Chikuzen Province

The old name of a province in the northwest of Fukuoka Prefecture. One of the provinces in the Saikai region. In the Engishiki, it is ranked as Kami-kuni, and belongs to the Tokoku region. Originally, it was called Tsukushi Province together with Chikugo Province, but was divided into two provinces with the establishment of the Ritsuryo system at the end of the 7th century. When it was first divided, it was called Tsukushi no Michinokuchi no Kuni, but later became Chikuzen Province. It was divided into 15 districts, including Ito, Shima, Sawara, Naka, Murakata, Kasuya, Munakata, Onga, Kurate, Kama, Honami, Yasu, Shimoza, Kamitsukara, and Mikasa, and had 104 districts (Wamyosho). The provincial capital and provincial temple were located in Mikasa district (Dazaifu city). It was a key point for transportation on the continent since ancient times, and the provinces of Na and Ito were established there. In 536 (the 1st year of Emperor Senka), the Imperial family was renovated in Natsu and the Tsukushi Dazaifu was established, but after the defeat at Hakusonko, it was moved inland and the Dazaifu was established. The manors included Ito Manor (Hokongoin territory) in Ito County, Hakata Manor (Anrakuji territory) in Naka County, Kayuda Manor (Kongosanmaiin territory) in Kuratetsu County, Usui Manor (Kanzeonji territory) in Kama County, and Akizuki Manor (Hakozakitoin territory) in Yasu County.

When the Kamakura Shogunate was established, Amano Tookage was dispatched as the Chinzei Bugyo (magistrate of the Chinzei region), and then Muto Sukeyori was appointed as Shugo. The Muto clan inherited the position of Shugo for generations, and also served as Dazai Shoni (female governor), the highest local authority in Dazaifu. During the Einin era (1293-99), the Chinzei Tandai was established, and a member of the Hojo clan was appointed to this position, but in 1333 (Genko 3/Shokei 2), it was attacked by the armies of the Shoni, Otomo, and Shimazu, and was destroyed. When the Kenmu government was established, Shoni Sadatsune was appointed Shugo, and then his son Yorihisa took over. In 1349 (Shohei 4, Sadawa 5), ​​Ashikaga Tadafuyu descended to Kyushu, causing chaos in Kyushu as the Northern Court, Southern Court, and Tadafuyu faction were divided, but Tadafuyu's faction was dominant in Chikuzen. In 1361 (Shohei 16, Koan 1), Kikuchi Takemitsu, who served Prince Kaneyoshi, Shogun of the Western Expedition, occupied Dazaifu, and the Southern Court dominated northern Kyushu. However, when Imagawa Ryoshun, the Kyushu Tandai, descended to Kyushu, the Northern Court gained the upper hand, and Ryoshun himself became the Shugo of Chikuzen. During the Muromachi period, the Ouchi clan of Suo advanced and fought against the Shoni clan, but gradually the power of the Ouchi clan grew, and they came to make Chikuzen their territory. After the fall of the Ouchi clan, Chikuzen came under the control of the Otomo clan of Bungo. In 1586 (Tensho 14), the Shimazu clan invaded and attacked the Otomo clan's base, but were forced to retreat when Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent troops.

In 1587 (Tensho 15), Hideyoshi, who had pacified Kyushu, gave Kobayakawa Takakage the province of Chikuzen and two counties each of Chikugo and Hizen. During the time of his son Hideaki, the territory came under Hideyoshi's direct control, but after Hideyoshi's death it was given back to Hideaki. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keicho 5), Hideaki was transferred to Bizen, and Kuroda Nagamasa was later given the province of Chikuzen, excluding the western half of Ito County, and the Fukuoka Domain was established. In 1623 (Genwa 9), Nagamasa's second son Nagaoki was given 50,000 koku to form the Akizuki Domain, and his third son Takamasa was given 40,000 koku to form the Torenji Domain (later renamed Nogata Domain). The Nogata Domain was abolished in 1677 (Enpo 5), but was restored in 1688 (Genroku 1), and abolished again in 1720 (Kyoho 5).

In the early modern period, Chikuzen was one of the leading grain-producing areas in the country, and Chikuzen rice often became the main supply for the Osaka rice market. Rapeseed and wax were cultivated as commercial crops, and wax was produced vigorously. Coal had been mined in the Onga River basin since the latter half of the 18th century. Kaibara Ekiken, who lived during the Genroku period (1688-1704), was a famous Neo-Confucian scholar, and Miyazaki Yasuda wrote Japan's first full-scale agricultural book, "Complete Book of Agriculture" (1697).

With the collapse of the shogunate in 1868 (Meiji 1), the shogunate's territory in the western half of Ito County came under the jurisdiction of Hita Prefecture, and with the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures in July 1871, the Fukuoka Domain and Akizuki Domain came under the jurisdiction of Fukuoka Prefecture and Akizuki Prefecture, respectively, and the Tsushima Domain and Nakatsu Domain territories in the western half of Ito County came under the jurisdiction of Izuhara Prefecture and Nakatsu Prefecture, respectively. In September of the same year, the jurisdiction of Hita Prefecture was changed to that of Imari Prefecture, and in November of the same year, the entire province of Chikuzen was merged into Fukuoka Prefecture.

