天下の義人 茂左衛門
群馬県人のDNAにすら染み込んでいるのではないかと思われる上毛かるた。
小学生の頃からみっちりと暗誦させられるということから、正に洗脳？
ただ、文言は暗記していても、そこに読み込まれている場所や人物についてはよくわかっていないというケースもあるようです。
「天下の義人、茂左衛門」という札についても、それが誰なのか？どういうことを行った、何時の時代の人なのか？という人もいるかも。
杉木茂左衛門は戦国武将でもなく、尊皇攘夷の志士でもありません。百姓です。ということで、割に地味な存在なので、全国規模ではほぼ知名度なし。群馬県内でも、かるたの人という程度の認識？
しかし、多くの人のために文字通り命をかけた立派な人物であり、もっと知られてもいいということから、一文を記しています。
まず、茂座衛門について語る前に、彼が生きた沼田や利根郡について話を始めなければなりません。
江戸時代初期、沼田を治めていたのは真田家。表裏比興と呼ばれた真田昌幸の長男であり、大坂の陣の奮戦で武名を挙げた幸村（信繁）の兄である真田信之は信州上田から上州沼田に至る領地を統治。上田を本城としていましたが、信州松代に転封を命じられます。その際、沼田は飛び地領として残され、信之の長男、信吉が城主に。長男とはいえ、彼の母は有名な小松姫（本多忠勝の娘）ではなかったので、庶子という扱い。（伏線）
小松姫と沼田城の動画。↓
信吉には熊之助と兵吉と二人の息子。信吉の死後、熊之助が跡を継いだものの、まだ幼児。それも寛永十五年（1638）に夭折。弟の兵吉も当時、３歳。ということから、彼等の叔父である。信政が相続。
兵吉は小川城跡の陣屋に母親と共に住み、五千石を分知。
この兵吉が信政の跡を継いで、沼田城主になってから、大きな騒動が起こっていきます。
信政が本家である松代を継いだのに伴い、兵吉は信俊或いは信利？信直？と名乗り、伊賀守に任官。三万石の殿様に。部屋住みで終わるかもしれなかったのが、殿様になれたというだけでも幸運と言うべきですが、彼は更なる野望を抱きました。
実名がはっきりしないので、以後は真田伊賀守とします。
藩祖である信之の長男の直系ということから、松代本家の相続権を主張したのです。長子相続の原則から、自分にはその資格があると幕府に訴え出たのです。松代の真田本家は十万石、沼田は三万石。三倍以上の差。しかも当時の沼田はあくまでも飛び地領扱い。それが不満だった？
老中であった酒井忠清（前橋城主）や正室の実家である土佐の山内家なども味方につけて運動を展開。しかし、幕府はこれを認めず。ただ、沼田の真田家は飛び地ではなく正規の大名として認めて独立という扱いとしました。本家の相続は認めない代わりに、独立を認めることで一応の面子を立ててやったというべきか？しかし、これでも伊賀守は満足しませんでした。
それならばとばかりに、伊賀守は今度は沼田真田家の格を上げることを企図。大名の格というものは石高で示されます。そのため、彼は領内の検地を実行。耕作不可能な山林なども計上することで十四万四千石として幕府に届け出。数字で松代の本家を上回ったというこになります。しかし、大名としての格が上がるということは、その分、手伝い普請の負担や軍役の負担が増すことを意味します。
参勤交代の供回りを増やしたり、両国橋の改修を命じられたり、そうしたしわ寄せはすべて領民への過剰な税負担に。
年貢未納者は水牢に漬けられたといいます。
真冬に凍りつくような池に入れられる拷問。
水牢の跡と呼ばれる場所が、吾妻郡内に幾つか残っています。
ただし、こうした水牢は沼田領内であった吾妻郡にしか遺っておらず、沼田が属している利根郡内には現存せず、本当は戦国時代の吾妻の領主、斎藤氏が用いた物であり、伊賀守の悪政を誇張するための牽強付会ではないかという説もあることを付け加えておきます。
また、領内の材木が足りなくなり、館林藩領内の山林から無断で切り出し、トラブルになったことも。因みに当時の館林城主は徳川綱吉、後の五代将軍。
こうした圧政に苦しむ人々を救おうと思いたったのが、杉木茂左衛門。おお、ようやく主役の名前登場。
中流の百姓でしたが、元は武士の家系だったという話もあります。苗字があるということから、その通りに元々、武家の家系なのかもしれません。何らかの理由で牢人して帰農した家だったのかもしれません。
茂左衛門は幕府に直訴を画策。
直訴というと、数年前に山本太郎が園遊会で天皇陛下に直訴したことを思い出しますが、江戸時代の直訴はそんな甘いものではありません。
大名からすれば、自分達の政治的な失敗を直接、幕府にチクられるようなものであり、正に面目丸潰れ。
直訴した者にとっても、かなりのリスクがありました。訴えが取り上げられたとしても、代償を求められました。つまり命という代償。
江戸に出た茂左衛門がまず向かったのは酒井忠清の屋敷。先述しましたが、同じ上州、前橋の殿様であり、大老にまで出世していて、下馬将軍と呼ばれる権力者。力になってくれると思ったのでしょうが、すげなく門前払い。
