Takamatsu Domain


Takamatsu Domain was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Takamatsu Castle, and was ruled throughout much of its history by a cadet branch of the Shinpan Matsudaira clan. Takamatsu Domain was dissolved in the abolition of the han system in 1871 and is now part of Kagawa Prefecture.

History

In 1587, after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's conquest of Shikoku, he assigned Sanuki Province to his general Ikoma Chikamasa with a kokudaka of 126,200 koku. Chikamasa's son Ikoma Kazumasa sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, so he was confirmed in his holdings with the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. However, in 1640, during the tenure of Ikoma Takatoshi, the fourth daimyō, the clan was demoted to Yashima Domain in Dewa Province due to the "Ikoma Disturbance".
In 1642, Matsudaira Yorishige, the eldest son of Tokugawa Yorifusa, of Mito Domain, and daimyō of Shimodate Domain in Hitachi Province was transferred to Takamatsu Castle and given a fief of 120,000 koku, in eastern Sanuki. It is said that Yorishige was given this position at the express request of his cousin, Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, with whom he was on very good terms. Although they were cousins, Yorishige was allowed free access to the Shogun's private chambers in Edo Castle and he was given the honor of being seated built in line with Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune's policy of encouraging research into domestic production of medicines and agricultural products. In addition, he developed the manufacturing technology for "Sanuki wasanbon" sugar, which is still one of Kagawa's specialty products. The ninth daimyō, Matsudaira Yoritsugu, developed Japan's largest salt field on the beach of Sakaide. During the Edo period, the Takamatsu Domain was the largest producer of white sugar and salt in Japan.
During the Bakumatsu period, Mito Domain came out strongly in support of the Sonnō jōi movement, placing it at odds with the shogunate and also politically with Takamatsu Domain. In addition the two domains were at odds during the succession issue over the successor to Shogun Tokugawa Iesada, and the bad relations between Takamatsu and Mito continued for over a hundred years to 1974 when the two cities officially reconciled. During the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in the Boshin War, Takamatsu Domain supported the shogunate and was initially labelled an "enemy of the court". A punitive force led by Tosa Domain and supported by Marugame and Tadotsu Domains was sent attack Takamatsu, but Tokushima Domain was reluctant and encouraged Takamatsu to defect. As a result, Matsudaira Yoritsuna was forced to retire and was placed under house arrest in Edo and two chief karō, Oga Mataemon and Obu Hyōgo, were ordered to commit seppuku, and the domain ordered to pay 120,000 ryō to the Meiji government. However, there was much anti-government sentiment in the domain, and in 1871 with the abolition of the han system, the domain's territory was initially merged with Tokushima and Ehime Prefectures, only becoming part of Kagawa Prefecture on December 3, 1888. Matsudaira Yoritoshi, the final daimyō of Takamatsu was later granted the kazoku peerage title of Count

List of daimyō

Simplified family tree (Mito-Tokugawa)

  • Image:Tokugawa [family crest.svg|20px] Tokugawa Ieyasu, 1st Tokugawa shōgun
  • * Tokugawa Yorifusa, 1st daimyō of Mito
  • **15px I. Matsudaira Yorishige, 1st daimyō of Takamatsu
  • ***Yoritoshi
  • **** 15px III. Yoritoyo, 3rd daimyō of Takamatsu
  • ***** Tokugawa Munetaka, 4th daimyō of Mito
  • ****** Tokugawa Munemoto, 5th daimyō of Mito
  • ******* Tokugawa Harumori, 6th daimyō of Mito
  • ******** Tokugawa Harutoshi, 7th daimyō of Mito
  • ********* 15px IX. Matsudaira Yorihiro, 9th daimyō of Takamatsu
  • ********** 15px XI. Yoritoshi, 11th daimyō of Takamatsu, 11th family head, 1st Count
  • ***********Yorinaga, 12th family head, 2nd Count
  • *********** Captain Yutaka IJN
  • ************Yoriaki, 13th family head, 3rd Count
  • *************Yoritake, 14th family head
  • ************** Yoriosa
  • *** Yoriyoshi
  • **** Yorihiro, 1st head of the Daizen branch
  • ***** 15px IV. Yoritake, 4th daimyō of Takamatsu
  • **Tokugawa Mitsukuni, 2nd daimyō of Mito
  • *** 15px II. Matsudaira Yoritsune, 2nd daimyō of Takamatsu
  • ** Matsudaira Yorimoto, 1st daimyō of Nukada
  • *** Yorisada, 1st daimyō of Moriyama
  • **** 15px V. Yoritaka, 5th daimyō of Takamatsu
  • *****15px VI. Yorizane, 6th daimyō of Takamatsu
  • ****** 15px VIII. Yorinori, 8th daimyō of Takamatsu
  • ******* 15px X. Yoritane, 10th daimyō of Takamatsu
  • ***** 15px 'VII. Yorioki, 7th daimyō'' of Takamatsu'''

Holdings at the end of the Edo period

As with most domains in the han system, Takamatsu consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned kokudaka, based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.
  • Sanuki Province
  • *48 villages in Kagawa District
  • *34 villages in Ouchi District
  • *33 villages in Yamada District
  • *20 villages in Miki District
  • *36 villages in Aya District
  • *18 villages in Naka District
  • *29 villages in Utari District