Shirakawa Domain

This domain ruled the area around Shirakawa in Mutsu Province (Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture). In the early modern period, the Gamo and Uesugi clans, the feudal lords of Aizu, ruled the area by appointing Shirakawa castle lords, and in 1627 (Kan'ei 4), Niwa Nagashige was appointed to a fief of 100,700 koku from Tanagura, and the domain was established. From 1629 to 1632, the Niwa clan repaired Shirakawa Castle and developed the castle town, but the second lord, Mitsushige, was transferred to Nihonmatsu in 1643. After that, as it was an important base on the Oshu Kaido road, the shogunate appointed prestigious fudai daimyo to the domain. The successor to the throne was Matsudaira (Sakakibara) Tadatsugu from Tatebayashi in Kozuke Province (Gunma Prefecture), followed by Honda Tadayoshi in 1649 (Keian 2), Matsudaira (Okudaira) Tadahiro in 1781 (Tenwa 1), Matsudaira (Yuki) Naonori in 1792 (Genroku 5), Matsudaira (Hisamatsu) Sadakata in 1742 (Kanpo 2), and Abe Masanori in 1823 (Bunsei 6).

In 1650-51 (Keian 3-4), Honda Tadayoshi carried out a land survey of the domain, and harshly proclaimed a new 37,000 koku. During the time of Matsudaira Tadahiro, the domain split into two factions and was divided into two factions, and Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi reduced the domain's fief by 50,000 koku for mismanagement of domain administration and transferred it to Yamagata. There was also internal conflict during the time of Yuki Matsudaira, and in 1720 (Kyoho 5), after Naonori, Motochika and Yoshichika held the fief, but a large-scale peasant uprising also occurred.

The Matsudaira (Hisamatsu) clan, who entered the domain from Takada in Echigo in 1742, welcomed Sadanobu, the grandson of Shogun Yoshimune, from the Tayasu family as his heir during the second lord Sadakuni's reign. Sadanobu took over the domain in 1783 (Tenmei 3) in the midst of the Great Oshu Famine, and ordered the people of the domain to live frugally and tried to provide relief by purchasing emergency food supplies from Edo and distributing them to the people. After the downfall of Tanuma Okitsugu, he carried out the Kansei Reforms as the chief senior councilor. After resigning from his position as senior councilor in 1793 (Kansei 5), Sadanobu once again reformed the Shirakawa domain's government, encouraging the production of commercial crops and working to establish markets such as the Shirakawa Horse Market. He also implemented a policy of industrialization, such as having crafts such as glass, pottery, and military equipment produced, and introducing woolen textiles as a side job for samurai. He also established Rikkyokan in 1791 (Kansei 3), and in 1799 built school buildings in Shirakawa and Sukagawa to educate the common people. He had scholars such as Hirose Ten compile geographical works such as "Shirakawa Fudoki" and "Shirakawa Kojiko," and he himself wrote "Shuko Jyushu." In 1823, during the reign of Matsudaira Sadanaga, he was transferred to Kuwana, and the Abe clan from Musashi-oshi entered the domain in his place, and it continued until the end of the Edo period. After Masaken, the Abe clan was succeeded by Masaatsu, Masaakira, Masakata, Masasada, Masahisa, Masato, and Masakiyo, but in 1867 (Keio 3), the clan was transferred to Tanagura, and returned to Shirakawa the following year. During the Boshin War, fierce fighting took place between the Oshu-Ueno Alliance Army and the Western Army, and the castle fell on May 1, 1868. In August 1869 (Meiji 2), the castle was replaced by the Civil Affairs Control Office and became Shirakawa Prefecture, which was later merged into Fukushima Prefecture via Nihonmatsu Prefecture.

[Hiroshi Honda]

"The Story of the Domain 2" (1976, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

陸奥(むつ)国白河（福島県白河市）周辺を領有した藩。近世初期は会津領主蒲生(がもう)・上杉両氏が白河城代を置いて支配、1627年（寛永4）丹羽長重(にわながしげ)が棚倉(たなぐら)から10万0700石で就封し成立した。29年から32年にかけて、丹羽氏は白河城の修築、城下町の整備を行ったが、2代光重は43年二本松に移封となった。以後、奥州街道の重要拠点として、幕府は譜代(ふだい)の名門大名を配置した。上野(こうずけ)国（群馬県）館林(たてばやし)から松平(まつだいら)（榊原(さかきばら)）忠次、49年（慶安2）本多忠義(ただよし)、81年（天和1）松平（奥平(おくだいら)）忠弘、92年（元禄5）松平（結城(ゆうき)）直矩(なおのり)、1742年（寛保2）松平（久松(ひさまつ)）定賢(さだかた)、1823年（文政6）阿部正権(まさのり)と頻繁に交替した。

　1650～51年（慶安3～4）本多忠義によって領内総検地が行われ、新たに3万7000石余を打ち出すという過酷なものであった。松平忠弘の時代は藩内が2派に分かれて抗争し、将軍徳川綱吉(つなよし)から藩政不行届で5万石減封のうえ山形に移された。結城松平時代も藩内抗争があり、1720年（享保5）には直矩のあと基知(もとちか)、義知(よしちか)と在封したが、やはり大規模な農民一揆(いっき)が発生した。

　1742年越後(えちご)高田から入部した松平（久松）氏は、2代定邦(さだくに)のとき将軍吉宗(よしむね)の孫にあたる定信(さだのぶ)を田安家から迎えて嗣子(しし)とした。定信は1783年（天明3）奥羽大飢饉(ききん)のさなかに封を継ぎ、領民に質素倹約を令するとともに、江戸から救急食糧を購入し領民に配るなど救済に努めた。田沼意次(おきつぐ)失脚後、老中首座として寛政(かんせい)の改革を断行した。1793年（寛政5）老中を辞任した定信は、再度白河藩の藩政改革を行い、商品作物の生産を奨励し、白河馬市などの市場創設にも努力した。またガラス、陶器、武具などの工芸品を製作させ、藩士の副業に毛織物（ラシャ）を導入するなど殖産政策をとった。また1791年（寛政3）立教館を創設、99年白河と須賀川(すかがわ)に敷教舎(ふきょうしゃ)を建て、庶民の教育も行った。広瀬典(てん)などの学者に『白河風土記(ふどき)』『白河古事考』などの地誌を編纂(へんさん)させ、自らも『集古十種』などを著した。1823年松平定永のとき桑名(くわな)に移封、かわって武蔵忍(むさしおし)から阿部氏が入部し幕末に至った。阿部氏は、正権のあと、正篤(まさあつ)、正瞭(まさあきら)、正備(まさかた)、正定(まささだ)、正耆(まさひさ)、正外(まさと)、正静(まさきよ)と続いたが、1867年（慶応3）棚倉移封となり、翌年また白河に復帰した。戊辰(ぼしん)戦争においては奥羽列藩同盟軍と西軍との間で激戦が展開され、68年5月1日落城した。69年（明治2）8月、民政取締所にかわって白河県となり、二本松県を経て福島県に併合された。

［誉田　宏］

『『物語藩史　2』（1976・新人物往来社）』

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