松代藩の相続騒動の際、忠清は伊賀守側に付いていたので、それが理由？
それでも諦めなかった茂左衛門、知恵を巡らせます。
宿に直訴状が入った箱を故意に置き忘れ。その箱には輪王寺宮の紋を描いておきました。輪王寺とは上野、寛永寺の塔頭ですが代々、親王が住職を務めていました。体のいい朝廷からの人質？
宿の主人、輪王寺の関係者が忘れたのだろうと思い、そちらに届けます。箱の中を改めた輪王寺の関係者、中身が直訴状であることから幕府に届け出。こうして茂左衛門の訴状は将軍や幕府高官の目に入ることに。
結果、領内の圧政、両国橋改修の際、材木の納期が間に合わなかった等々の非を問われて、沼田の真田家は改易。伊賀守は山形の奥平家、息子達は赤穂の浅野家、郡上の藤堂家、上田の仙石家等にお預けとなり、家老三人が切腹という沙汰が下りました。これにより、沼田の百姓達は圧政から救われることになりました。
真田家の改易後、幕府が沼田領の再検地を実行した所、実高は六万石だったそうです。それなのに表高を十四万四千石、、、２倍以上の差。単純に考えても税率が実際の収入よりも２倍以上になったということになります。
どこの大名家でも実高よりも表高は少な目に申告するのが普通でした。それはそうでしょう。表高が多ければ、それだけ抱える武士の数を増やさねばならず、手伝い普請を課せられることも多くなります。
真田家が命じられた両国橋の改修等の手伝い普請は自弁が原則。幕府から命じられたら、費用はすべて大名家の負担。
又、石高というのは大名の格式や領地を示すだけではなく、軍役の基準でもありました。石高が多ければ、それに見合った武士を抱えなければなりません。確か一万石につき２50人だったかな。これは武士だけの数であり、その従者や家族を入れると扶養家族がどんどん増える。しかも武士は無産階級であり、何も生み出さない。内所は苦しくなるばかり。そうした負担が沼田の領民に税として降りかかっていた訳です。
そこから解放されて、これで終わればめでたしめでたしかもしれませんが、先に書いた通り、代償。
江戸から利根郡に戻った茂左衛門は袖振り坂という場所で捕らえられ、利根川の河原で磔となりました。それも彼ばかりではなく、妻子共々。
一説には、江戸から赦免の使者が向かっていたのですが、間に合わなかったとも。
沼田真田家の改易は、圧政ばかりではなく両国橋改修の不手際や舘林とのいざこざ等々、様々な要因が重なったということもあり、直訴は原則死罪とはいえ、罪一等は減じて、遠島とか所払いとかだったかも？あくまでも推測です。
かくすれば、かくなるものと知りつつも、止むにやまれぬ大和魂
吉田松陰の歌ですが、松陰に先立つこと２00年程前に、こうなることがわかっていても人のために命を投げ出す覚悟で直訴という義挙を行ったのが、天下の義人、杉木茂左衛門でした。
その魂は菩提寺となった嶽林寺に祀られています。
上毛高原駅の裏手、夏には蛍が飛び交うという緑豊かな地に建つ嶽林寺。
蛇足ながら、小川城の歴代城主の菩提寺でもあり、お駒堂というお堂も建てられていますが、これは大岡政談にあるお駒騒動に由来する物。
かいつまんで話すと、江戸時代中期、大岡越前が裁いたと言われる事件の一つであり、商家の美人な妻、お駒が不細工な婿を嫌って、イケメンで持参金付きの新たな婿を入れようと思い、婿に密通事件をでっち上げて追放しようとしたり、果ては殺害しようと図った事件であり、母親までがそれに加担していたという、女は怖いという事件。
そのお駒の父親が寄進した建物がお駒堂と呼ばれて現存。お駒の父親は上州出身という縁からでしょう。
事件は江戸なのに？と思いそうな所ですが、おそらくはお駒の父親も婿ではないかと思います。武家は男子相続が当たり前でしたが、商家は娘も優秀な婿を迎えて跡継ぎとすることが多かったのです。わかりやすい例としては、時代は下りますが、織田作之助の小説、夫婦善哉があります。あの小説の主人公は商家の息子ですが、妹が婿を取り、実家に居られなくなりました。
話を茂左衛門に戻します。
自分ばかりではなく家族までも犠牲にして、多くの人々を救った義の人ということから、地元の人々は感謝して、彼が処刑された河原を見下ろす丘の上に千日堂という地蔵堂を建てて、正に千日に及ぶ供養を行って御霊を慰めました。
また、茂左衛門が捕らえられた袖振り坂には奥の院を建立。
現地訪問の動画を御覧下さい。↓
蛇足ですが、千日堂の前には道内に立ち入る時には”増す苦”の着用をお願いしますとの貼り紙。
ここもか、何だかがっかり。この暑いのに我慢大会か？
選挙が終わった途端にまた感染拡大とか馬鹿らしいことを言っているが、随分と都合のいいウイリスだのう。
しかも「増す苦」さえしていれば安全と考えるアホが多いのは如何なものか。感染したとされている人は、それを着用してなかったんですか？してたんでしょ。だったら意味ないじゃんという風に何故、考えないのか？不思議でしょうがない。
人々の苦しみを救うために直訴という義挙に出て、我が身ばかりか家族までも犠牲にした茂左衛門を供養する場所が、人々への苦しみに加担しているように見えてしまう。
