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

The eldest son, Tadayuki Matsudaira, succeeded Tadayoshi Matsudaira. By the time Tadayuki assumed the position of lord, the Ueda domain's finances had already collapsed. Therefore, Tadajun worked to rebuild the domain's finances, such as by making the Hanchijo donation in 1753 and issuing a frugal edict in 1759. However, as the Gunbugyo, who had direct control over the farmers, practiced bad governance, a revolt broke out in 1761 when approximately 13,000 people stormed Ueda Castle (Ueda Riot).
The farmers demanded that the magistrates, who had been misgoverning, be dismissed, that annual tax be reduced, and that they stop using farmers as labor. Tadayuki Matsudaira admitted some of the blame and dismissed the group magistrate, but the farmers who were thought to be the ringleaders of the uprising were sentenced to death or eternal imprisonment, and the uprising came to an end.
Although Tadajun Matsudaira did not achieve any clear results as a feudal lord, he rose steadily through the ranks within the Edo shogunate, becoming a temple magistrate in 1764, and a young man serving as a young man in 1775. Masu.

When Tadayuki Matsudaira died in 1783, his eldest son Tadayoshi Matsudaira succeeded him. Tadayasa helped with construction work as ordered by the shogunate, and held successive positions such as Sakurada Gatekeeper and Nishinomaru Otegateman, which further worsened the domain's finances. Furthermore, Chungjei had four boys and six girls, but all of the boys, including the eldest son, died young, leading to a dispute over the head of the family. Therefore, Tadasei adopted Tadanaka Matsudaira from his branch family, and made his second daughter his legal wife and took over the headship of the family. He died at the age of 78.

Tadanaka Matsudaira, who succeeded Tadayasa, established the domain school Meirin-do in 1813 to promote literary and martial arts, striving to enrich the area's culture. Like his adoptive father, he was not blessed with children and adopted Tadayu Matsudaira. This Tadayu Matsudaira was Tadaatsu Matsudaira, who served as roju at the time of the Japan-US Treaty of Peace and Amity and the Japan-US Treaty of Commerce and Friendship.
In 1830, Matsudaira Tadayasu handed over the position of lord to Matsudaira Tadataka and retired.

Matsudaira Tadataka, who succeeded his adoptive father as the lord of the domain, encouraged sericulture within the domain. The promotion of the raw silk industry became the basis for the development of the raw silk industry in Nagano Prefecture during the Meiji period. Tadatsuta Matsudaira was appointed to the position of Rojyu in 1848, following the fall of Tadakuni Mizuno. During his first appointment as Rojyu, he received a request from Matthew Perry, Admiral of the American East India Fleet, who visited Uraga, to open the country. At this time, there was great turmoil within the shogunate, and the ninth lord of the Mito domain, Nariaki Tokugawa, and Tadatatsu Matsudaira had direct conflicting opinions. As a result, Tadatake Matsudaira, who had been actively instructing the opening of the country, had to resign as Roju.

However, at the behest of Masayoshi Hotta, the Rojyu appointed by Masahiro Abe, who was the head of the Rojyu, he returned to Rojyu several years later. Tadagata argued that a royal charter was not necessary for the conclusion of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and the United States, and was in fierce conflict with other senior leaders. Tadataka decided to conclude the Japan-U.S. Treaty of Amity and Commerce, but four days after the signing, he and Masayoshi Hotta were dismissed as roju and ordered to live in seclusion. This was the beginning of Ansei's great prison.
During this period, Tadatatsu Matsudaira, as the lord of the Ueda domain, set up production centers in Ueda and Edo, creating a system for shipping raw silk, a specialty of the Ueda domain, to Edo. This enabled the Ueda domain to begin exporting raw silk at the same time as the Yokohama port opened.
In 1859, Tadataka died suddenly at the age of 49. Although it is said that he died of illness, the theory of assassination continues to be strongly advocated to this day.

Tadataka Matsudaira was succeeded by his third son, Tadayori Matsudaira. Since Tadanori took over as the head of the family at the age of only 9 years old, the domain was in great turmoil and conflicts within the domain were intensifying. However, during the Boshin War in 1868, he submitted to the new Meiji government and participated in the Aizu War. In June 1869, Tadayori became the governor of the Ueda domain due to the restoration of land ownership. However, the domain was not stable at all, as a peasant uprising called the Year of the Snake riot occurred. In 1871, when the feudal domain was abolished and prefectures were established, he was dismissed from his post as governor and went to America to study in accordance with his late father's will. He returned to Japan in 1879, and from 1880 he worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Office and Investigation Bureau, but he died in 1895 at the age of 46. Masu. child

Summary about the Ueda domain

The Ueda domain entered the Meiji era under the rule of three families: the Sanada clan, the Sengoku clan, and the Matsudaira clan. In addition to its cool climate, the Ueda Domain is also hit by natural disasters such as the eruption of Mt. Asama, making life difficult for the people and often causing uprisings. However, at the end of the Edo period, the country was blessed with a visionary ruler named Tadataka Matsudaira, who was able to create a new industry called the raw silk industry. Before the war, Ueda City was a major producer of silkworm cocoons, which produced raw silk, which was Japan's main industry.