Fish scales illustrated book

A land register from the Ming and Qing dynasties of China. It originated in the Song dynasty. It spread from the Jiangnan region in the lower Yangtze River basin to southern and northern China. It first contained a map of a certain area (called a circle in Jiangnan), and was called a fish scale map because the pieces of land on each plot resembled fish scales. Next, the shape of each plot of land, its circumference, and its four ends were illustrated, and below that were written the land number, location, area, tax amount, owner's name, and sometimes the name of the tenant farmer. This ledger was mainly used as a basis for tax collection, but was also used to procure labor for public works such as water conservancy construction. It was also used by private citizens to create evidence for land-related lawsuits and to collect tenant rent (tenant farm). It is also called the Fish Scale Clear Book or the Fish Scale Flowing Water Book, and was created by Jouryo.

[Mamoru Kawakatsu]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、明(みん)・清(しん)時代の土地台帳。起源は宋(そう)代にある。揚子江(ようすこう)下流域の江南地方からしだいに華南や華北にも広まった。初めに一定区域（江南では圩(う)）の総図を載せ、そこの一筆ごとの地片が魚の鱗(うろこ)に似ていることから魚鱗図とよんだ。次に一筆ごとの土地の形状、周囲の丈尺(じょうしゃく)、四至(しし)を図示し、その下に地番、所在地、面積、税額、所有者名などが記され、ときに佃戸(でんこ)（耕作者）名も記入された。この帳簿は主として租税徴収の基礎となったが、水利工事などの公共事業の労働力調達にも利用された。民間でも、土地関係の訴訟の証拠や小作料（佃租）徴収帳簿の作成にも使われた。なお、魚鱗清冊、魚鱗流水冊ともいわれ、丈量(じょうりょう)によって作成された。

［川勝　守］

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