Kobayakawa clan

A group of warriors from the medieval Aki Province. Their ancestor was Doi Sanehira, whose main family home was in Doi-go, Sagami Province (Yugawara area, Kanagawa Prefecture). The family name comes from the Doi clan's territory, Hayakawa-no-sho (Odawara City). Sanehira was appointed as the Sotsuibushi (later the Shugo) of Bizen, Bitchu, and Bingo in 1184 (Genryaku 1), and his son Toohira was awarded the lands of "Ajika", Numata Honjo, and Shinjo as a reward for his meritorious service. However, his son Korehira was executed for siding with Wada Yoshimori, so he moved his base to Aki with his adopted son Kagehira from the Hiraga clan as the center, and grew as a local lord. After the Jōkyū War (1221), Shigehira obtained Takehara Manor in Tsu, and gave Numata Honshō (Numata Kobayakawa family) to his eldest son Masahira, and Takehara Manor (Takehara Kobayakawa family) to his fourth son Masakage, splitting the two families into two, and further splitting off the Mukunashi clan and the Oda clan. The illegitimate families developed an independent clan alliance (the head family system), and the Takehara-Kobayakawa family is a prime example of this, which had implemented sole succession by the eldest son since the Kamakura period, established a status equal to that of the head family, and continued to clash with them through the Nanboku-cho civil war and the Onin and Bunmei wars (1467-1477).On the other hand, the head family used the position of head, backed by the power of the shogun, to aim for a system in which the illegitimate families under the Mukunashi clan were subordinated as vassals, and incorporated the illegitimate families under their control, bringing them under their vassals along with those of non-blood relatives, and established a powerful feudal system in their local areas as part of the Aki kokujinshu.

The head family also controlled the distribution of goods within the manor, controlled the pirates based on the islands in the Seto Inland Sea, and traded with China. In particular, Numata City appeared at the end of the Kamakura period, and the Kobayakawa clan issued a "market ban" in 1340 (Kokoku 1, Ryakuo 3) and ordered the separation of vassals and merchants (hei-sho separation). In 1544 (Tenbun 13), Takakage, the third son of Mori Motonari, was adopted into the Takehara family, and subsequently the Numata family was also incorporated. During the Sengoku period, he and the Kikkawa family became senior vassals of the Mori clan and played an active role, and were known as the "Two Rivers of Mori." Takakage was one of Hideyoshi's five elders, known as a wise general and trusted, but had no children, so in 1594 Hideyoshi adopted Hideaki and made him his heir. However, Hideaki also had no heir, and the family line died out in 1602 (Keicho 7). In 1879 (Meiji 12), an imperial decree was issued to have Saburo Mori succeed him as head of the family, restoring the family to the rank of baron.

[Tabata Yasuko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中世の安芸国(あきのくに)の武士団。祖は相模国(さがみのくに)土肥(どい)郷（神奈川県湯河原(ゆがわら)一帯）を本貫とする土肥実平(さねひら)。名字は土肥氏の所領早河荘(はやかわのしょう)（小田原市）による。実平は1184年（元暦1）備前(びぜん)・備中(びっちゅう)・備後(びんご)惣追捕使(そうついぶし)（後の守護）に任じられ、その子遠平(とおひら)は「安直(あじか)」・沼田(ぬた)本荘・新荘を勲功の賞として獲得。しかしその子惟平(これひら)が和田義盛(わだよしもり)にくみして誅(ちゅう)されたため、平賀(ひらが)氏から迎えた養子景平(かげひら)を中心に本拠を安芸に移し在地領主として成長した。承久(じょうきゅう)の乱（1221）後、都宇(つう)竹原荘(たけはらのしょう)を得た茂平(しげひら)は、嫡子雅平(まさひら)に沼田本荘（沼田小早川家）、四男政景(まさかげ)に竹原荘（竹原小早川家）を与えて2家を分立させ、さらに椋梨(むくなし)氏、小田(おだ)氏を分出させた。庶子家は一個の独立した一族結合（惣領制）を展開、竹原小早川家はその代表例で、嫡子単独相続を鎌倉期から行い、惣領家と同格の地位を築き、南北朝内乱、応仁(おうにん)・文明(ぶんめい)の乱（1467～77）などを通じて対立を続けた。一方惣領家は将軍権力を背景にもつ惣領職をてことして椋梨氏以下の庶子家を家臣団として従属させる体制を志向、庶子家を支配下に組み入れ、非血縁の家臣団とともに配下に収めて、安芸国人衆(こくじんしゅう)の一員として在地に強力な領主制を確立した。

　また惣領家は荘内の商品流通を掌握し、瀬戸内海島嶼(とうしょ)に拠(よ)る海賊衆も統轄し、中国との貿易も行っている。とくに沼田市(いち)は鎌倉末期に現れ、小早川氏は1340年（興国1・暦応3）に「市場禁制」を出し、家臣団と商人との分離（兵商分離）を令している。1544年（天文13）毛利元就(もうりもとなり)の三男隆景(たかかげ)が竹原家の養子となり、続いて沼田家をもあわせた。戦国期には吉川(きっかわ)氏とともに毛利氏の重臣となり活躍、「毛利の両川(りょうせん)」といわれた。隆景は秀吉の五大老の一人で、智将として聞こえ、信も厚かったが子がなく、1594年秀吉の猶子(ゆうし)秀秋(ひであき)を迎えて嗣子(しし)とした。しかし秀秋にも嗣子がなく、1602年（慶長7）断絶。1879年（明治12）に至り勅により毛利三郎に家督を継がせて再興。男爵となる。

［田端泰子］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例