Honjo Munesuke

Japanese: 本庄宗資 - ほんじょう・むねすけ

Year of death: August 16, 1699 (September 9, 1699)
Year of birth: 1629
A shogunate vassal and feudal lord in the Edo period. Commonly known as Heishiro and Jirozaemon. Son of Tarobei Munemasa. Younger brother of Keishoin, the birth mother of the 5th shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. Because of this relationship, in 1656 he was summoned by Tsunayoshi and given 800 bales of rice, becoming a member of the Kanda Mansion's sosha-shu and later a yoriai. In 1680, when Tsunayoshi inherited the shogunate, he became a shogunate vassal, and the following year, in 1681, he was granted an additional 1,200 koku, and his stipend was revised to 2,000 koku. Three years later, his stipend was increased to 3,000 koku. The following year, in 1684, he became a yoriai and was appointed Inaba no Kami, Junior Fifth Rank. In 1688, he was granted an additional 5,000 koku, making him a daimyo with 10,000 koku, and the following year, he was granted another 10,000 koku. In the third year, he was promoted to the rank of Junior Fourth Rank, and in the fifth year, when Tsunayoshi and Keishoin visited Munesuke's residence, he was granted an additional 20,000 koku and became the lord of Kasama Castle in Hitachi Province. In the seventh year, when Tsunayoshi and Keishoin visited, he was granted an additional 10,000 koku, giving him a total of 50,000 koku. In the same year, he was promoted to chamberlain. There were two lines of Keishoin's relatives who were appointed as shogunate vassals or daimyo: his elder brother Michiyoshi and Munesuke. Michiyoshi's line finally became a daimyo with 10,000 koku during the time of his grandson Dosho. In contrast, the Munesuke line was granted an additional 20,000 koku during the time of his son Suketoshi, and his grandson Munecho was also appointed as a daimyo with 20,000 koku. This difference is due to Michiyoshi's early death, but is also thought to be due to the fact that Michiyoshi was Keishoin's half-brother, while Munesuke was Keishoin's full brother. Munesuke rose to prominence at an unexpected rate due to his connections with Keishoin, but he was said to have been intelligent, inventive, and had a benevolent heart.

(Masami Fukai)

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

Japanese:

没年：元禄12.8.16(1699.9.9)
生年：寛永6(1629)
江戸時代の幕臣,大名。通称は平四郎,次郎左衛門。太郎兵衛宗正の子。5代将軍徳川綱吉の生母桂昌院の弟。その関係から,明暦2(1656)年綱吉に召し出され,廩米800俵を給されて神田館の奏者衆,のち寄合となる。延宝8(1680)年綱吉の将軍家相続に伴って幕臣に列し,翌天和1(1681)年1200石を加増されたうえ廩米を改めて2000石を知行。3年3000石加増。翌貞享1(1684)年寄合となり,従五位下因幡守に叙任。元禄1(1688)年5000石を加増されて1万石の大名に取り立てられ,翌2年にも1万石加増。3年従四位下に叙され,5年に綱吉および桂昌院が宗資の屋敷を訪れた際,2万石を加増されて常陸国笠間城主となる。7年に綱吉,桂昌院の訪問があった際にも1万石を加増され,計5万石を領す。同年侍従に進む。桂昌院の縁者で,幕臣や大名に取り立てられた家は兄道芳系と宗資系の2系統があり,道芳系は孫道章の代にようやく1万石の大名となった。これに対し,宗資系は子資俊の代にも2万石を加増されたうえ,別に孫宗長も2万石の大名に取り立てられた。この差は道芳が早くに没したためでもあるが,道芳が桂昌院の異母兄であるのに対し,宗資の方は同母弟であったことにも起因するものと思われる。宗資は桂昌院の縁により異数の出世をしたが,才智発明で仁心があったという。

(深井雅海)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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