どこかに令和の茂左衛門はいないものか。
とはいえ、お上が「増す苦」の着用をごり押ししているのでは、直訴しても無駄か。残念だが、現在の日本政府よりも江戸幕府の方が遥かに優れた統治機関でしたな。
English vertion
I guess every Gunma people must know Jomo Karuta which is a kind of card game from their heart ,mind ? or DNA?
I heard they are taught it in their elementary school days. Is it a kind of brain washing?
Although they know every cards, they don't know much about details.
One of cards say "The states mas Mozaemon" I guess some people don't know who is Mozaemon? what he did? or when he died?
SUgiki Mozaemon was not a brave samurai in the warring states period nor a states man in the end of the Edo period, actually he was a farmer so not only Gunma but also all over Japan he is not famous.
So some Gunma people know him as a man in the card.
But he saved many people so I think he must be famous more so I would like to write about him.
Before write about Mozaemon, I have to write about Numata or Tone area where he was born and lived.
In the early Edo period, Sanada family governed Numata. Sanada Nobuyuki who was the first son of Sanada Masayuki who was called the trickster, and Nobuyuki's brother was a famous samurai Yukimura has governed the domain from Ueda in Shinano, now the northern part of Nagano prefecture now to Numata, now the northern part of Gunma. He was ordered to change his domain to Matsushiro but around Numata was remained to his domain. Nobuyoshi who was the first son of Nobuyuki became the lord of Numata.
He was the first son but his mother was not Nobuyuki's proper wife Komatshuhima who was a daughter of Honda Tadakatsu. I mean he was not admitted the legitimate son, So he was not the heir of Sanada family.
You can watch the video about Komatsuhime and Numata castle from the URL below.
Nobuyoshi had 2 sons, Kumanosuke and Heikichi. After Nobuyoshi died, Kumanosuke became the master of Numata but he was a child. And he died in 1638 the 15th year of Kanei. Then Heikichi was 3 years old.
So their uncle Nobumasa became the master.
of Numata.
Heikichi lived in Ogawa castle with his mother.
And he was given 5000 koku every year ,koku is a measure of rice.
