Elder - Karō

The most important position among the samurai retainers, this position was in charge of the household and was responsible for managing the household. It was also called Shukuro, Toshiyori, Roju, Shissei, etc. Originally it referred to the senior members of the family, but as more experienced people gradually came to be in charge of household management, it became a job title and was contrasted with Wakato, which referred to lesser retainers. After the Sengoku period, as daimyo expanded their power and gained complete control over their clans and powerful kokujin, the karo, who had been like a steward to the daimyo, became involved in public politics, keeping the clan and powerful tozama retainers out of the political arena and gaining the status of the leading figure in the vassals. The above background explains why in the Edo Shogunate, roju, the equivalent of karo, were only appointed by fudai daimyo. As the hierarchy of positions in the various domains was developed, the scope of their duties also became differentiated, with the establishment of Oku Karō in charge of the daimyo's household affairs, Edo Karō stationed at the domain's Edo residence, and so on. As the status of the family became fixed in the middle and late early modern period, only certain families were appointed to the posts, which led to many problems, and domains came to have Karō who were promoted from mid-ranking vassals and carried out reforms in the domain's government. Note that Karō sent by the shogunate and various domains to the Gosanke, Gosankyo, and branch domains to oversee the posts were called Tsuke Karō.

[Negishi Shigeo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

武家の家臣のうち最重職で、家中を統轄し家政を総理する職。宿老(しゅくろう)、年寄(としより)、老中(ろうじゅう)、執政(しっせい)などともよばれる。本来は家の高年者をさしたが、老練の者がしだいに家政をつかさどるようになったため、職名となり、軽輩をさした若党(わかとう)と対置されるようになった。戦国時代以降、大名がその権力を拡大し、一族や有力国人層などを完全に掌握する過程で、大名の家令(かれい)的存在であった家老が公の政治に関与し、一門や有力な外様(とざま)の家臣を政治の場から遠ざけて、家臣団の第一人者としての地位を得た。江戸幕府において、家老に相当する老中が譜代(ふだい)大名のみから任ぜられたのは、以上の背景を物語っている。諸藩では職制の整備にしたがいその職域も分化し、大名の家政を担当する奥(おく)家老、江戸藩邸に駐在する江戸家老などが設置された。近世中後期に家柄の格式が固定すると、特定の門閥のみが任ぜられて弊害も多く、中級家臣から登用された家老が藩政改革を断行した藩も出現するに至った。なお、幕府や諸藩がそれぞれ御三家(ごさんけ)・御三卿(ごさんきょう)、支藩に監督のため派遣した家老を付(つけ)家老という。

［根岸茂夫］

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