Tato - Tato

Contractors of manors and kokuga lands (public lands) seen in the Heian period. They were once considered to be the same as myoshu, but are now considered to be a precursor to myoshu. In historical documents from the 9th and 10th centuries, they are mainly seen as tato. In this period, feudal lords assigned fields to tato on a yearly basis (sanden), and the tato contracted to cultivate them by submitting ukebumi (contracts). In this way, the tato only had the right to cultivate the contracted land for one year, so their rights were weak and their status as contractors was extremely unstable. However, their only obligations were to cultivate the land and pay land rent, and there was no personal servitude. In that respect, the tato were in a free position. In other words, the tato were experts in agricultural management. On the other hand, they also had a side as landowners, as is known from the fact that in 1099 (Kōwa 1), the tato of Hahakabe Village, Tamba Province (Joto Town, Hyogo Prefecture) donated a total of 25 cho (800 m²) of inherited land to Kanshin-in Temple (Gion Shrine). During this period, there was a myo (a unit of collection of money) (the person in charge was a fumyo), and it is believed that the characteristics of the tato and myo (fumyo) became one and developed into headman.

[Hideo Nakano]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

平安時代にみられる荘園(しょうえん)・国衙(こくが)領（公領）の請作(うけさく)者。かつては名主(みょうしゅ)と同じものとみられていたが、最近では名主の前段階的存在とみられている。9～10世紀の史料では主として田刀とみえる。この時代、領主は田地を田堵らに1年ごとに宛(あて)行い（散田(さんでん)）、田堵らは請文(うけぶみ)（契約書）を提出してそれを請作した。このように、田堵らは請作地に対しては1年限りの耕作権しか有していなかったので、彼らの耕作権は弱く、請作者としての地位はきわめて不安定であった。しかし、耕作と地子（地代）納入のみが義務であり、人身的隷属関係はなかった。その点、田堵は人格的に自由な立場にあった。つまり、田堵は農業経営の専門家である。しかし他方で、1099年（康和1）丹波(たんば)国波々伯部(ははかべ)村（兵庫県城東町）の田堵らが先祖相伝の所領計25町八反余を感神院（祇園(ぎおん)社）に寄進したことなどからも知られるように、土地所有者としての側面ももっていた。この時代、収納の単位として名(みょう)があったが（その責任者が負名(ふみょう)）、田堵と名（負名）の両者の性格が一体化するとともに名主へと発展したとみられている。

［中野栄夫］

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