Kawasaki Sadataka

Japanese: 川崎定孝 - かわさき・さだたか

Year of death: 6th June 1767 (1st July 1767)
Year of birth: March 15, 7th year of Genroku (April 9, 1694)
An agricultural politician who was promoted from headman to shogunate magistrate in the mid-Edo period. Commonly known as Heiemon, he was the headman of Oshidate Village, Tama County, Musashi Province (Fuchu City, Tokyo). He went beyond the bounds of his position as a headman by planting bamboo along the Tama River to prevent flooding, cultivating chestnut groves and presenting chestnuts to Edo Castle, and refining the dung and urine of elephants that came to Edo and selling it as medicine. When the new fields in Musashino, developed during the Kyoho Reforms, fell into crisis due to poor harvests and the dispersion of the peasants who had settled there, he was appointed as the new fields caretaker in 1739 (Genbun 4) to protect and guide the peasants. After the great flood of 1742 (Kanpo 2), he worked hard to restore the areas along the Tama River. The following year, he was promoted to the position of shogunate accountant and took control of 30,000 koku of tenryo land in the Kanto region. In 1749, he moved to Honda Jin'ya (Hozumi Town, Gifu Prefecture) under the control of the Mino Gundai, where he took control of 40,000 koku of rice and made efforts to control flooding in the Nagara River and Ibi River basins. In 1754, he was promoted to a judicial official and continued to control Honda. In the 12th year of the same year, he became the magistrate of Iwami Omori (Oda City, Shimane Prefecture) and worked to restore the declining silver mine. In 1767, he was promoted to the position of Kanjo Ginmiyaku (financial advisor) and Iwami Ginzan Magistrate, but died of illness two months later. He worked hard on the development of new fields and flood control, which were issues in agricultural policy in the mid-modern period, and as a famous magistrate, memorial towers and shrines were built in various places where he was assigned. <References> Takao Karoku (Kokubunji City History Historical Materials Collection, Volume 2), Watanabe Norihiko, The Achievements of Magistrate Kawasaki Heiemon

(Negishi Shigeo)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：明和4.6.6(1767.7.1)
生年：元禄7.3.15(1694.4.9)
江戸中期,名主から幕府代官に登用された農政家。通称平右衛門。武蔵国多摩郡押立村(東京都府中市)の名主。水害防止のために多摩川沿いに竹を植林,栗林を仕立て江戸城に栗を献上,江戸にきた象の糞尿を精製し薬として売り出すなど,名主の分限を超えて活躍。享保改革で開発された武蔵野新田が,凶作や入植百姓の離散で危機に陥ると,元文4(1739)年新田世話役に登用され百姓を保護,指導した。寛保2(1742)年の大洪水には多摩川沿いの復旧に尽力。翌3年支配勘定格に昇進,関東の天領3万石を支配。寛延2(1749)年美濃郡代支配下の本田陣屋(岐阜県穂積町)に移り4万石を支配,長良川・揖斐川流域の治水に努力した。宝暦4(1754)年代官に進み引き続き本田を支配。同12年石見大森(島根県大田市)代官となり,衰微した銀山の回復を図る。明和4(1767)年勘定吟味役兼石見銀山奉行に上ったが,2カ月後に病死した。近世中期の農政の課題であった新田開発と治水に尽力し,名代官として赴任地の所々に供養塔や神社が建立されている。<参考文献>『高翁家録』(『国分寺市史史料集』2巻),渡辺紀彦『代官川崎平右衛門の事績』

(根岸茂夫)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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