Konden - konden

It is pronounced "harita" and can also be expressed as "Harita." Originally, it meant newly cultivated rice fields, but it can also refer to land acquired as planned for cultivation. The details of the cultivation situation before the Ritsuryo system are unknown, but there are names such as "Muraji" (Harita clan) and place names such as "Harita" and "Hata," and there are also stories related to cultivation, and it is believed that a considerable amount of cultivation took place in places such as the Imperial Court's Miyake management, the private land management of powerful clans, and the internal management of kuni no miyatsuko (provincial governors). Under the Ritsuryo system, irrigation was placed under the control of the government, so the development of rice paddies was, in principle, considered to be the government's responsibility, and the increase in rice paddies was counted as one of the achievements when the kokushi and gunji were evaluated for their work. The provisions of the ryo only contain provisions for the reopening of abandoned fields and for the reclamation of uncultivated land in the provinces to which the kokushi was assigned during his term of office, but lack any provisions for the reclamation of uncultivated land in general. However, it does not seem that the government rejected small-scale reclamation by local farmers themselves. The reference to "peasant reclamation" in the Koki, a commentary on the Taiho-ryo, can be seen as an indication of this. It can also be seen between the lines of the historical documents that aristocrats and powerful clans who had private land and private citizens up until the pre-Taika period were quite active in pre-occupying wilderness and reclamation at their own expense as a means of acquiring new land. In 711 (4th year of the Wadō era), the government on the one hand prohibited powerful aristocrats from occupying mountains and fields, while on the other hand took measures to allow reclamation by formal application. Furthermore, in 722 (Yoro 6), the government made a plan to cultivate one million cho of fertile land using public funds, but this was nothing more than an academic plan.

It was after the Sansei Isshin Law of 723, and especially after the Reclaimed Land Einen Shizai Law of 743 (Tenpyo 15), that reclamation began to be carried out in earnest. After this, reclaimed land continued to increase, and due to the oppression of powerful families and temples, and the misconduct of kokushi, some land was exchanged for more affordable land for kubunden (rice field), which was one of the reasons for the collapse of the Handen Shuju Law. In particular, temples accumulated reclaimed land not only by themselves, but also by purchasing and donating it, forming manors. In the Heian period, the government also paid wages and food to the people to reclaim land under the name of chokushiden (imperial land). This chokushiden was given to retired emperors and princes, and was also donated to temples. Reclaimed land was generally tax-exported land, but chokushiden was not tax-exported land. From the end of ancient times through the Middle Ages, newly reclaimed land was called "shinden" or "betsumyo," and the word "konden" gradually disappeared.

[Toshiya Torao]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

「はりた」と読み、「治田」とも表現される。本来、新規に開墾した田地をさすが、開墾予定地として取得した土地をも含めていう場合もある。律令制(りつりょうせい)以前における開墾状況の詳細は不明だが、「治田連(むらじ)」の氏姓名や「治田」「幡多」などの地名が存し、また開墾にまつわる説話も存して、朝廷の屯倉(みやけ)経営、豪族の私有地経営、国造(くにのみやつこ)の部内経営などの場で、かなりの開墾が行われたと思われる。律令制の下では、水利は政府の管理下に置かれたので、水田の開発は原則として政府の行うべき仕事であったと考えられ、水田の増加は国司・郡司の勤務評定に際して治績の一つに数えられている。令(りょう)の条文には、荒廃田の再開墾に関する規定と、国司の在任中の任国における未墾地の開墾に関する規定とがあるだけで、一般的な未墾地の開墾に関する規定を欠いている。しかし現地の農民自身の手による小規模な開墾まで否認したとは思われない。大宝令(たいほうりょう)の注釈書『古記』が「百姓墾」に言及しているのはその現れとみてよい。また大化前代まで私地私民をもっていた貴族や豪族が、新たな田地所有の手段として原野の先占(せんせん)とその私費開墾をかなり行ったことも史料の行間に読み取ることができる。711年（和銅4）政府は一方において貴族有勢者たちの山野占有を禁断するとともに、他方、正式に申請することによって開墾を認める措置をとっている。さらに722年（養老6）には、政府は公費によって良田百万町を開墾する計画をたてたが、これは机上のプランにすぎなかった。

　開墾が本格的に行われるようになったのは、723年の三世一身法以後、ことに743年（天平15）の墾田永年私財法以降のことである。この後、墾田は増加の一途をたどり、権門勢家や寺院の強圧、国司の不正などによって地味のよい口分田(くぶんでん)用地と交換されるなどのこともおこり、班田収授法崩壊の一因となった。ことに寺院は自らの開墾のほか、買得や寄進によって墾田を集積し、荘園(しょうえん)を形成していった。また平安時代に入ると、勅旨田の名のもとに政府が人民に賃銀や食料を支弁して開墾させることも行われた。この勅旨田は上皇や親王などに与えられたり、また寺院に寄進されたりしている。墾田は一般に輸租田であったが、勅旨田は不輸租田。古代末から中世にかけて、新規開墾田は「新田」「別名(べつみょう)」などとよばれて、墾田の語はしだいに姿を消してゆく。

［虎尾俊哉］

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