Terazawa Katataka

Japanese: 寺沢堅高 - てらざわ・かたたか

Year of death: 18 November 1647 (14 December 1647)
Year of birth: 1609 (Keicho 14)
A feudal lord in the early Edo period, lord of Karatsu Domain in Hizen Province (Saga Prefecture). His childhood name was Harumaru. He was Hyogo no Kami and was of the rank of Junior Fifth Rank. He was the second son of Terazawa Hirotaka. His mother was the daughter of Tsumaki Denbei Sadanori. He inherited the land in 1633, and launched an oppression of Christians, imposing harsh rule, including collecting twice the amount of tax as under the previous lord, Konishi Yukinaga. In 1634, the Shimabara Rebellion broke out, and the people of Amakusa, Terazawa's territory, joined the rebellion, so he hurriedly returned to Japan on his way to Edo to suppress the rebellion. The rebels attacked Tomioka Castle in Amakusa, and the Karatsu Domain defended it to the death (Hondo Battle). After the fall of Hara Castle, Taketaka was held responsible for the rebellion, and his 40,000 koku of land in Amakusa was confiscated. He was also suspended from service, but this was pardoned in 1635. However, he seems to have lived in despair for many years, and ten years after the outbreak of the rebellion, he committed suicide at the young age of 39 in his Edo residence, thus ending the Terazawa clan line. The fact that he had no heir likely deepened his disappointment.

(Chizuru Fukuda)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：正保4.11.18(1647.12.14)
生年：慶長14(1609)
江戸初期の大名,肥前国唐津藩(佐賀県)藩主。幼名晴丸。兵庫頭。従五位下。寺沢広高の次男。母は妻木伝兵衛貞徳の娘。寛永10(1633)年遺領を継ぎ,キリシタン弾圧を展開し,旧主小西行長時代の2倍の年貢取り立てなど,苛政をしいた。同14年に島原の乱が起こり,寺沢領天草の領民も一揆に合流したため,参勤途中に急遽帰国して鎮圧に当たった。一揆勢は天草の富岡城を攻め,唐津藩はこれを死守した(本渡合戦)。原城陥落後,堅高は乱の責任を問われ,天草4万石は没収された。出仕も止められたが,これは同16年に許された。しかし,その後も失意のうちに日を過ごしたと思われ,乱勃発から10年後,39歳の若さで江戸藩邸で自殺,ここに寺沢氏は断絶した。嗣子がなかったことが,失望を一層深めたのであろう。<参考文献>『唐津市史』

(福田千鶴)

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