Hikone Domain

The Fudai clan had its castle in Hikone, Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture). In 1600 (Keicho 5), Ii Naomasa, who distinguished himself as the military magistrate of the Eastern Army in the Battle of Sekigahara, was appointed lord of Sawayama Castle in place of Ishida Mitsunari the following year, and became a daimyo with a total of 180,000 koku of land, including 150,000 koku in Omi Province and 30,000 koku in Kozuke Province (Gunma Prefecture). In 1602, Naomasa died from wounds sustained in battle, and his eldest son Naotsugu (later renamed Naokatsu) began construction of a castle on Hikoneyama the following year, and after 20 years, Hikone Castle was completed in 1622 (Genwa 8). During this time, however, due to Naotsugu's poor health, his younger half-brother Naotaka took part in both the winter and summer campaigns in Osaka as his representative, and increased his military prowess. In 1615 (the first year of the Genna era), Tokugawa Ieyasu had Naotaka succeed him as head of the family, and he was given 30,000 koku of rice and Annaka Castle in Kozuke Province. Naotaka received successive increases in his stipend due to his military achievements, and was entrusted with a fief of 300,000 koku and 50,000 koku of rice from the shogunate castle, becoming a fudai daimyo with a fief of 350,000 koku and solidifying the foundation of the domain system. Naotaka assisted three Tokugawa shoguns, Hidetada, Iemitsu, and Ietsuna, in the shogunate's cabinet, and due to the family's status as tairo, six domain lords held the position of tairo between the first shogun Naomasa and the 16th shogun Naonori.

From the mid-Edo period onwards, as the domain's finances deteriorated, the Domestic Products Bureau was established in 1799 (Kansei 11) and the domain embarked on the pursuit of commercial profits by implementing a monopoly through the protection, cultivation and control of local specialties such as Hamachirimen (crepe silk) and Hamakaya (mosquito nets). Around this time, the domain school Keikokan (later renamed Kodokan and then Bunbukan) was opened and is said to have housed 20,000 books in a collection of 300,000 volumes. Naosuke, who succeeded to the domain in 1850 (Kaei 3), became Tairo (chief elder) in 1858 (Ansei 5), but was killed in the Sakuradamon Incident in March 1860 (Man'en 1) for his suppression of the anti-foreign faction in the Ansei Five-Nation Treaty and the issue of the Shogun's succession. In 1862 (Bunkyu 2), he was found guilty of this crime and had his fief reduced by 100,000 koku. In 1867 (Keio 3), the Hikone Domain sided with the Imperial Court in the Great Proclamation of the Restoration of Imperial Rule, and in 1869 (Meiji 2), with the return of the domain and people to the Emperor, Naonori was appointed governor of Hikone Domain, until the domain was abolished in July 1871. The domain area included Hikone, Nagahama, and Inukami prefectures, before being incorporated into Shiga prefecture.

[Yasuhiko Mori]

"History of Hikone City, Vol. 1, edited by Naokatsu Nakamura (1960, Hikone City)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

近江(おうみ)国（滋賀県）彦根に居城をもった譜代(ふだい)藩。1600年（慶長5）関ヶ原の戦いで東軍の軍奉行(いくさぶぎょう)として戦功のあった井伊直政(なおまさ)は、翌年石田三成(みつなり)にかわり佐和山(さわやま)城主に封ぜられ、近江国で15万石、上野(こうずけ)国（群馬県）で3万石、計18万石の大名となった。1602年直政は戦傷がもとで死去、嫡子直継(なおつぐ)（のち直勝(なおかつ)と改名）は翌年彦根山に築城工事に着手し、20年の歳月をかけ1622年（元和8）彦根城の完成をみた。しかし、この間、直継は病弱のため、庶弟直孝(なおたか)が名代として大坂冬・夏の両陣に参戦して、武威をあげ、1615年（元和1）徳川家康は直孝をもって家督を継がせ、直継には3万石を分与し、上野国安中(あんなか)城に封じた。直孝は戦功により相次ぐ加増を受け、30万石の封地と幕府城付米(しろつきまい)5万石を預かり、35万石の格式を有する譜代大名となり藩制の基礎を固めた。直孝は幕閣にあって徳川秀忠(ひでただ)・家光(いえみつ)・家綱(いえつな)3代の将軍を補佐し、また大老の家格により、初代直政から16代直憲(なおのり)の間、大老職につく藩主は6代を数えた。

　江戸中期以降、藩財政の悪化に伴い、1799年（寛政11）国産方を設置し、特産品の浜縮緬(はまちりめん)、浜蚊帳(はまかや)などの保護育成と統制による専売施行により、商業利潤の追求に乗り出した。また、このころ藩校の稽古館(けいこかん)（のち弘道館(こうどうかん)、さらに文武館と改称）を開校し、蔵書数2万部30万巻を蔵したという。1850年（嘉永3）襲封した直弼(なおすけ)は58年（安政5）大老に就任し、安政(あんせい)五か国条約や将軍継嗣(けいし)問題などで攘夷(じょうい)派を弾圧したため、60年（万延1）3月桜田門外の変で斃(たお)れた。62年（文久2）この罪を問われ10万石を減知。67年（慶応3）王政復古の大号令に彦根藩は朝廷側につき、69年（明治2）の版籍奉還により直憲は彦根知藩事に任命され、71年7月廃藩に至った。藩域は、彦根、長浜、犬上(いぬかみ)県を経て、滋賀県に編入。

［森　安彦］

『中村直勝編『彦根市史　上冊』（1960・彦根市）』

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