamakura government controlled 11 provinces (Izu, Kai, Shinano, Sagami, Musashi, Kozuke, Shimotsuke, Kazusa, Shimousa, Awa, and Hitachi), but during the time of Ujimitsu, Shinano came under the control of the shogunate, and the Kamakura government took over the jurisdiction of Mutsu and Dewa, changing according to the political situation at the time. When the Kamakura government was first established, it was a military institution that only exercised military power due to the chaotic political situation, but after the Kanno Disturbance, it changed into a local administrative institution with an organization similar to that of the shogunate. As a result, the powers that the Kamakura government could exercise were expanded to a wide range, including police powers and land control rights.However, the shogunate ultimately held power over matters related to national authority in the Kanto region, changes to the territories it controlled, the right to appoint representatives of influential temples and shrines, and the right to grant security over territories, so there were constant disputes between the Kamakura government and the shogunate, and even within the Kamakura government, there were repeated struggles for political leadership between the Kamakura Kubo and the Kanto Kanrei Uesugi clan, and these ultimately led to the collapse of the Kamakura government.

[Hiroshi Koyou]

"Watanabe Seisuke, 'Research on the Ashikaga Period Centered in the Kanto Region' (1971, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha)" ▽ "'History of Kanagawa Prefecture, General History Vol. 1, Primitive, Ancient and Medieval Periods' (1981, Kanagawa Prefecture Kousaikai Foundation)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町幕府が鎌倉に設置した地方行政機関名。関東府ともいう。鎌倉公方(くぼう)とその補佐役関東管領(かんれい)を中心に、関東の政務をとった。足利尊氏(あしかがたかうじ)は鎌倉の重要性を認識し、嫡子義詮(よしあきら)を鎌倉に置き東国を統治させた。1349年（正平4・貞和5）義詮にかわり弟の基氏(もとうじ)がいわゆる鎌倉公方に就任し、以後その子孫（氏満(うじみつ)、満兼(みつかね)、持氏(もちうじ)）がこの職を世襲し、鎌倉府を運営した。持氏のとき将軍継嗣(けいし)問題が原因で幕府への不満を公然と現したことから、幕府派の管領上杉氏と対立し、結局幕府の追討を受け持氏は敗死した（永享(えいきょう)の乱）。公方が未補任(ぶにん)のため鎌倉府は管領上杉氏により運営されていたが、鎌倉府家臣らの要請で持氏の子成氏(しげうじ)が公方に就任し、もとの鎌倉府体制に戻った。しかし成氏と上杉氏との関係はよくならず、成氏による上杉憲忠(のりただ)殺害事件が起こり、結局上杉氏により成氏は下総古河(しもうさこが)（茨城県古河市）に追われ、管領上杉氏を中心とする変則的な政治体制となった。しかしこの状態も長くは続かず、管領上杉氏も内部分裂をし、事実上鎌倉府は崩壊した。鎌倉府は鎌倉公方、関東管領を中心に、各国ごとに置かれていた守護を通して統治を行った。鎌倉府の統轄していた国は、義詮・基氏時代は11か国（伊豆、甲斐(かい)、信濃(しなの)、相模(さがみ)、武蔵(むさし)、上野(こうずけ)、下野(しもつけ)、上総(かずさ)、下総、安房(あわ)、常陸(ひたち)）であったが、氏満時代になると信濃が幕府の支配下に入り、かわって陸奥(むつ)、出羽両国が鎌倉府の管轄になるなど、ときの政治状況に応じて変化している。鎌倉府成立当初は、混乱した政治状況により軍事権のみを行使する軍事機関であったが、観応(かんのう)の擾乱(じょうらん)を境に幕府に準じた組織をもつ地方行政機関に変化した。それに伴い鎌倉府が行使しうる権限も、警察権や土地支配権など広範囲に及んだ。しかし関東への国家公権に関することや、支配領国の変更、有力寺社代表者の補任権、所領の安堵(あんど)権などは、幕府が最終的に保有していたため、鎌倉府と幕府との争いが絶えず、さらに鎌倉府内部においても、鎌倉公方と関東管領上杉氏とが政治の主導権争いを繰り返すなど、結局これらが原因で鎌倉府は崩壊している。

［小要　博］

『渡辺世祐著『関東中心足利時代之研究』（1971・新人物往来社）』▽『『神奈川県史　通史編1　原始・古代・中世』（1981・財団法人神奈川県弘済会）』

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