Kanto Kanrei

A job title in the Muromachi Shogunate. Assistant to the Kamakura Kubo. Ashikaga Takauji placed importance on the Kanto region, and established the Kamakura government office, appointing Shiba Ienaga as Kanto Kanrei and assisting the young Kamakura Imperial Palace governor Ashikaga Yoshiakira. After that, Kono Morofuyu, Uesugi Noriaki, and others were appointed as Kanto Kanrei, and together with the Kamakura Kubo, they governed the Kanto region. After Uesugi Noriaki was reinstated as Kanto Kanrei in 1363 (Shohei 18, Joji 2), the Uesugi clan inherited the position hereditarily. The Uesugi clan was divided into four families, the Yamanouchi, Ogigayatsu, Inukake, and Takuma families, who took turns in the position of Kanto Kanrei. In the early days, there were two Kanto Kanrei, but later there was only one, who performed duties such as taking over the orders of the kubo under the shogunate's command, and also exercised various powers on behalf of the kubo when the kubo was unappointed or still a minor. The power of the Uesugi clan strengthened as a result of their ability to exercise such authority, which escalated to the point of armed conflict with the Kamakura kubo Ashikaga Mochiuji in 1438 (Eikyō 10), and with the support of the shogunate, the Uesugi clan defeated and killed Mochiuji (Eikyō Rebellion). At the request of the vassals of the Kamakura shogunate, Mochiuji's son Shigeuji was appointed as the Kamakura kubo, but he murdered Uesugi Noritada, and in 1455 (Kōshō 1), Shigeuji was driven to Shimousa Koga (Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture) by the Uesugi clan and others, and from then on the kanrei Uesugi clan took control of the Kanto region in place of the kubo. However, the Uesugi clan's power gradually declined as the Yamanouchi and Ogigayatsu clans began to fight, and the Hojo clan, which had advanced into the Kanto region, began to exert pressure on them. Finally, Uesugi Norimasa fled to Echigo (Niigata Prefecture), and in 1561 (Eiroku 4), he adopted Nagao Kagetora (also known as Uesugi Kenshin), and handed over the Uesugi surname and the position of Kanto Kanrei to Kagetora. Although Kagetora inherited the position of Kanto Kanrei, it had already become a nominal position with no real power, and after Kagetora's death, there was no one to take over the position, and the title disappeared.

[Hiroshi Koyou]

"Kamakura City History: General Overview" (1959, Yoshikawa Kobunkan) "Kanagawa Prefecture History: General History 1: Primitive, Ancient and Middle Ages" (1981, Kanagawa Prefecture Kousaikai Foundation)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町幕府の職名。鎌倉公方(くぼう)の補佐役。足利尊氏(あしかがたかうじ)は関東を重視し、鎌倉府を設置して斯波家長(しばいえなが)を関東管領に任じ、幼少の鎌倉御所足利義詮(よしあきら)を補佐させた。以後関東管領には高師冬(こうのもろふゆ)、上杉憲顕(うえすぎのりあき)らが就任し、鎌倉公方とともに関東を統治している。1363年（正平18・貞治2）上杉憲顕の関東管領復任後は、上杉氏がこの職を世襲していった。上杉氏は山内(やまのうち)、扇谷(おうぎがやつ)、犬懸(いぬがけ)、宅間(たくま)の4家に分かれ、交代で関東管領に就任した。関東管領には初期は2人、のちには1人が在任し、公方のもとで公方の命令を取り継ぐなどの職務を担い、また公方が未補任(ぶにん)や幼少の場合には、公方にかわり諸権限を行使した。このような職権を行使しえたことに伴い上杉氏の勢力が強化され、1438年（永享10）鎌倉公方足利持氏(もちうじ)と武力衝突するまでに発展し、幕府の援助を受けた上杉氏は持氏を敗死させた（永享(えいきょう)の乱）。鎌倉府の家臣らの要請で持氏の子成氏(しげうじ)が鎌倉公方に就任したが、上杉憲忠(のりただ)殺害事件を起こし、1455年（康正1）上杉氏ら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、以後管領上杉氏が公方にかわり関東を支配するようになった。しかし、この上杉氏も山内、扇谷両家が争い始め、さらには関東に進出してきた後北条(ごほうじょう)氏の圧迫により、その勢力もしだいに衰退した。ついに上杉憲政(のりまさ)は越後(えちご)（新潟県）に逃れ、1561年（永禄4）長尾景虎(かげとら)（上杉謙信(けんしん)）を養子にし、上杉の姓と関東管領職を景虎に委譲した。関東管領は景虎が継承はしたが、すでに実権はなく有名無実化しており、景虎の死後はこれを引き継ぐ者もなく、この名称は消滅した。

［小要　博］

『『鎌倉市史　総説編』（1959・吉川弘文館）』▽『『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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