Changes

*''Japanese'': 米沢藩 (''Yonezawa han'')

*''Japanese'': 米沢藩 (''Yonezawa han'')

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, 19.</ref>

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).

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, 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.<ref>Ravina, 73.</ref>

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.

The domain began in [[1702]] to "borrow" heavily from its retainers' [[stipends]]. As in many other domains, these so-called ''[[kariage]]'' (lending upwards) payments were not repaid for decades, if at all, and so in practice constituted severe cuts to retainer income. In the case of Yonezawa, these ''kariage'' payments were repeated, sometimes increased, numerous times over the course of the 18th century, and no repayments were made to the retainers until [[1828]]. A [[1791]] budget reveals that in that year, over 4,000 retainers received on average a measly five ''koku'' each for the year. As a result, many samurai turned to artisanal craft manufacturing, or other by-employments.<ref>Ravina, 74-75.</ref>

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.

Meanwhile, taxation rates and harsh punishments exacted against those unable to pay drove tens of thousands of peasants to flee the domain, leaving much agricultural land unused, and severely diminishing the already strained tax base.<ref>Ravina, 76.</ref>

The end of the shogunate and abolition of the ''han'' system brought with it an end of the [[samurai]] class and of the ''daimyô''. The Uesugi clan were incorporated into the ''[[kazoku]]'' or noble peerage, as Counts, or ''Hakushaku'' in Japanese.

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 other measures he took in the 1790s, many of them at the advice of [[Nozoki Yoshimasa]], Yonezawa became fairly prosperous, and did not suffer as much as many other areas did in the famines which swept Japan in the [[Great Tenmei Famine|Tenmei]] era (1781-9), and the [[Tenpo famine|Tenpô]] era (1833-1836).

 

Population growth returned, much of the land that had laid idle came into cultivation again, and by [[1823]], the domain's subjects were able to pay their taxes in full for the first time in many decades.<ref>Ravina, 79.</ref> In 1830, the shogunate formally declared Yonezawa to be a choice example of a well-governed domain.

Among those measures was the encouragement of [[proto-industrialization|proto-industrial]] production. Due to the relatively large samurai population in the domain, which strained the domain's ability to support on rice stipends, many lower-ranking samurai were encouraged to continue to engage in activities such as the weaving and even the selling of cloth, one of many examples in Edo period Japan of how [[Neo-Confucianism|Neo-Confucian]] ideals did not always live up to socio-economic realities. These cloth-weaving samurai operated part of a putting-out system, in which certain merchants authorized by the domain provided thread and looms to the samurai, and the samurai sold back silk cloth.<ref>Ravina, 10, 197.</ref>

Due to the relatively large samurai population in the domain, which strained the domain's ability to support on rice stipends, many lower-ranking samurai were encouraged to engage in activities such as the weaving and even the selling of cloth, one of many examples in Edo period Japan of how [[Neo-Confucianism|Neo-Confucian]] ideals did not always live up to socio-economic realities. These cloth-weaving samurai operated part of a putting-out system, in which certain merchants authorized by the domain provided thread and looms to the samurai, and the samurai sold back silk cloth.<ref>Ravina, 10, 197.</ref>

===Bakumatsu & Meiji===

===Bakumatsu & Meiji===

The samurai of Yonezawa for the most part saw the [[sonno|Imperial loyalists]] as a threat to the security or autonomy of their domain, and were willing to fight to defend it.<ref>Ravina, 202.</ref>

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. The samurai of Yonezawa for the most part saw the [[sonno|Imperial loyalists]] as a threat to the security or autonomy of their domain, and were willing to fight to defend it.<ref>Ravina, 202.</ref> 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.

 

==References==

==References==