Privately-owned land

In the early and middle Heian period, these were fields directly managed by local citizens. They were also called shiden (private land). They were the opposite of publicly managed fields. The owner of the field would prepare the capital for rice and other crops, give it to the farmers he gathered as a meal allowance, and pay for water and other expenses to have them cultivate the land. In the fall, the owner would collect the entire harvest. To secure the farmers, they would sometimes provide fish and sake. Private fields were managed in conjunction with the much larger tenant-managed jishiden (land-rented land) in the surrounding area, and at the same time, the owner of the field provided high-interest loans (shisuiko) to support the maintenance and expansion of the management and control of the farmers. Local feudal lords built their territories around these privately managed fields, and developed into medieval feudal lords. The feudal lords' tsukuda of the Middle Ages were the successors to privately managed fields.

[Yoshimi Toda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安時代の初・中期、地方民間において直営方式で経営された田地。私佃(しでん)ともいう。公営田(くえいでん)に対する。経営主が稲穀等の元本を準備し、集めた農人らにこれを功食(こうじき)料として与え、用水などの費用を支出して耕作させ、秋にその全収穫を経営主が収納する方式をとった。農人を確保するため魚酒等を給与することもあった。私営田の経営は、その周辺にはるかに大規模な小作経営の地子田(じしでん)を伴い、それとの結合のうえに成り立っており、同時に経営主が行った高利貸付の私出挙(しすいこ)が、その経営の維持拡大と農民支配を支えていた。在地豪族はこのような私営田経営を中核として所領を形成し、中世領主に発展した。中世の領主佃は私営田の後身である。

［戸田芳実］

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