After Ieyasu Tokugawa opened the Edo Shogunate, he communicated his intentions to daimyo nationwide [ elderly ] Was placed. This old man is old man However, the first elderly (Rōjū) are Masanobu Honda and Tadashi Okubo . It was two people.
When Ieyasu was alive, the old system was far from the old-age system that we are familiar with, but by the time of the third shogun, Iemitsu, we could get a glimpse of the prototype of the old-age system. ..
Ieyasu Tokugawa's great government and the second shogun Hidetada
After the establishment of the Tokugawa administration, it was Masanobu Honda and Tadashi Okubo who reigned at the center of politics and conveyed the intention of Ieyasu to each daimyo. At that time, I didn't have a position called Rōjū, but I was actually in charge of the shogunate's affairs as the first Rōjū.
1605 Ieyasu Tokugawa When Hidetada took over the shogunate, he took control of politics in Sunpu. Hidetada's own government was established about seven years after Ieyasu's death.
In the Hidetada administration, the shogunate's instructions are always elderly (4 people at that time) Co-signed Hosho by It came to be issued in. Basically, it is said that it was necessary for four elderly people to co-sign.
This is believed to have established the original form of the Tokugawa Shogunate's Rōjū system.
Hidetada handed over the shogun to Iemitsu and became a major figure, but Hidetada respected the position of the shogun so as not to disagree with the shogun. Therefore, Toshiyori Rensho Hosho It was written that the permission of Hidetada and Iemitsu was given, and the elderly people at that time signed it.
Speaking of Rōjū, it is said that he is the Prime Minister at present, but he seems to have been in the position of Chief Cabinet Secretary at this time. The elderly act as a general's willing agent, not as the person in charge was doing.
In short, the intention of the shogun was more important than the intention of the shogunate, which often appears.
Completion of the Tokugawa Shogunate's Rōjū system
In the era of the third shogun, Iemitsu, [ elderly From the name [ Rōjū ] Has been established. Hidetada, a great figure, 1632 When Iemitsu came to take charge of politics, laws and regulations stipulating the duties of the old man Was issued.
Iemitsu orders that everything be discussed and shown among the three old men so that power does not concentrate on one elderly person.
1633 Matsudaira Nobutsuna, Abe Tadaaki, Hotta Masamori, Miura Masatsugu, Ota Sukemune, Abe Shigetsugu Was called as a shogun's kosho. These 6 people are [ six people ] Called to assist the later Rōjū and take control of Hatamoto [ Wakadoshiyori ] Was the origin.
In the new administration of Iemitsu after Hidetada's death, Masamori Hotta, Nobutsuna Matsudaira, Tadaaki Abe from the six people. Will handle daily affairs as an old man, Naotaka Ii, Toshikatsu Doi, Tadakatsu Sakai It was decided that three people would be involved in a serious project as a senior citizen *. * I didn't use the word elder at this time.
From Ieyasu Tokugawa to Iemitsu, the main duties of the old man are general and daimyo's agent . So, the one who knew the general's intention well rather than the political ability was suitable. The shogunate had full control over the power of the shogunate up to the third generation, and because he was in control of the political affairs, he was a aide-type old man . Is said to have been qualified.
In that sense, it can be said that the old age up to the third generation was still immature as a political organization.
Birth of a young man
Even in the era of the 4th shogun, Ietsuna, the aide-type Rōjū continued.
But 1662 As Matsudaira Nobutsuna fell ill and Tadaaki Abe was getting older, he needed a position to assist the elderly. In the past, the six people had disappeared, with three being old and the rest being dismissed.
Therefore, in order to revive this function, we ordered the people on the side to rule Hatamoto and added more [ Wakadoshiyori ] And revived.
From aide to senior bureaucrats
The first generation, Ieyasu to the fourth generation, Ietsuna, was an aide-type old man, but when he became the fifth generation, Tsunayoshi, he was a side servant . Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu Will appear.
Taking this opportunity, the Edo period Rōjū system will be established.
The status of the elder
The elder is the number one position in the shogunate, but with his inauguration, he was junior fourth rank from the imperial court. It is allowed to get the official position of. Junior Fourth Rank Chamberlain Since is the official position of the old man, the old man is clearly superior.
Being appointed as a major general is a position alongside the national daimyo and the Ii clan, the leader of Fudai Daimyo . On top of that, the Misanke, Maeda, Date, and Mori I was able to get a position that was only about that.
As for the official position, I have touched on it a little here, so please refer to it ... ↓↓↓
The duties of the elders are basically related to the shogunate affairs from a broad perspective, regardless of their daily affairs. The first person to be called the elder was Sakai Tadakiyo . So, I came as an old man until then, but it started when I was ordered to be involved in the shogunate from a higher position.
1695 Hikone feudal lord, Naooki Ii Was appointed as the elder, and while he was in office, he dealt with the issue of the succession of the 7th Shogun Ietsugu and the Ejima Ikushima incident. From Naooki to the last elder, it will be discharged from the Hikone feudal lord, the Ii family.
Side politics
Speaking of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's side servants, Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, but in fact, there were 16 side servants besides Yoshiyasu.
The side servant is the general and the position that acts as an agent for the old man , which was founded by the 5th shogun Tsunayoshi. was. Since Tsunayoshi became a shogun from his tributary, he had no choice but to respect the personnel affairs of the old man of the shogunate, the political institution of the Tokugawa family, and appointed a side servant to convey his intentions.
Above all, Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu Has more power than the old man, and was eventually increased to 150,000 stones, becoming a major general and becoming a major general. The 6th Shogun Ienobu and the 7th Shogun Ietsugu are also called side servant politics because Manabe Akifusa was heavily used as a side servant.
The 8th Shogun Yoshimune abolished the side servant from the standpoint of respecting the Fudai Daimyo, but he set up a side servant and appointed an agent with the old man. The 9th Shogun Ieshige revived the side servant because the language was unclear, and in the era of the 10th Shogun Ieharu, Tanuma Okitsugu became a side servant and later became involved in the shogunate administration. became.
From then on, the side servants will be incorporated into the shogunate bureaucracy and will function as a position for younger people and older and younger and younger, and as a position for promotion to senior citizens.
I think the story will be long and tired to read, so I'd like to cut it here this time.
In the next article, I would like to write about the Rōjū system from the three major reform periods of Edo to the collapse of the Shogunate.