Awa Province - Awa no Kuni

A large province belonging to the Nankaido, roughly corresponding to the present Tokushima Prefecture. In ancient times, Awanokuni and Naganokuni appeared in the Kuni-no-miyatsuko-Hongi (Records of the Land of the Provincial Governors), but the name Awa-no-kuni has been used since 645 (Taika 1). According to the Wamyōshō (Chronicles of Japanese Myogyō), the province was divided into eight districts: Itano, Awa, Mima, Miyoshi, Oe (Ue), Nakata (later Nahimukashi, Nanishi), Katsura, and Naka, and there were 47 townships. The provincial government office (kokuga) belonged to Nakata County, and was located in Fuchu, which is now Kokufu Town, Tokushima City, and is identified with the area of ​​Omiwa Shrine and the Shingon sect Daibo (Senpukuji Temple). It occupied an important position on the Nankaido road, and culture from the Kinai region was introduced there early, as can be seen from the ruins of temples scattered throughout the area. Kokubunji Temple was located in nearby Yano, Tokushima City, and the ruins of Kokubun Nunnery are located in nearby Ishii Town, Myonishi County. There were 53 manors, 8 ho, and 1 kuriya, of which the manors of Tomita, Meito, Gunto, Niijima, Hirakata, and Kannonji, as well as the manors of Ozumesho, Tsudajima Betsuno, and Shibahara Ho were located in Meito County. In Katsuura County, they had Ikuhina, Katsuura, Shinohara, Katsuurashin, Tana, Kushibuchi, and Zammaida. In Itano County, they had the manors of Tomari, Yoshima, Yagami, Tomiyoshi, Kojima, Inokuma, Horie, Itanishi, Itanishishita, and Heki, as well as the wards of Kawasaki and Mitsutomi. In Naka County, they had the manors of Takehara, Ono, Ushiki, Aratano, Fukui, Nakayama, Hirashima, Tatee, and Sakano, as well as the manors of Kuwanoho and Kuwanomikuriya. In Kaifu County, they had two manors, Hiwa and Shishikui. In Awa County, they had three manors, Akizuki, Kuchita, Higashihaishi, and Nishihaishi, and the provincial government district of Hara. In Ase County there were the manors of Ase, Yamada, Kotsuji, and Kawada, and the provincial government territory of Tanenoyama. In Mima County there was the manor of Anabuki. In Miyoshi County there were the manors of Kanamaru, Fukuda, Ikawa, Minoda, Tai, and Tai, and the Inamochi Ward. In Myonishi County there were the manors of Ura, Myonishi, Takahashi, and others.

In 1185 (Bun'ji 1) after the Genpei War, Sasaki Tsunetaka entered the area as the first shugo (military governor), and made Torisaka Castle his shugosho, but he was defeated by the new shugo (military governor), Ogasawara Nagatsune, during the Jōkyū Rebellion (1221). Hosokawa Kazuuji, who entered Awa during the Nanboku-chō civil war, established a military headquarters in Akizuki, now part of Donari-chō in Awa City, and began managing Shikoku, but his younger brother, Yoriharu, became shugo in 1341 (Kōkoku 2, Ryakuō 4), and the second shugo, Yoriyuki, became the first kanrei (regent) of the Muromachi shogunate in 1367 (Shohei 22, Sadaharu 6). As a result, his younger brother Akiharu became the shugo, and the two Hosokawa families of Kyoto and Awa boasted of their power in a complementary relationship. However, the eighth shugo, Mochitaka, was defeated by his steward, Miyoshi Yoshikata, and this uprising allowed the Miyoshi clan to control the entire territory of Awa. However, their military strength was wasted by frequent military campaigns in the Kinai region, and Chosokabe Motochika of Tosa took advantage of this opportunity to invade Awa, and in 1582 (Tensho 10), Awa came under the control of the Chosokabe clan. However, in 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasion of Shikoku forced Motochika to retreat to Tosa, and in recognition of his achievements, the 180,000 koku Awa fief was given to Hachisuka Iemasa. The following year, Tokushima Castle was completed on the Yoshino River Delta, and the castle was moved from Ichinomiya to Tokushima. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keicho 5), Iemasa returned Awa to Toyotomi Hideyori and became a monk, entering Mount Koya, and his eldest son Yoshishige distinguished himself in battle on the Tokugawa side, and was given Awa. After that, the Hachisuka clan was never transferred, and in 1615 (Genwa 1), they were given the additional land of Awaji Province, with a fief of 250,000 koku, and they ruled until the return of the domain to the Emperor in 1869 (Meiji 2).

In early modern Awa Province, the area north of the Yoshino River basin was a major producer of the famous Awa indigo blue, the area south of the Naka River basin was a rice-growing region, and the Muya salt fields facing the Naruto Straits were a major salt-producing area. The Tokushima Domain was established following the return of the domains and people to the Emperor, and in July 1871, the domains were abolished and prefectures were established, forming Tokushima Prefecture, which was renamed Myodo Prefecture in November of the same year. However, in 1876, Myodo Prefecture was abolished, Awa Province was annexed by Kochi Prefecture, and Awaji Province came under the jurisdiction of Hyogo Prefecture. Tokushima Prefecture was re-established in 1880, and remains so to this day.