In the Edo period,they showed the power of samurai by it.
After Heikichi became the adult, he inherited the master of Numata, he occurred some troubles.
Nubumasa inherited Matsushiro, Heikichi changed his name Nobutoshi or Nobunao and was given the official position of Iganokami. He became a feudal lord as 30000 koku. He might be lived as only 5000 koku samurai, but he could be a lord. He was a kind of lucky but he had bigger ambition.
Since his real name was not clear, Nobutoshi or Nubunao so I would like to call him Iganokami from here.
As he was a grand son of the 1st son of Nobuyuki who was the master of Matsushiro, he thought he could be the master of Mastsushiro it meant he could be the head master of all Sanada family.
During the Edo period, there was the rule among samurai, the 1st son should be the master of the family so he said to the shogunate he had the right to inherit Mastsushiro.
Mastsushiro Sanada had 100000 koku but Numata had 30000 koku the gap was over 3 times besides Numata was only branch of Matsushiro. I guess he was not satisfied to it.
One of executives, Sakai Tadakiyo who was the master of Maebashi castle, and Iganokami's wife came from Yamauchi family ,the lord of Tosa, now Kouchi prefecture so Ymauchi family stood for him. Even so the shogunate didn't accepted his request. But they decided that Numata Sanada family should independent from Matsushiro. It means Iganokami became the proper Daimyo, the lord. I guess the shogunate didn't allowed Iganokami became the master of Matsushiro instead of it he should be the independent lord. But he was not satisfied to it.
So he thought Numata Sanada family should be bigger than Matsushiro. As I mentioned, Koku showed the power of samurai and lords. So he measured his domain again. He calculated 144000 koku among mountains. But actually they could not cultured such area so it was not correct. Even so he declared it to the shogunate. As a result, Numata became bigger than Matsushiro. But becoming bigger means their burden should be bigger too.
They should hire more samurai or might be ordered some constructions by the shogunate. Actually Numata Sanada family was ordered to rebuild Ryogoku bridge.
People in his domain had to pay such costs.
Some of farmers who couldn't offer rice as tax were soaked into cold ponds in winters as a punishment.
There are some ponds where were said the ruins of it in Agatsuma area.
But such ponds were remained only in Agatsuma area where was a part of Numata domein. In Tone area where is the main area of Numata there are no such remains. So some people say those were used by Saito family, they were the ruler of Agatsuma area during the warring states period. So someone might begin to say those were used Iganokami to exaggerate his bad policy.
i am not sure which is true.
And some of his men cut woods from mountains in Tatebayashi domain without permission because of shortage of woods. At that time the master of Tatebayashi was TokugawaTsunayoshi later he became the 5th shogun.
Sugiki Mozaemon dicided to save people in Numata from Iganokami"s bad policy. Oh I mentioned the hero of this story finally.
He was a middle class farmer but some people say his family had been samurai because he had a family name since the Edo period, farmers were not allowed to use their family names. His family might be samurai but for some reason, they became farmers.
Anyway Mozaemon thought he should say those bad policy to the shogunate.
Such act was called Jikiso in Japanese.
Jikiso remainds me that few years ago, a politisian Yamamoto Taro did it to the Emperor in the party of the Imperial family. But in the Edo period, the situation was not same in the present days.
From lords, Jikiso means their people say their bad manners to the shogunate directly so their prides should be damaged.
People who did it had some risk. Even their demand was accepted, they had to pay something. It mean they had to pay their lives.
Mozaemon went to Edo and visited Sakai Tadakiyo's residence. As I mentioned he was the master of Maebashi where was in Kouzuke province. Numata was in the same province and then he became the top of executives so Mozaemon thought Tadakiyo should help him but he was driven away.
When Iganokami wanted to the master of Matsushiro, Tadakiyo stood for him it was a reason?
Even so Mozaemon didn't give up.
Then he forgot a box at the inn he had stayed. In the box, there was a document of Jikiso and he depicted the emblem of Rinouji temple. Rinnouji was a temple belonged to Kaneiji temple in Ueno. The master of it should be princes of the Imperial family. It was a kind of hostage?
The master of the inn thought Mozaemon was staff of the temple so he brought the box to the temple. Monks of the temple saw the inside of the box and found there was the document so they offered it to the shogunate.
