Satsuma-Tosa Alliance

A pact made between the Satsuma and Tosa clans during the Meiji Restoration, aiming for the restoration of imperial rule and a publicly-consulted government. It was concluded on June 22, 1867 (Keio 3) in Kyoto between Goto Shojiro, Fukuoka Takachika, and Sakamoto Ryoma from the Tosa clan, and Komatsu Tatewaki, Saigo Takamori, and Okubo Toshimichi from the Satsuma clan. The contents of the pact were that the Shogun would return power to the shogun, and that politics would be run with a conference of feudal lords under the Imperial Court as the axis. Sensing the movement to overthrow the shogunate by the Satsuma-Choshu alliance, Goto and others adopted some of Sakamoto's ideas in the so-called "Senchu ​​Hassaku" (Eight Policies on Board the Ship), and united the clans' opinions on this line of peaceful power transfer, and appealed to the Satsuma side. It is thought that the Satsuma side also came up with this plan in order to buy time for preparations to overthrow the shogunate, and to gain a justification for overthrowing the shogunate due to the shogunate's expected refusal to return power to the Emperor.

[Takuji Shibahara]

"The Meiji Restoration History, compiled by the Meiji Restoration Historiography Office, 6 volumes (1939-41, Meiji Shoin)" ▽ "Research on the Political History of the Meiji Restoration, by Akira Tanaka (1963, Aoki Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

幕末維新期に、薩摩藩と土佐藩との間に締結された大政奉還・公議政体を目ざした盟約。1867年（慶応3）6月22日、土佐藩の後藤象二郎(しょうじろう)・福岡孝弟(たかちか)・坂本龍馬(りょうま)と、薩摩藩の小松帯刀(たてわき)・西郷隆盛(たかもり)・大久保利通(としみち)らとの間で京都で成約された。内容は、将軍の政権奉還と朝廷のもとに諸侯会議を基軸として政治を運営するというもの。薩長連合による倒幕の動きを察知した後藤らは、坂本のいわゆる「船中八策(せんちゅうはっさく)」の構想をも一部取り入れ、平和的な政権移行を図るこの路線で藩論をまとめて薩摩側に働きかけた。薩摩側もまた、倒幕準備のための時間かせぎ、予想される幕府の大政奉還拒否による倒幕の名分獲得などの思惑で、この構想をいれたと考えられる。

［芝原拓自］

『維新史料編纂事務局編『維新史』全6冊（1939～41・明治書院）』▽『田中彰著『明治維新政治史研究』（1963・青木書店）』

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