[Akio Miyoshi]

"Tokushima Prefecture History" (1967, Tokushima Prefecture) ▽ "Awa History" by Miyoshi Akiichiro and others (1975, Kodansha) ▽ "Awa-shi" edited by Fujiwara Yukinori and translated by Arai Aizu (1932, Local History Publishing Association)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

南海道に属する大国で、現在の徳島県にほぼ一致する。古くは粟国(あわのくに)と長国(ながのくに)の2国が『国造本紀(こくぞうほんぎ)』などにみえるが、645年（大化1）以来阿波国の称が使用されている。『和名抄(わみょうしょう)』には板野(いたの)、阿波、美馬(みま)、三好(みよし)、麻殖(おえ)（植）、名方(なかた)（のち名東(なひむかし)、名西(なにし)）、勝浦(かつら)、那賀(なか)の8郡に分轄され、47郷が存在した。国衙(こくが)は名方郡に属し、現徳島市国府(こくふ)町の府中(こう)にあって、大御和(おおみわ)神社と真言宗大坊(だいぼう)（千輻寺(せんぷくじ)）の一帯が比定されている。南海道の重要な位置を占め、畿内(きない)からの文化の流入も早かったことが、各地に散在する寺院跡などから、その事情を知ることができる。国分寺は近くの徳島市矢野にあり、国分尼寺跡も近くの名西郡石井町の尼寺にある。また荘園(しょうえん)は53荘8保(ほ)1厨(くりや)で、そのうち名東郡に富田、名東、郡東、新島(にいじま)、枚方(ひらかた)、観音寺の各荘と大豆処、津田島別納、芝原保。勝浦郡に生夷(いくひな)、勝浦、篠原、勝浦新、太奈、櫛淵(くしぶち)のほか三昧田(ざんまいだ)。板野郡に泊、萓島、矢上、富吉、小島、井隈(いのくま)、堀江、板西、板西下、日置の各荘と河崎、光富の保。那賀郡に竹原、大野、牛牧(うしき)、阿良多(あらた)野、福井、那賀山、平島、立江、坂野の各荘と桑野保、桑乃御厨。海部郡に日輪、宍咋(ししくい)の2荘。阿波郡に秋月、朽田(くちた)、東拝師(はやし)、西拝師の3荘と国衙領郡原(こおりばら)。麻植郡に麻植、山田、高越寺(こうつじ)、河輪田の各荘と国衙領種野(たねの)山。美馬郡に穴吹(あなぶき)荘。三好郡に金丸、福田、井川、三野田、田井、太井の各荘と稲用(いなもち)保。名西郡に浦、名西、高橋などの各荘があった。

　源平合戦後の1185年（文治1）佐々木経高(つねたか)が最初の守護として入部し、鳥坂城を守護所としたが、承久(じょうきゅう)の乱（1221）のとき新守護小笠原長経(おがさわらながつね)に倒された。南北朝内乱期に阿波に入った細川和氏(かずうじ)は現阿波市土成(どなり)町の秋月に軍府を置き、四国の経営に着手したが、その弟頼春(よりはる)は1341年（興国2・暦応4）に守護となり、2代守護頼之(よりゆき)は1367年（正平22・貞治6）に室町幕府の初代管領(かんれい)に就任した。そのため弟の詮春(あきはる)が守護となり、京と阿波の両細川家は補完関係にあって権勢を誇った。しかし8代守護持隆(もちたか)は執事三好義賢(よしかた)に倒され、この下剋上(げこくじょう)によって阿波は三好氏が領国の一円支配を目ざした。しかしたびたびの畿内への出兵で戦力を消耗し、そのすきをついて土佐の長宗我部元親(ちょうそがべもとちか)は阿波に進攻し、1582年（天正10）阿波は長宗我部氏に支配されることになった。ところが1585年豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉による四国征伐のため元親は土佐に退き、功により阿波18万石は蜂須賀家政(はちすかいえまさ)に与えられた。翌年に吉野川デルタ上に徳島城が完成し、居城は一宮から徳島に移された。1600年（慶長5）の関ヶ原の戦いに際して豊臣秀頼(ひでより)に阿波を返上した家政は出家して高野山(こうやさん)に入り、嫡子至鎮(よししげ)は徳川方として戦功をたて、阿波は至鎮に与えられた。その後、蜂須賀氏は転封されることもなく、1615年（元和1）には淡路国を加増されて25万石の太守として、1869年（明治2）の版籍奉還まで支配した。

　近世の阿波国は、吉野川流域の北方は有名な阿波藍(あい)の大産地であり、那賀(なか)川流域の南方は米作地帯を形成し、鳴門(なると)海峡に面する撫養(むや)塩田は有数の塩業地帯であった。版籍奉還によって徳島藩が置かれ、1871年7月廃藩置県で徳島県となり、同年11月名東(みょうどう)県と改称されたが、1876年に名東県が廃され、阿波国は高知県に併合され、淡路国は兵庫県に管轄された。さらに1880年に徳島県が再置され、現在に至っている。

［三好昭一郎］

『『徳島県史』（1967・徳島県）』▽『三好昭一郎他著『阿波の歴史』（1975・講談社）』▽『藤原之憲編、新井藍水訳『阿波志』（1932・郷土史刊行会）』

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