Finally Mozaemon's document were showed to executives and shogun.
So they decided Numata Sanada family should be punushed as their bad policy and when they were ordered to rebuild Ryogoku brigde, they couldn't brought enough woods and so on. Iganokami was dismissed the lord and ordered to go to Yamagata, Okudaira family's domain. His sons were ordered to go to Akou where was Asano family's domain, Gujo where was Todo familhy's domain, and Ueda Sengoku family's domain. 3 exectutives of Numata were ordered to Harakiri. So people in Numata were released from Iganokami.
After that the shogunate measured Numata again it was only 60000 koku. But Iganokami declared 144000 koku. the gap is over twice. It means tax should be over 2 times.
Every lords declared fewer koku ordinally because if they declared much koku they should hire more samurai and the shogunate might order more constructions.
Such constructions of infrastructures should be paid by lords. So when they were ordered them, they should pay all of costs.
And Koku was not only a measure of positions and how big their domains but also the base of how many samurai should be hired. If they had bigger Koku they should hire more samurai. I heard that 10000 koku means they should hire 250 samurai. but 250 is only the number of samurai. Samurai's family and men were not included. so the number of dependents should be bigger. And samurai could not earn any money so costs for such people should be bigger and bigger. Numata people had to pay such burden
people were released from it but there was a risk as I mentioned.
When Mozaemon returned from Edo to Tone area, he was caught at Sodehurizaka and punished by crucifixion at the river side of Tone river. Not only him his family were punished too.
Some people say the messanger from Edo were going to there to release Mozaemon but he couldn't be on time.
I guess Numata Sanada family was dismmised not only the bad policy but also mistakes of Ryogoku brigde construction and some reasons. Ao basiccaly Jikiso should be punished but not by the capital punishment by exile or so.
If I would do it, It should be clear I should be punished even so I had to do it.
Yoshida Shoin said so. Mozaemon lived about 200 years before Shoin but he did similar thing to save people and abandoned his life.
Gakurinji temple is his home temple.
In the back of Jomokogen station, while summer we can watch fireflies around there. Gakurinji temple is surrounded by green.
It is not relate to Mozaemon but they enshrined masters of Ogawa castle and there is a hall which is called Okoma dou.
That hall is relate to Okoma case in Ooka seidan.
It says that the middle of Edo period, a famous samurai Ohoka Echizen judged the case. A good looking woman Okoma who was a wife of rich merchant hated his bad looking husband and wanted to get married to a good looking and rich man. So she made up here husband's love affair and exile him but she failed so she tried to kill him. And her mother took part in it. Fear women.
Okoma's father offered the hall. it is called Okomadou. He came from Kouzuke province that should be the reason.
The case happened in Edo? But I guess Okoma's father inherited the merchant family as a groom like Okoma's husband. In old days samurai family should be inherited by sons but merchant family should be daughter's husband. Because they could select a smart man to be the succesor.
It is later days story but in Oda Sakunosuke's novel, Meotozenzai, we can see such cases. The hero of it was a son merchant but his sister got married to a smart guy so he had to be independent.
Back to Mozaemon's story.
Not only himself but also his family were killed to save many people. So people in the area were thanked and built a temple on the hill where the upper side of Tone river. It is called Sennichidou. Sennichi means 1000 days in Japanese. as the name says, they had done Buddist ceremony 1000 days for Mozaemon and his family.
And they built another temple Okunoin at Sodehurizaka whee Mozaemon was caught.
You can watch the video when I visited such spots from the URL below.
It is a digression but in front of Sennichidou temple, there was a poster it said that "when you enter the inside of the hall, please wear m●sk"
I often such warnings everywhere these days.
After the election was over, they began to say the pandemic again. I couldn't believe it anymore.
But there are many people who think m●sk could prtect them everything. They should be mad.
I would like to say that people who was infected had not worn m●sk?
They must wear it but it was no use. Why they could think in such a way?
I wonder of them.
Mozaemon did Jikiso to save people. But I thought the place where enshrined him takes part of the bad policy of the present days.
I hope there might be Mozaemon in Reiwa period.
But the government has that policy so Jikiso couldn't be effective.
I think the Edo shogunate was much better than Japan government now.
この記事が気に入ったらサポートをしてみませんか？