Fukui Domain

A clan that ruled over the Fukui region of Echizen Province (Fukui City). It is also called the Echizen clan or the Kitanosho clan. It was established after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keicho 5) when Tokugawa Ieyasu's second son, Yuki Hideyasu, was granted 680,000 koku. After him came Tadanao, Tadamasa (505,000 koku), Mitsumichi (420,000 koku), Masachika (475,000 koku), Tsunamasa, Yoshinori (Masachika was given another stipend, 250,000 koku), Yoshikuni, Munemasa (300,000 koku), Munenori, Shigemasa, Shigetomi, Haruyoshi (320,000 koku), Naritsugu, Narisawa, Yoshinaga (Shungaku), and Mochiaki, leading up to the Meiji Restoration. There are various theories about the surname Hideyasu, but from Tadanao onwards they took the name Matsudaira, and were given the first part of the name of the Shogun. Hideyasu and Tadanao were both excellent military commanders, Hideyasu established the foundations of the domain government, and Tadanao's grandfather praised him as the "Japanese Emperor." However, perhaps because Hideyasu's younger brother, Tokugawa Hidetada, became Shogun, both men began to show eccentric behavior, and Tadanao was exiled to Bungo Province (Oita Prefecture) in 1623 (Genwa 9). It is believed that this was done to punish the two generations of arrogance and to cut off the root of the problems before Iemitsu became Shogun. However, Tadanao's debauchery, which is said to have involved "indulging in alcohol and sex and slaughtering innocent people," is often embellished and cannot be accepted as historical fact, and he has many notable achievements, such as the development of Tobano. In 1768 (Meiwa 5) during Shigetomi's reign, a famous castle town siege took place, in which 20,000 people are said to have participated. Keiei, who succeeded to the title in 1838 (Tenpo 9), was blessed with brains such as Hashimoto Sanai, Yokoi Shonan (Kumamoto Domain), and Nakane Sekko, and succeeded in reforming the domain's government. Furthermore, in the shogunate, he was in conflict with Ii Tairo as a member of the Hitotsubashi faction, and after being defeated, he was told to "retire and be humble," but in 1862 (Bunkyu 2) he returned as the Chief Politician and played an active role in advocating the unification of the Imperial Court and the Shogunate. As for industry, Goka was a thriving area for washi paper, known as Echizen Hosho, and was a domain monopoly. Silk weaving was also done as a side job for lower-ranking samurai during the late Edo period. The domain school was called Seigido and then Meidokan. In 1871 (Meiji 4), the feudal domain was abolished and the area passed through Fukui, Asuwa, Tsuruga, and Ishikawa prefectures, before becoming part of Fukui prefecture, which was re-established in 1881.

[Yoshihiko Hayata]

"History of Fukui Prefecture 2" (1921, Fukui Prefecture) "History of Fukui Prefecture (New Edition) Documents 3 & 4" (1982, 84, Fukui Prefecture)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

越前(えちぜん)国福井（福井市）地方を領有した藩。親藩。越前藩、北庄(きたのしょう)藩ともいう。1600年（慶長5）関ヶ原の戦いののち、徳川家康の次男結城秀康(ゆうきひでやす)が68万石を賜って成立。その後忠直(ただなお)、忠昌(ただまさ)（50万5000石）、光通(みつみち)（42万石）、昌親(まさちか)（47万5000石）、綱昌(つなまさ)、吉品(よしのり)（昌親再封、25万石）、吉邦(よしくに)、宗昌(むねまさ)（30万石）、宗矩(むねのり)、重昌(しげまさ)、重富(しげとみ)、治好(はるよし)（32万石）、斉承(なりつぐ)、斉善(なりさわ)、慶永(よしなが)（春嶽(しゅんがく)）、茂昭(もちあき)と続いて明治維新に至る。姓は秀康に諸説あるが、忠直以降松平(まつだいら)を称し、名も将軍の偏諱(へんき)を賜った。秀康・忠直父子は優れた武将で、秀康は藩政の基礎を固め、忠直も祖父が「日本の樊噌(はんかい)」とその功を賞したほどであったが、秀康の弟徳川秀忠(ひでただ)が将軍になったこともあってか、ともに奇矯のふるまいが目だち、忠直は1623年（元和9）豊後(ぶんご)国（大分県）に配流された。家光の将軍就任に先だち、2代にわたる不遜(ふそん)を責め禍根を断ったものとみられる。ただし「酒色に耽(ふけ)り無辜(むこ)を殺戮(さつりく)」したと伝えられる忠直の乱行なるものは、多く潤色であり、そのまま史実とは認められず、鳥羽野(とばの)開拓などみるべき治績も多い。重富の代1768年（明和5）には、2万人が参加したとされる有名な城下打毀(うちこわし)が起こった。1838年（天保9）襲封した慶永は、橋本左内(さない)、横井小楠(しょうなん)（熊本藩）、中根雪江(せっこう)などのブレーンに恵まれて藩政改革に成功した。さらに幕政でも一橋(ひとつばし)派として井伊大老と対立し、敗れて「隠居急度慎(いんきょきっとつつしみ)」とされたが、1862年（文久2）政事総裁職として復帰し、公武合体路線を主張して活躍した。産業は、早くから越前奉書の名をもつ五箇(ごか)の和紙が盛んで、藩の専売品となっていた。また絹織物は幕末期下級武士の内職として行われた。藩校は正義堂、さらに明道館と称した。1871年（明治4）廃藩、福井、足羽(あすわ)、敦賀(つるが)、石川県を経て、81年再置の福井県に入る。

［隼田嘉彦］

『『福井県史 2』（1921・福井県）』▽『『福井県史（新編）　資料編 3・4』（1982、84・福井県）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例