Disposal of stipends - Chitsurokushobun

In 1876 (Meiji 9), the Meiji government issued gold-stipend government bonds to the nobility and samurai classes, and abolished the payment of stipends and prize stipends to them. Even after the abolition of the feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures, the Meiji government continued to pay the traditional stipends from the old Tokugawa shogunate to the nobility, feudal lords, and samurai (who were reorganized into two families, nobility and samurai, in 1869). The financial burden for this initially reached 45% of the annual expenditure, and the abolition of stipends and prize stipends became an urgent issue for the government, which aimed to establish a modern nation. In addition, the conscription law promulgated in 1873 eliminated the reason for the existence of the samurai class, whose regular occupation was military service, and the land tax reform of the same year changed the feudal tribute, the source of the stipends, into a land tax in the form of a modern tax. With these circumstances as a backdrop, the government, while suppressing opposition within the government, gradually proceeded with the reorganization of the family stipends. First, in December 1673, the family stipend tax and the family stipend return system were implemented, and a progressive tax was imposed on the family stipends divided into 335 levels, and those who wished to return their stipends were given six years' worth of their stipends in the form of cash and stipend bonds all at once, and they were incorporated into the commoner status. Next, in September 1675, all family stipends and prize stipends were changed to fixed amounts in cash (called gold stipends). After these measures, the government carried out the disposal of stipends and completely dismantled the old feudal lord class. In response, the samurai in various regions strongly opposed this, and samurai rebellions broke out, such as the Shinpuren, Akizuki, and Hagi Rebellions and the Seinan War. After the rebellion was put down, many of the samurai class fell into poverty and fell into decline.

[Kunio Niwa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1876年（明治9）明治政府が、華・士族に金禄公債を交付して、彼らに対する家禄、賞典禄の支給を廃止した処分。明治政府は、廃藩置県後も、従来の公家(くげ)、領主、武士（これらは1869年華族・士族という二つの族籍に整理された）に対し、旧幕以来の家禄と、維新の功績により政府が与えた賞典禄とを引き続き支給していた。そのための財政負担は、当初歳出の45％に達し、近代国家樹立を目ざす政府にとって家禄・賞典禄処分は差し迫った課題となった。また1873年に公布された徴兵令は、武を常職とする士族の存在理由をなくし、同年の地租改正は、家禄の源泉である封建貢租を、近代的租税の形をとった地租に変えてしまった。こうした事情を背景にして、政府は、政府内部の反対を押さえながら徐々に家禄整理を進めた。まず73年12月、家禄税と家禄奉還制度をあわせ実施し、家禄には禄高を335段階に分けた累進税を課し、奉還希望者には家禄六か年分を現金と秩禄公債とで一時に交付し、平民身分に編入した。ついで75年9月には、家禄・賞典禄をすべて定額の現金支給に改めた（これを金禄と称する）。これらの措置ののち、秩禄処分を断行し、旧領主階級を完全に解体したのである。これに対し、各地の士族は強く反発し、神風連(しんぷうれん)・秋月(あきづき)・萩(はぎ)の乱や西南(せいなん)戦争などの士族反乱が勃発(ぼっぱつ)した。反乱鎮定後、士族層の多くは窮乏し没落していった。

［丹羽邦男］

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