Kawagoe Domain

This clan's headquarters was in Kawagoe, Iruma County, Musashi Province (Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture). It was valued as a branch castle close to Edo, and senior vassals of the shogunate were stationed there. Since Sakai Shigetada, who entered the castle in 1590 (Tensho 18), the castle has been ruled by 21 generations of eight families, including Sakai Tadatoshi, Tadakatsu, Hotta Masamori, Matsudaira (Okochi) Nobutsuna and others, Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, Akimoto Takatomo and others, Matsudaira (Echizen family) Tomonori and others, seven generations, and Matsudaira (Matsui) Yasuhide and others, and so on. Of these, the seven generations starting with Matsudaira Tomonori were from a branch family of the Echizen family, and the rest were fudai daimyo.

The fief's share increased from Sakai Shigetada's 10,000 koku, and reached a peak of 170,000 koku after 1831 (Tenpo 2) under Matsudaira (Echizen family) Naritsune. The castle's fief was 40,000-50,000 koku, and its core was formed under Sakai Tadatoshi. During the reign of Matsudaira Nobutsuna, who took office the year after the great fire of 1638 (Kan'ei 15), the domain government was established with the reconstruction and expansion of Kawagoe Castle, the restoration of the castle town and the establishment of a town system, the establishment of shipping on the Shin-Kashi River, flood control of the Arakawa River, the Keian general land survey, the development of Musashino, and the excavation of the Nobidome irrigation canal. Musashino was also developed during the reign of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, and Santome Shinden was established. During the reign of the Akimoto clan, sericulture, weaving, persimmons, and potatoes were encouraged, but the domain's finances became seriously impoverished. Matsudaira Narinori's reforms to the domain government included appointing the Yokota family, a merchant family that had been a supplier to the government, to the position of financial magistrate, granting half of their land to samurai, and revitalizing the rural areas by providing guidance on side jobs. However, in 1820 (Bunsei 3), part of the Bushu domain was transferred to Sagami, and the burden of coastal defense put a strain on the domain's finances. In 1830, an order was issued to transfer the landholdings of Kawagoe, Dewa Shonai, and Echigo Nagaoka to the three domains, but this was revoked due to opposition from farmers of the Shonai domain, and the following year, he was given an additional 20,000 koku (for a total of 170,000 koku). In 1867 (Keio 3), Matsudaira Yasuhide was appointed to the domain. After the restoration of political power to the Emperor and the Boshin War, he resigned from his position as a senior councilor and expressed his intention to submit, but his Omi domain was confiscated. His adopted son Yasutoshi returned the domain and people to the emperor and became the domain's governor. The domain was abolished in 1871 (Meiji 4), and the area became Kawagoe Prefecture, Iruma Prefecture, and Kumagaya Prefecture before being incorporated into Saitama Prefecture in 1876.

[Mizuo Ohno]

"Kawagoe City History Volume 3: Early Modern Period" (1983, Kawagoe City)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

武蔵(むさし)国入間(いるま)郡川越（埼玉県川越市）を藩庁とした藩。江戸に近い支城として重視され、幕閣重臣が配置された。城主は1590年（天正18）入封の酒井重忠(しげただ)以後、酒井忠利・忠勝、堀田正盛(ほったまさもり)、松平（大河内(おおこうち)）信綱(のぶつな)以下3代、柳沢吉保(やなぎさわよしやす)、秋元喬知(たかとも)以下4代、松平（越前(えちぜん)家）朝矩(とものり)以下7代、松平（松井）康英(やすひで)以下2代の8家21代を数える。うち松平朝矩以下7代が越前家分家の家門である以外は譜代(ふだい)大名。

　領分高は酒井重忠の1万石以来増加し、最大は松平（越前家）斉典(なりつね)のとき1831年（天保2）以降の17万石。城付領は4～5万石で、酒井忠利のときその中核が形成された。1638年（寛永15）大火の翌年入封の松平信綱時代、川越城再建拡張、城下町復興と町制整備、新河岸(しんがし)川舟運の開設、荒川治水、慶安(けいあん)総検地、武蔵野開発と野火止(のびどめ)用水開鑿(かいさく)が行われて藩政が確立した。武蔵野は柳沢吉保時代も開発が行われ、三富(さんとめ)新田が成立した。秋元氏時代は養蚕、織物、柿(かき)、いもなどが奨励されたが、藩財政窮乏が深刻となった。松平斉典の藩政改革は御用達(ごようたし)商人横田家を勘定奉行(かんじょうぶぎょう)格とし藩士に半知借上(かしあげ)を実施、副業指導など農村復興にあたったが、1820年（文政3）武州領の一部が相模(さがみ)に替地となり、海防負担は藩財政を圧迫した。1830年川越・出羽庄内(でわしょうない)・越後(えちご)長岡の三方領知替え命令が出されたが、庄内藩農民の反対闘争で撤回され、翌年2万石加増（計17万石）。1867年（慶応3）松平康英が入封。大政奉還、戊辰(ぼしん)戦争に老中を辞し恭順の意を表したが、近江(おうみ)領を没収された。養子康載(やすとし)は版籍奉還し藩知事就任。1871年（明治4）廃藩、川越県、入間県、熊谷県を経て76年埼玉県に編入。

［大野瑞男］

『『川越市史　第3巻　近世編』（1983・川越市）』

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