Hirotsugu Fujiwara

A politician in the early Nara period. The first son of Shikiya Umakai. In 737 (Tenpyo 9), when the Fujiwara clan's Fusasaki, Maro, Muchimaro, and Umakai died of illness one after another, he was promoted to the rank of Jugo no Ge, and in April of the following year, he was promoted from Shikibu no Shoyu to Yamato no Kami. In December of the same year, he was transferred to Dazai no Shoni. In August 740, from Dazaifu, he submitted a petition discussing the merits and demerits of Tokimasa, explaining the disasters of heaven and earth, and demanding that Genbo, Shimotsumichi no (Kibi no), and Makibi be removed from the central political world, and on September 3rd, he started a rebellion.

The Imperial Court appointed Councillor Ono Azumahito as commander-in-chief and mobilized 17,000 men from the five regions of Tokai, Tozan, San'in, San'yo, and Nankai, as well as 24 Hayato warriors, to pacify the rebellion. The uprising spread to the provinces under the jurisdiction of Dazaifu, and Hirotsugu had his younger brother Tsunade lead 5,000 soldiers from Chikugo, Hizen, and other provinces along the Bungo Road to Buzen Province. He stationed one force on the Tagawa Road (Tagawa County, Fukuoka Prefecture) and himself advanced along the Kurate Road (Kurate County, Fukuoka Prefecture) to Oka County, where he set up military camps and set off beacons to levy troops. He had over 5,000 soldiers in his army, including Hayato, from Osumi, Satsuma, Chikuzen, Bungo, and other provinces. However, on September 22nd, the three camps of Kyoto-chin, Tomi-chin, and Itabitsu-chin in Buzen Province were held by government forces, and in early October, at a battle camp on the Itabitsu River (Kokura, Kitakyushu City), the Hayato clan was prevented from crossing the river despite having an army of over 10,000, and the Hayato clan surrendered one after another. In the middle of the month, they fled by boat and reached the vicinity of Tamura-no-shima (Jeju Island), but were blown back by headwinds to Iroto-shima on Tochika-no-shima (Goto Islands), and were captured on the 23rd at Nagano-mura, Chika-no-shima (Uku Island), and were executed together with Tsunade on November 1st. More than 280 people were punished for the rebellion, and his younger brothers Yoshitsugu and Tamaro were exiled, causing the Fujiwara Ceremonial Family to temporarily decline. At the same time, the rebellion had a major impact on the political situation of Emperor Shomu, who traveled to Iga and Ise and moved the capital to Kuni-kyo, and the Dazaifu was abolished for over three years from 742. He published one Somon poem in Volume 8 of the Manyoshu.

[Yumino Masatake]

"Kitayama Shigeo, 'Studies on the Political History of Ancient Japan' (1959, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Aoki Kazuo, 'The Capital of Nara' (1965, Chuokoron-Shinsha)" ▽ "Tamura Marusumi et al., eds., 'Ancient Japan 3: Kyushu' (1970, Kadokawa Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

奈良前期の政治家。式家宇合(うまかい)の第1子。藤原氏一族の房前(ふささき)、麻呂(まろ)、武智麻呂(むちまろ)、宇合が相次ぎ病没した737年（天平9）に従(じゅ)五位下(げ)に叙され、翌年4月式部少輔(しょう)から大養徳守(やまとのかみ)を兼ねた。同年12月には大宰少弐(だざいのしょうに)に遷任された。740年8月大宰府から、時政の得失を論じ、天地の災異を陳(の)べて、玄昉(げんぼう)・下道(しもつみちの)（吉備(きびの)）真備(まきび)を中央政界から除くことを要求する表を提出し、9月3日には反乱を起こした。

　朝廷は参議大野東人(あずまひと)を大将軍に任じ、東海・東山・山陰・山陽・南海五道の1万7000人を動員し、24人の隼人(はやと)も従軍させ鎮定に向かわせた。挙兵は大宰府管内諸国に及び、広嗣は弟綱手(つなで)に筑後(ちくご)・肥前などの軍兵5000人を率いて豊後道(ぶんごのみち)より豊前(ぶぜん)国へ進ませ、一隊は田河(たがわ)道（福岡県田川郡）に配し、自らは鞍手(くらて)道（同県鞍手郡）を遠珂(おか)郡家に進み、ここに軍営を営み、烽火(のろし)をあげて軍兵を徴発し、隼人を含めて大隅(おおすみ)・薩摩(さつま)・筑前(ちくぜん)・豊後などの軍兵5000人余を擁した。しかし9月22日豊前国の京都鎮(みやこのちん)・登美(とみ)鎮・板櫃(いたびつ)鎮三営は政府軍に抑えられ、10月初旬の板櫃川（北九州市小倉(こくら)）の対陣で、1万余の軍勢を擁しながら渡河を阻まれ、隼人の降伏も続出した。中旬には船で敗走し、躭羅嶋(たむらのしま)（済州島）付近に達するが、逆風で等保知駕嶋(とおちかのしま)（五島(ごとう)列島）色都嶋に吹き戻され、23日値駕嶋(ちかのしま)長野村（宇久(うく)島）で捕らえられ、11月1日綱手とともに斬(き)られた。反乱に対する処分は280人以上に及び、弟良継(よしつぐ)・田麻呂(たまろ)らも配流され、藤原式家は一時衰退した。同時に聖武(しょうむ)天皇の政局に与えた影響も大きく、天皇は伊賀・伊勢(いせ)方面の行幸や恭仁(くに)京遷都を行い、大宰府も742年から3年余りの間廃止されることとなった。『万葉集』巻八に相聞(そうもん)歌一首を載せる。

［弓野正武］

『北山茂夫著『日本古代政治史の研究』（1959・岩波書店）』▽『青木和夫著『奈良の都』（1965・中央公論社）』▽『田村圓澄他編『古代の日本3　九州』（1970・角川書店）』

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