Sword Hunting Order

…When a feudal lord was ordered to transfer his fief, all his samurai class had to move to his new fief, but a law was issued stating that he could not take any of the peasants with him. The sword-hunting order of 1588 aimed to confiscate guns and swords owned by peasants, on the pretext that they would be used for nails for a new Great Buddha Hall to be built in Higashiyama, Kyoto, and within a short period of time, a large amount of weapons was collected by Hideyoshi's magistrates. This meant that those who were subject to rule were prohibited from carrying arms. …

*Some of the terminology used in reference to the Sword Hunting Order is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…大名が転封を命じられた場合，武士身分の者はすべて新しい封地へ移住するが，領内の百姓は一人も召し連れてはならないという法令も発布されている。　1588年の刀狩令は，京都東山にあらたに建立する大仏殿の釘などに用いるという口実で，農民の所持する鉄砲や刀剣類の没収をはかるもので，短時日のうちに多量の武具が秀吉の奉行人のもとに集められた。これによって被支配身分の者は武装を禁じられたのである。…

※「刀狩令」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報