Echizen Province

The old name of the northern part of Fukui Prefecture. The area north of Tsuruga City. It is the only large province among the seven provinces of the Hokuriku region, and a strategic military and transportation location. The provincial capital was Fuchu (Echizen City). In ancient times, the Hokuriku region was collectively called "Echigo" and is said to have been divided into Echizen, Etchu, and Echigo at the end of the reign of Emperor Tenmu (reigned 673-686). However, the first appearance of the province's name is in the article on September 21, 692, in the 6th year of the reign of Emperor Jito in the "Nihon Shoki," about the presentation of a moth by the provincial governor of Echizen. In 718 (Yoro 2), Noto Province, and in 823 (Kōnin 14), Kaga Province were separated, and the territory of Echizen Province was established. The three major rivers, Kuzuryu, Hino, and Asuwa, opened up vast plains from Fukui City to Awara City and Sakai City early on, and famous manors such as Kusooki-no-sho and Chimori-sho (Fukui City) in the Nara period, and Kawaguchi-sho and Tsuboe-sho (Awara City and Sakai City) in the Kofuku-ji Temple from the Middle Ages onwards were established here. The Wamyōshō states that the number of rice fields was 12,066 cho. There were almost no reservoirs, so irrigation water sources such as the Jūgō irrigation channel developed by taking water from the three major rivers. The Todai-ji Temple territory declined early, but the Kofuku-ji Temple territory continued until the Sengoku period, and conflicts with local lords and Sengoku daimyo are known from works such as Daijō-in Temple and Shrine Miscellaneous Records. During the Sengoku period, the Asakura clan, based in Ichijodani (Fukui City), ruled Echizen, but in 1573 (Tensho 1), Yoshikage was defeated by Oda Nobunaga, and the clan was destroyed after about 100 years of five generations. In 1471 (Bunmei 3), Rennyo came to Yoshizaki (Awara City) to preach, and the Honganji sect grew rapidly. In 1573, the Ikko Ikki revolted, and at one point they became the "Echizen Province Ikki Holder," but in 1575, Nobunaga literally wiped them out, saying "only corpses remained." However, even today, there are many temples and followers of both Honganji sects, four of the ten Shinshu sects are located here, and Shinshu customs are well preserved, so the area still retains the appearance of a Shinshu kingdom. In 1575, Shibata Katsuie entered Kitanosho (Fukui City), but was defeated at Shizugatake in 1583. In 1598 (Keicho 3), Toyotomi Hideyoshi's final land survey was conducted, and with a 38% yield, the village's land tax was 680,000 koku, which became the standard for village tax thereafter. A large number of Taiko land survey records from this time remain. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 (Keicho 5), Tokugawa Ieyasu's second son, Yuki Hideyasu, was given the entire Echizen Province and the Fukui Domain was established, but the domain's land tax was drastically reduced to 320,000 koku thereafter. As a result, the Arima clan's Maruoka, the Ogasawara clan's Katsuyama, the Doi clan's Ono, and the Manabe clan's Sabae domains, as well as the Tenryo, Nishio domain, and Hatamoto domain were established. At the end of the Edo period, Mabe Akikatsu became a senior councilor, Matsudaira Yoshinaga (Shungaku) ​​participated in the shogunate, and the Ono domain established Onoya (domain-run stores) in various places and conducted trade. More than 130 riots and disturbances have been confirmed. In terms of education, the Ono domain's Western Studies School was famous for Western studies. Industries included habutae in Fukui, forged cutlery in Fuchu, and Japanese paper in Goka. After the Meiji Restoration, Fukui, Tsuruga, Asuwa, and Ishikawa prefectures were established, and in 1881 (Meiji 14), Wakasa and Echizen merged to form Fukui Prefecture. His geographical works include "Studies on famous sites of Echizen Province" (edited by Inoue Tsuyoshi, 1815).

[Yoshihiko Hayata]

"History of Fukui Prefecture, 4 volumes (1920-22, Fukui Prefecture)" ▽ "History of Fukui Prefecture, Documents Volumes 3-5, New Edition (1982-84, Fukui Prefecture)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福井県北部の旧国名。敦賀(つるが)市以北の地域。北陸道七国のうち唯一の大国で、軍事・交通上の要地。国府は府中（越前市）。古くは北陸を総称して「越(こし)」といい、天武(てんむ)天皇（在位673～686）の末年に越前、越中(えっちゅう)、越後(えちご)に分かれたといわれるが、国名の初見は『日本書紀』持統(じとう)天皇6年（692）9月21日条の、越前国司による白蛾(はくが)献上の記事とされる。718年（養老2）に能登(のと)国、823年（弘仁14）に加賀国が分立して越前国域が確定した。九頭竜(くずりゅう)、日野、足羽(あすわ)の三大河川によって、福井市からあわら市・坂井市にかけて広大な平野が早くから開け、奈良時代の東大寺領糞置庄(くそおきのしょう)、道守(ちもり)庄（福井市）、中世以降の興福寺領河口(かわぐち)庄、坪江(つぼえ)庄（あわら市、坂井市）など著名な荘園(しょうえん)が置かれた。田数は『和名抄(わみょうしょう)』に1万2066町と伝える。溜池(ためいけ)がほとんどなく、十郷用水など三大河川からの取水による灌漑(かんがい)用水が発達した。東大寺領は早く衰退したが、興福寺領は戦国時代まで存続し、『大乗院寺社雑事記(ぞうじき)』などにより、国人や戦国大名との葛藤(かっとう)が知られる。戦国時代、一乗谷（福井市）に拠(よ)った朝倉氏が越前を支配したが、1573年（天正1）義景(よしかげ)が織田信長に敗れ、5代約100年で滅亡した。1471年（文明3）蓮如(れんにょ)が吉崎（あわら市）にきて布教し、本願寺教団は飛躍的に発展した。1573年一向一揆(いっき)が蜂起(ほうき)し、一時は「越前一国一揆持ち」となったが、75年信長により「死骸(しがい)ばかり」といわれるように文字どおり掃滅された。しかし現在も両本願寺派の寺院・門徒が多く、真宗十派のうち4本山が所在し、また真宗関係の習俗がよく残るなど、真宗王国の面目を保つ。1575年柴田勝家(しばたかついえ)が北庄(きたのしょう)（福井市）に入るが、83年賤ヶ岳(しずがたけ)に敗れた。1598年（慶長3）豊臣秀吉(とよとみひでよし)最後の検地が行われ、38％打出(うちだし)して68万石となり、以後村高の基準となった。このときの太閤(たいこう)検地帳は大量に残存する。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)が越前一国を賜って福井藩が成立するが、以後領知高は激減し32万石となった。それに伴い、有馬氏丸岡、小笠原(おがさわら)氏勝山、土井氏大野、間部(まなべ)氏鯖江(さばえ)の諸藩や天領、西尾領、旗本領が置かれた。幕末には間部詮勝(あきかつ)が老中となり、松平慶永(よしなが)（春嶽(しゅんがく)）が幕政に参画し、大野藩は各地に大野屋（藩営商店）を置いて交易を行った。一揆・騒動は130件以上確認される。教育では大野藩洋学館の洋学が著名。産業は福井の羽二重(はぶたえ)、府中の打刃物、五箇(ごか)の和紙など。明治維新後、福井、敦賀、足羽、石川県を経て1881年（明治14）若狭(わかさ)と越前が合併して福井県になる。地誌に『越前国名蹟考(めいせきこう)』（井上翼章編、1815）がある。

［隼田嘉彦］

『『福井県史』全4巻（1920～22・福井県）』▽『『福井県史　資料編3～5』新編（1982～84・福井県）』

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