Ueda Domain (1/2)Starting with Nobuyuki Sanada, older brother of Nobushige Sanada

The Ueda clan was founded by Nobuyuki Sanada, the older brother of Nobushige Sanada, who was known as ``Japan's best soldier.'' Three families ruled the Ueda domain until the Meiji era: the Sanada clan, the Sengoku clan, and the Matsushiro clan. Here, let's unravel the history of the Ueda clan.

Nobuyuki Sanada, the founder of the Ueda clan, the brother of the best soldier in Japan

Nobuyuki Sanada was born in 1566 as the eldest son of Masayuki Sanada. He spent his childhood as a hostage of the Takeda family, but when the Takeda family was destroyed by Oda Nobunaga, he ran away from the Takeda family with his mother, who was also a hostage of the Takeda family.

When the Battle of Sekigahara occurred in 1600, his father Masayuki Sanada and younger brother Nobushige sided with the western army, while Nobuyuki, who married Komatsuhime, the daughter of Honda Tadakatsu, a senior Tokugawa vassal, sided with the eastern army. I did. As a result, Nobuyuki became the ruling daimyo of the Tokugawa family, and added 30,000 koku to Masayuki's old territory, bringing his total to 95,000 koku. Since Ueda Castle had been destroyed, he entered Numata Castle and ruled. When Nobuyuki became the lord of the Ueda domain, the territory was in ruins due to the Second Battle of Ueda and the eruption of Mt. Asama, but Nobuyuki implemented various policies such as improving the castle town, digging weirs and irrigation water, and reducing annual taxes. He will go and try to rebuild his domain. As mentioned in the history of Ueda Castle, Nobuyuki Sanada repeatedly asked the Tokugawa family to rebuild Ueda Castle, but it was never granted. In 1622, Nobuyuki was transferred to Matsushiro, Shinano for an additional 130,000 koku, and died in Matsushiro at the age of 93.

The Sengoku family who rebuilt Ueda Castle

The Sengoku family was a family that moved from the Shinano Komoro domain after Nobuyuki Sanada was transferred to the Matsushiro domain. The feudal lord at that time was Tadamasa Sengoku. The Sengoku family was a vassal of the Toyotomi family, but their third son, Tadamasa, joined the eastern army at the Battle of Sekigahara. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the rank of Junior Fifth Rank (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade), Hyōbu Daisuke. Tadamasa Sengoku fought against Nobushige Sanada, Katsunaga Mori and other Toyotomi forces at the Battle of Tennoji and Okayama during the Osaka Summer Campaign, and earned 11 titles. It is said that due to his military exploits, he was transferred to the Ueda domain. Sengoku Tadamasa took over from Nobuyuki Sanada and worked to develop new fields and promote industry while rebuilding Ueda Castle, which had been completely destroyed by Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is also said that he strengthened his ruling system by promoting the separation of soldiers and farmers, dividing the territory into eight groups, and placing a headman in each village. It is said that the transfer to the Ueda domain was due to Tadamasa Sengoku's own request, and there is an anecdote that Nobuyuki Sanada burned documents related to the Ueda domain in protest. (authenticity unknown)

Tadamasa Sengoku retired in 1669, and his eldest son, Masaaki Sengoku, became the third lord of the domain. However, since Masaaki was a child, Tadamasa continued to hold the real power of the domain. When he became the lord of the domain, he distributed 2,000 koku to Masaaki's younger brother, Masakatsu Sengoku, so the Ueda domain ended up with 58,000 koku. When he was 15 years old, his grandfather Tadamasa Sengoku passed away, and he managed the domain with the help of his vassals, but as the domain's finances were in trouble, in 1675, he issued the Jomai and Frugality Edict. Masu.
In 1706, the Sengoku family's rule in Ueda came to an end with the transfer from the Ueda domain to the Izushi domain.

The Fujii Matsudaira family Igamokami style ruled the Ueda domain until the Meiji period.

The Fujii Matsudaira family is an offshoot of the Matsudaira clan whose ancestor was Toshinaga, the fifth son of Matsudaira Nagachika, and is one of the 18 Matsudaira clans. When Masaaki Sengoku was transferred to the Izumo domain, Tadaharu Matsudaira, the third son of Tadaharu Matsudaira, the first generation of the Igamokami line of the Fujii Matsudaira family, who was the third lord of the Kameyama domain in Tanba Province, was transferred to the Ueda domain for 58,000 koku. will be done. He was said to have been very intelligent since childhood. When Tadashi became the fourth lord of the Ueda domain, he asked the farmers to submit detailed statements and asked them to switch their annual tax from paddy to rice. In addition, he strengthened his control over rural areas by establishing village officials and headmen to supervise the headships of multiple villages. While serving as the lord of the Ueda domain, Tadachika Matsudaira served Tsunayoshi, the fifth shogun, and rose through the ranks to become a side servant. Although he was dismissed from office during the reign of the 6th Shogun Ienobu, Yoshimune, the 8th Shogun, once again placed him in an important position, and he was promoted to the position of Kyoto Shoshidai and then to Rojyu. On the other hand, the administration of the Ueda domain was left to Kunimoto's vassals. Tadachika Matsudaira died at the age of 68, but he spent most of his time in Edo after becoming the lord of the domain.

Tadashi was succeeded by his third son, Tadada Matsudaira. However, it is said that he was a dark prince, unlike his father. When he succeeded as the lord of the domain, he distributed 5,000 koku of Kawanakajima to his younger brother Tadayoshi, so the Ueda domain totaled 53,000 koku. While Tadaai was the lord of the domain, disasters occurred one after another, such as the Ueda Castle Great Fire in 1730, when the feudal lord's residence was completely destroyed, and the domain suffered flood damage in 1742. Ta. The Ueda clan, which was in financial trouble, borrowed 5,000 koku from the shogunate in order to rebuild its finances. However, Tadaai's only policy was to amend the tax system from the Probate Law to the Fixed Exemption Law in 1740, raising heavy taxes, and he was said to have indulged in entertainment and had no regard for the domain's politics. It has been reported. As a result, he was forced to retire in 1749.