<論説>近世肥後藩の村落構造とその展開過程 : 玉名郡中富手永を中心に

Abstract

本稿は肥後藩の近世村構造の基本的性格の検討と、村落の展開過程を通しての地域的類型を意図したもので、その基礎的作業をなすものである。藩全体にわたる村落展開過程をまず生産力の面から四つに類型化すると同時に、最も典型的な類型(Ⅰ-ｂ型) の例として玉名郡中富手永を考察の対象とし、従来使用されることの少なかった「手永鑑」「手永絵図」等の史料に検討を加えた。具体的には村落レベルでの開発過程を農業生産力の農開過程との対応関係で見る一方、集落構成、知行形態、地方組織など村落構造の基本的側面との相互連関に視点を置き分析を行なった。初期「郷帳」から中期の延宝期から享保期にかけての前期開発では丘陵地域と低地域という地域的枠組を持ち、開発規模、様式、進展度の差異が集落構成、知行形態にも反映されているが、開発と農業生産力は、ほぼ対応した形で展開している。中期以降、開発が低地域に移行するにつれ、村落間に階層分化を生じると同時に旧来の開発の技術的レベル・開発資本、労働夫役組織、水利施設などが桎梏になり、開発規模と農業生産力の一義的対応は見られなくなり生産力は次第に停滞し、既存村落耕地の荒廃化現象などがみられた。新地開発耕地と既存村落耕地との生産力展開の差異が明瞭になるにつれ、後期の開発は既存村落耕地の安定化、再開発の方向に移行していった。宝暦期を中心にする一連の改革、村落レベルの「寄村」統合などはその移行の前提をなすものであり、既存の水利体系、地方組織の再編成過程の一環としてあらわれてきたと云えよう。

This article will focus on the examination of basic structure and development process of rural settlement, setting regional types through the land exploitation process, of 'Higo' province in the 'BakuhanRegime'. The author, as an extensive preliminary work, has classified roughly four types of rural settlements in Higo Province through analyzing the development process of agricultural productivity per a village. Next in the intensive work, he will take a sample study of 'Nakadomi-Tenaga' 中富手永 or small specific administrative area, dealing with little known historical manuscripts 'Tenaga-Kagami' 手永鑑 and old pictorial maps 'Tenaga-Ezu' 手永絵図 which are essential for analysis of historical process. The viewpoints of his consist of two aspects; one is the co-relation between land exploitation around rural settlement and a rise of agricultural productivity, the other is daughter-village formation process accuring fief distributions and social organization formed inter-village relation which are basic bondages of the rural village structure. As the results of investigation of sample study, the author can acknowledge next development process of rural settlement. In the former half period, from 'Kan'ei' 寛永 up to 'Kyoho '享保, land exploitation around villages had been rapidly promoted especially in hillside regions under the leadership of 'Kyunin' 給人 or a subject of landlord, rising agricultural productivity which reflected in fief distribution or newly established small hamlets near parent villages. In the latter half period, from 'Kyoho' up to the end of 'Bakuhan-Regime', land exploitation moved to the river side or lowland area, causing social stratification between each village. Agricultural productivity became increasingly stagnant, though enlargement of land exploitation near around settlements, partly because of devastation in the established arable land through disfunctioning of old irrigation system, partly because of breaking down in the agricultural productivity balance between newly exploited arable land and established cultivations near settlements. With a series of 'Horeki-Reformations' 宝暦改革, in which we can recognize some kinds of epoch-making practices, the act of Congregation of Rural Settlements 'Yose-Mura' 寄村 had been regulated for the purpose of rationalizing complicated administrative systems, of adjusting parent-daughter village combinations, of redistribution in fiefs. These reformative regulations resulted in stabilized productivity or improvement of co-operative labouring orgaization for mutual exchange of intraand inter- village, some of which remain, even in the present time, effective roles taken. We can find good adaptation, for example, of old irrigation system to the new style functioning modern cultivations, in which great attempts of readjustment process of conflicts have been done for better rural life.