Matsudaira Mitsunaga

Japanese: 松平光長 - まつだいら・みつなが

Year of death: 17 November 4 (1707.12.10)
Year of birth: 1st November 29th, 1616 (1st January 18th, 1616)
He was the lord of Takada Domain in Echigo Province (Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture) in the early Edo period. His childhood name was Senchiyo. His father was Matsudaira Tadanao, the lord of Fukui Domain in Echizen Province, and his mother was Katsuko, the daughter of Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada. In 1623 (Genna 9), Tadanao was exiled to Bungo, so at the age of 9, he took over as head of the family and became the lord of Kitanosho Domain (later Fukui Domain). The following year, in 1624 (Kan'ei 1), he was ordered to transfer to Takada, replacing his uncle Matsudaira Tadamasa, the lord of Takada Domain, who was also transferred to Kitanosho. However, since he was 10 years old at the time, he moved to the Edo residence with his mother, and the two elder retainers, Oguri Masataka and Ogita Hayato, went down to Echigo. He actually moved to Takada with his mother 10 years later in 1629. His fief was initially 250,000 koku. In 1629 (Kan'ei 6), he was given a character from Shogun Iemitsu and renamed Mitsunaga. In the same year, he became Echigo no Kami. In 1650, his father died in exile, and the following year, the shogunate made his father's two sons vassals of Mitsunaga, and exchanged their 5,000 koku of land with his father's remaining 5,000 koku of land for a total of 10,000 koku in Echigo, bringing his territory to 260,000 koku. The area covered the entire Kubiki district of Echigo, as well as many of the three districts of Kariwa, Mishima, and Uonuma, and even part of Sarashina district in Shinano. In the same year, he was appointed Junior Third Rank and Provincial Middle Captain of the Right Guard, and was also known as Echigo-sama and Echigo Chujo. During Mitsunaga's 57 years in Takada, he faced many disasters, including poor harvests, great fires, and especially the earthquake of 1665. However, under the strong leadership of his elder retainers Oguri Masataka and Mimasaka, the domain system was improved, the Nakae irrigation canal was dug, new fields were developed in Ogasawara (Kubiki village) and other areas, mining of the Uonuma silver mine was carried out, the castle town was restored and improved, Naoetsu port was renovated, and Oshika tobacco was improved and increased production was promoted, bringing the Takada domain to its heyday, and its prosperity is still revered today. However, there were divisions and conflicts among the domain's senior vassals, and this, combined with the issue of the succession of Mitsunaga, the domain's lord whose eldest son had died of illness, intensified the internal feud and led to a family dispute known as the "Echigo Disturbance." He was held responsible and exiled to Matsuyama in Iyo Province (Ehime Prefecture). Seven years later, he was pardoned. In 1693, he adopted Matsudaira Nobutomi, and then retired to spend the rest of his life enjoying the arts and culture.

(Nakamura Shinichi)

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

Japanese:

没年：宝永4.11.17(1707.12.10)
生年：元和1.11.29(1616.1.18)
江戸前期の越後国高田藩(新潟県上越市)藩主。幼名は仙千代。父は越前国福井藩主松平忠直,母は将軍徳川秀忠の娘勝子。元和9(1623)年忠直が豊後へ流されたため,9歳で家督を継ぎ北庄藩(のちの福井藩)藩主となる。翌寛永1(1624)年高田転封を命ぜられ,北庄へ転ずる叔父の高田藩主松平忠昌と入れ代わった。しかし当時10歳だったので母と共に江戸屋敷に入り,小栗正高,荻田隼人の両家老が越後に下った。実際に母と高田に入ったのは10年後の同11年である。知行ははじめ25万石であった。寛永6(1629)年将軍家光の一字をもらって光長に改名。同年越後守。慶安3(1650)年父が配所で没したため,翌4年幕府は,父の遣子ふたりを光長の家臣とし,ふたりの土地5000石と父の遺領5000石の計1万石を越後に替地したので,領地は26万石となった。その範囲は,越後の頸城全郡と刈羽,三島,魚沼3郡のうちに多数,さらに信濃更科郡の一部におよんだ。同年従三位右近衛権中将に任ぜられ,越後様,越後中将とも呼ばれる。光長の高田在封57年間は,凶作や大火,特に寛文5(1665)年の地震などの大きな災害に遭遇したにもかかわらず,家老小栗正高・美作の強力な指導によって,藩制の整備,中江用水の開削,大瀁(頸城村)その他の新田開発,魚沼銀山の採掘,城下町の復興整備,直江津港の改修,大鹿煙草の改良増産などが進められて,高田藩最盛期を現出し,その繁栄はいまも追慕されるほどである。しかし藩の重臣間に分裂対立があり,これに嫡子が病死した藩主光長の継嗣問題が絡んで,藩内の抗争が激化し「越後騒動」といわれるお家騒動が起きたため,その責任を問われ伊予国(愛媛県)松山に流された。7年後赦免。元禄6(1693)年松平宣富を養子に迎え,やがて隠居して風雅を楽しみながら余生を送った。<参考文献>『徳川実紀』,『高田市史』

(中村辛一)

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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