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Yonezawa han was a domain in the [[Tohoku|Tôhoku]] region of [[Honshu|Honshû]], governed by the [[Uesugi clan]]. Covering the Okitama district of [[Dewa province]], in what is today southeastern [[Yamagata Prefecture]], the territory was ruled from [[Yonezawa castle]] in [[Yonezawa]] city. The Uesugi were ''[[tozama]] daimyô'', with an initial income of 300,000 ''[[koku]]'', which later fell to 150,000-180,000. Though not controlling all of a single province, the Uesugi's holdings were considered significant enough that the clan was considered among the ''taishin [[kunimochi]]'' ("great country holder") ''daimyô''.<ref>Ravina, ''Land and Lordship'', 19.</ref>

Yonezawa han was a domain in the [[Tohoku|Tôhoku]] region of [[Honshu|Honshû]], governed by the [[Uesugi clan]]. Covering the Okitama district of [[Dewa province]], in what is today southeastern [[Yamagata Prefecture]], the territory was ruled from [[Yonezawa castle]] in [[Yonezawa]] city. The Uesugi were ''[[tozama]] daimyô'', with an initial income of 300,000 ''[[koku]]'', which later fell to 150,000-180,000. Though not controlling all of a single province, the Uesugi's holdings were considered significant enough that the clan was considered among the ''taishin [[kunimochi]]'' ("great country holder") ''daimyô''.<ref>Ravina, ''Land and Lordship'', 19.</ref>

Compared to many other domains, Yonezawa had a relatively large [[samurai]] population, and by the late 18th century, a relatively commercialized economy.<ref>Ravina, ''Land and Lordship'', 9.</ref> The domain is perhaps most notable for its rapid shift from a poor, indebted, and corruptly led domain to a very prosperous one in only a few decades in the 1760s-80s. Yonezawa was declared in 1830 by the shogunate to be the paragon of a well-managed domain. Scholar [[Mark Ravina]] uses Yonezawa as a case study, in analysing the political status and conceptions of statehood and identity in the feudal domains of the Tokugawa period (1603-1868).

Compared to many other domains, Yonezawa had a relatively large [[samurai]] population,<ref>In 1692, roughly 1/4 of the population was samurai; by the 1870s, this had fallen to 7%. Ravina, 73.</ref> and by the late 18th century, a relatively commercialized economy.<ref>Ravina, ''Land and Lordship'', 9.</ref> The domain is perhaps most notable for its rapid shift from a poor, indebted, and corruptly led domain to a very prosperous one in only a few decades in the 1760s-80s. Yonezawa was declared in 1830 by the shogunate to be the paragon of a well-managed domain. Scholar [[Mark Ravina]] uses Yonezawa as a case study, in analysing the political status and conceptions of statehood and identity in the feudal domains of the Tokugawa period (1603-1868).

==History==

==History==

The region was held by the [[Date clan]] for much of the [[Sengoku period]], from 1548-1591, when [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] came to power and declared the Date move to [[Iwadeyama]] in [[Mutsu province]]. The [[Gamo clan|Gamô clan]] were given [[Aizu]] to govern under the Uesugi, and ''[[Council of Five Elders|Tairô]]'' [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]] gave his ''[[karo|karô]]'' (advisor) [[Naoe Kanetsugu]] a 300,000 ''koku'' income.

The region was held by the [[Date clan]] for much of the [[Sengoku period]], from 1548-1591, when [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] came to power and declared the Date move to [[Iwadeyama]] in [[Mutsu province]]. The [[Gamo clan|Gamô clan]] were given [[Aizu]] to govern under the Uesugi, and ''[[Council of Five Elders|Tairô]]'' [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]] gave his ''[[karo|karô]]'' (advisor) [[Naoe Kanetsugu]] a 300,000 ''koku'' income.

In 1600, however, the Uesugi opposed [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] in the [[Sekigahara Campaign]], and lost, becoming ''tozama daimyô'' (outsider lords) under the new shogunate. Their income and territory worth 1,200,000 ''koku'' was shrunk to 300,000, and they were forced to move from Aizu to Yonezawa, recovering the castle from Naoe. They now possessed 180,000 ''koku'' worth of land in Dewa province, and 120,000 ''koku'' in the neighboring Mutsu province, the [[Honjo clan|Honjô clan]] given nearby [[Fukushima castle]] by the shogunate in order to pressure the Uesugi and prevent them from expanding their territory. This 300,000 ''koku'' territory would represent the peak of the Uesugi clan's income in the Tokugawa period.

In 1600, however, the Uesugi opposed [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] in the [[Sekigahara Campaign]], and lost, becoming ''tozama daimyô'' (outsider lords) under the new shogunate. Their income and territory along the [[Sea of Japan]] coast, worth 1,200,000 ''koku'', was shrunk to 300,000, and they were forced to move from Aizu to Yonezawa, recovering the castle from Naoe. They now possessed 180,000 ''koku'' worth of land in Dewa province, and 120,000 ''koku'' in the neighboring Mutsu province, the [[Honjo clan|Honjô clan]] given nearby [[Fukushima castle]] by the shogunate in order to pressure the Uesugi and prevent them from expanding their territory. This 300,000 ''koku'' territory would represent the peak of the Uesugi clan's income in the Tokugawa period.

