Tadayuki Mizuno

Japanese: 水野忠之 - みずの・ただゆき

Year of death: March 18, 1731 (April 24, 1731)
Year of birth: 1669
A feudal lord in the mid-Edo period. A senior councilor during the first half of the Kyoho Reforms. He was known as Saigū, Sui, Kanmon, and Izuminokami. He was the fourth son of Mizuno Tadaharu, lord of Okazaki Domain in Mikawa Province (Aichi Prefecture), and was adopted by the hatamoto Mizuno Tadachika, who was also from the same clan, and served as Goshiban and Shinchō. In 1699 (Genroku 12), he inherited the estate of his elder brother Tadaharu and became lord of Okazaki Domain. In 1691 (Genroku 14), during the Asano Naganori stabbing incident, he went to the Asano family residence and tried to calm the vassals. He later served as Soshaban, Wakadoshiyori, and Kyoto shoshidai, and in 1717 (Kyōhō 2), he was appointed senior councilor immediately after the start of the Kyoho Reforms. In 1718 (Kyōhō 7), he was appointed Katsutekake Rojū, the person most responsible for the financial reconstruction of the reforms, and he actively promoted revenue-increasing policies such as increasing taxes and developing new fields, saving the shogunate from a financial crisis. However, this policy brought about a serious social recession and a sudden drop in rice prices, and people's discontent and criticism were focused on Tadayuki. Among the popular phrases at the time were "Unreasonable things that cause trouble for people, Drunkards and Mizuno Izuminokami" (Kyoho Sewa). In the same year, he resigned from his position as a senior councilor due to illness, but there is also a theory that he was dismissed because he was held responsible for the bad reputation he received.

(Oishi Manabu)

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

Japanese:

没年：享保16.3.18(1731.4.24)
生年：寛文9(1669)
江戸中期の大名。享保の改革前半期の老中。斎宮,主水,監物,和泉守を称する。三河国(愛知県)岡崎藩主水野忠春の4男で,同族の旗本水野忠近の養子となり,御使番,新番頭を勤める。元禄12(1699)年実家の兄忠盈の死により遺領を継ぎ岡崎藩主となった。同14年の浅野長矩刃傷事件の際には,浅野家の屋敷へ赴き家臣の鎮静に努めた。その後奏者番,若年寄,京都所司代を歴任し,享保2(1717)年,享保の改革の開始直後に老中に任ぜられる。同7年改革の財政再建の最高責任者である勝手掛老中に任命され,年貢増徴や新田開発などの増収政策を積極的にすすめ,幕府を財政危機の窮地から救った。しかし,その政策は社会に深刻な不況と米価の急落をもたらし,人々の不満,批判は忠之に集中。当時流行した物揃には,「無理で人をこまらせる物,生酔と水野和泉守」(『享保世話』)などというものもあった。同15年病を理由に老中を辞任するが,悪評の責任をとらされての罷免という説もある。

(大石学)

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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