[Kazuo Shibata]

"History of Fukuoka Prefecture, 4 volumes (1962-65, Fukuoka Prefecture)" ▽ "History of Fukuoka Prefecture, edited by Takeuchi Rizo (1956, Bungado)" ▽ "History of Fukuoka Prefecture, written by Hirano Kunio and Iida Hisao (1974, Yamakawa Publishing)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福岡県北西部の旧国名。西海(さいかい)道の1国。『延喜式(えんぎしき)』の等級は上国で、遠国に属す。初め筑後国とあわせて筑紫(つくし)国といい、7世紀末の律令(りつりょう)制の成立とともに前後に分割された。分割当初は筑紫前国(つくしのみちのくちのくに)と称したが、のち筑前国となった。怡土(いと)、志麻(しま)、早良(さわら)、那珂(なか)、席田(むしろた)、糟屋(かすや)、宗像(むなかた)、遠賀(おが)、鞍手(くらて)、嘉麻(かま)、穂波(ほなみ)、夜須(やす)、下座(しもつくら)、上座(かみつくら)、御笠(みかさ)の15郡に分かれ、104郷（和名抄(わみょうしょう)）が存在した。国府、国分寺は御笠郡（太宰府(だざいふ)市）にあった。古来大陸交通の要衝にあたり、奴(な)国、伊都(いと)国などが成立した。536年（宣化天皇1）那津(なのつ)に宮家(みやけ)が修造され筑紫大宰(つくしのおおみこもち)が置かれたが、白村江(はくそんこう)の敗戦後、内陸に移され大宰府が成立した。荘園(しょうえん)は、怡土郡に怡土荘（法金剛院(ほうこんごういん)領）、那珂郡に博多(はかた)荘（安楽寺領）、鞍手郡に粥田(かゆた)荘（金剛三昧院(こんごうさんまいいん)領）、嘉麻郡に碓井(うすい)荘（観世音寺(かんぜおんじ)領）、夜須郡に秋月(あきづき)荘（箱崎塔院(はこざきとういん)領）などがあった。

　鎌倉幕府が成立すると、天野遠景(とおかげ)が鎮西奉行(ちんぜいぶぎょう)として派遣され、ついで武藤資頼(すけより)が守護として入部した。武藤氏は代々守護職を世襲し、大宰府の現地最高責任者である大宰少弐(しょうに)を兼ねた。永仁(えいにん)年間（1293～99）に鎮西探題が置かれ、北条氏一門がこれに任じたが、1333年（元弘3・正慶2）少弐、大友、島津の諸軍に攻められ滅亡した。建武(けんむ)政権が成立すると少弐貞経(さだつね)が守護に任じられ、ついでその子頼尚(よりひさ)にかわった。1349年（正平4・貞和5）足利直冬(あしかがただふゆ)が九州に下向すると、九州では北朝方、南朝方、直冬方に分かれて混乱したが、筑前では直冬方が優勢であった。1361年（正平16・康安1）征西将軍宮懐良(かねよし)親王を奉じた菊池武光(たけみつ)は大宰府を占領し、南朝方が北部九州を制圧した。しかし九州探題今川了俊(りょうしゅん)が九州に下向すると、北朝方が優勢となり、了俊は自ら筑前の守護となった。室町期になると周防(すおう)の大内氏が進出して少弐氏と争ったが、しだいに大内氏の勢力が強くなり、筑前を領国化するに至った。大内氏の滅亡後は、筑前は豊後(ぶんご)の大友氏の支配下に入った。1586年（天正14）島津氏が侵入して大友氏の拠点を攻撃したが、豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉の出兵によって撤退した。

　1587年（天正15）九州を平定した秀吉は、小早川隆景(こばやかわたかかげ)に筑前1国および筑後、肥前各2郡を与えた。その子秀秋(ひであき)のとき、その所領は秀吉の直轄領となったが、秀吉の死後ふたたび秀秋に与えられた。1600年（慶長5）の関ヶ原の戦いののち、秀秋は備前に移され、そのあと黒田長政(ながまさ)に怡土郡西半分を除く筑前1国が与えられて福岡藩が成立した。1623年（元和9）長政の二男長興(ながおき)に5万石が分与されて秋月(あきづき)藩が、三男高政に4万石が分与されて東蓮寺(とうれんじ)藩（のち直方(のおがた)藩と改む）が成立した。直方藩は1677年（延宝5）にいったん廃されたが、1688年（元禄1）に再興され、1720年（享保5）廃藩となった。

　近世の筑前は全国でも有数の穀倉地帯であり、筑前米は大坂米市場の建米(たてまい)となることが多かった。商品作物としては菜種(なたね)や櫨(はぜ)が栽培され、櫨蝋(はぜろう)の生産が盛んに行われた。また遠賀(おんが)川流域では18世期後半から石炭の採掘が行われていた。元禄(げんろく)時代（1688～1704）に出た貝原益軒(えきけん)は朱子学者として著名であり、宮崎安貞(やすさだ)は日本で初めての本格的な農書である『農業全書』（1697）を著した。

　1868年（明治1）幕府の倒壊によって怡土郡西半分のうち幕府領は日田県管地となり、71年7月の廃藩置県によって福岡藩、秋月藩はそれぞれ福岡県、秋月県に、怡土郡西半分のうち対馬(つしま)藩領、中津藩領はそれぞれ厳原(いづはら)県、中津県の管理となった。同年9月日田県管地は伊万里(いまり)県管地に改められ、同年11月筑前1国は福岡県に統合された。

［柴多一雄］

『『福岡県史』全四巻（1962～65・福岡県）』▽『竹内理三編『福岡県の歴史』（1956・文画堂）』▽『平野邦雄・飯田久雄著『福岡県の歴史』（1974・山川出版社）』

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