Like many ''han'' in the archipelago, Yonezawa was operated as a semi-independent state, directly under the ''daimyô''. The Uesugi demanded respect for the shogunate from their retainers, and forbade public criticism, but only imposed and enforced those edicts and policies which they chose to. Retainers were ordered to obey shogunal laws while outside the domain, but within it, shogunal orders did not apply unless conveyed by the ''daimyô''.

Like many ''han'' in the archipelago, Yonezawa was operated as a semi-independent state, directly under the ''daimyô''. The Uesugi demanded respect for the shogunate from their retainers, and forbade public criticism, but only imposed and enforced those edicts and policies which they chose to. Retainers were ordered to obey shogunal laws while outside the domain, but within it, shogunal orders did not apply unless conveyed by the ''daimyô''.

In 1664, the third ''daimyô'' of Yonezawa, [[Uesugi Tsunakatsu]], died without producing an heir. The succession was determined at the advice of his father-in-law, [[Hoshina Masayuki]], the younger brother to [[shogun]] [[Tokugawa Iemitsu]]. He suggested that the clan adopt as heir [[Uesugi Tsunanori]], the son of Tsunakatsu's younger sister and [[Kira Yoshinaka]], though this would mean splitting the domain in half, down to only 150,000 ''koku'' within Dewa province.

In 1664, the third ''daimyô'' of Yonezawa, [[Uesugi Tsunakatsu]], died suddenly of a perforated ulcer, and without producing an heir. The succession was determined at the advice of his father-in-law, [[Hoshina Masayuki]], the younger brother to [[shogun]] [[Tokugawa Iemitsu]]. He suggested that the clan adopt as heir [[Uesugi Tsunanori]], the son of Tsunakatsu's younger sister and [[Kira Yoshinaka]], though this would mean splitting the domain in half, returning the Uesugi holdings in Mutsu, and retaining only the 150,000 ''koku'' worth of territory within Dewa province.

This decision led to severe financial difficulties in the domain, for the Uesugi and their administration, and for the increasingly impoverished peasants. The problem became so severe that the eighth ''daimyô'', [[Uesugi Shigetada]], seriously considered turning over the domain to the shogunate. Instead, he resigned his position as ''daimyô'' in favor of [[Uesugi Harunori]], who then began to reform the domain's administration and to revive its economy. He introduced strict disciplinary measures, and ordered the execution of several ''karô'' (advisors) who opposed his plans. In order to finance castle repairs imposed upon his domain by the shogunate, Harunori asked his retainers to agree to a reduction of their stipends, for the good of the domain. As a result of various measures he took, Yonezawa became fairly prosperous, and did not suffer much from the famine which swept Japan in the [[Tenmei]] era (1781-9). In 1830, the shogunate formally declared Yonezawa to be a choice example of a well-governed domain.

This decision led to severe financial difficulties in the domain, for the Uesugi and their administration, and for the increasingly impoverished peasants. The domain, now reduced by roughly 90% from its pre-Edo peak, simply could not support the stipends of its great number of retainers, but due to feudal obligations and the logic of patrimonial authority, neither could they release retainers from their service. In the end, the Uesugi were able to reduce their number of retainers by roughly one quarter, by getting rid of roughly 1,400 of their lowest-ranking retainers - mostly those with unstable claims.

 

The problem became so severe that the eighth ''daimyô'', [[Uesugi Shigetada]], seriously considered turning over the domain to the shogunate. Instead, he resigned his position as ''daimyô'' in favor of [[Uesugi Harunori]], who then began to reform the domain's administration and to revive its economy. He introduced strict disciplinary measures, and ordered the execution of several ''karô'' (advisors) who opposed his plans. In order to finance castle repairs imposed upon his domain by the shogunate, Harunori asked his retainers to agree to a reduction of their stipends, for the good of the domain. As a result of various measures he took, Yonezawa became fairly prosperous, and did not suffer much from the famine which swept Japan in the [[Tenmei]] era (1781-9). In 1830, the shogunate formally declared Yonezawa to be a choice example of a well-governed domain.

When the [[Boshin War]] erupted in 1868, and the shogunate came to an end with the abdication of shogun [[Tokugawa Yoshinobu]], the Uesugi joined the pro-shogunate "Northern Alliance" (''[[Ôetsu Reppan Dômei]]''), acknowledging their debt to Hoshina Masayuki and thus to the shogunate. After several months of battle, the Alliance was defeated, and the [[Meiji period]] began, under a new imperial government. The domain was cut down by 3000 ''koku'', then combined with other territories to form "Yonezawa Shinden han" in 1869, and abolished along with the [[abolition of the han system|han system]] as a whole two years later. It was renamed Yonezawa prefecture, but was combined very shortly afterwards with Okitama prefecture to form Yamagata prefecture.

When the [[Boshin War]] erupted in 1868, and the shogunate came to an end with the abdication of shogun [[Tokugawa Yoshinobu]], the Uesugi joined the pro-shogunate "Northern Alliance" (''[[Ôetsu Reppan Dômei]]''), acknowledging their debt to Hoshina Masayuki and thus to the shogunate. After several months of battle, the Alliance was defeated, and the [[Meiji period]] began, under a new imperial government. The domain was cut down by 3000 ''koku'', then combined with other territories to form "Yonezawa Shinden han" in 1869, and abolished along with the [[abolition of the han system|han system]] as a whole two years later. It was renamed Yonezawa prefecture, but was combined very shortly afterwards with Okitama prefecture to form Yamagata prefecture.