<論説>鎮西地頭の成敗権

Abstract

文治元年一一月の国地頭制の発足にともない、源頼朝は天野遠景を鎮西九州の国地頭として現地へ派遣し、遠景を通して、この地における本領安堵地頭の設置をおしすすめた。これは国地頭制下において頼朝に体現されていた諸国諸庄地頭成敗権の九州における適用である。同じ権限にもとづいて文治二年はじめに頼朝は島津庄下司職惟宗忠久の地位を鎌倉補任の地頭職にきりかえている。文治二年六月になると畿内近国三七ケ国で国地頭制を停廃するが、このとき鎮西は東国とともに国地頭停廃地域から除外されて諸国諸庄地頭成敗権は九州地頭成敗権として存続することになった。ただし、この九州地頭成敗権も無限定なものではなく、文治二年以降国衙の在庁所職の成敗(補任) 権についてはこれを停止し、国地頭の名称もとどめて、九州でもまた独自の形態をとって国務不介入政策がつらぬかれた。建久年間をすぎると幕府の九州における本領安堵地頭政策は後退し、根本領主層は惣地頭のもとで地頭代職・名主職などに補任されるようになり、小地頭制への変質が進行した。

November 1185 when the system of Kunijitō 国地頭 was established, Yoritomo Minamoto 源頼朝 sent Tōkage Amano 天野遠景 to Kyushu as the general Kunijitō there, who put the plan of setting Honryōando-jitō 本領安堵地頭 into practice. This policy means that Yoritomo 頼朝 practiced his power of supplementing Jitō 地頭 in every county and manor. At the same time he also appointed Tadahisa Koremune 惟宗忠久, bailiff at a manor of Shimazu 島津, to be Jitō authorized by Kamakura 鎌倉 Shogunate. Later though, June 1186, he abolished or suspended the system of Kunijitō in 37 counties including Kyoto and neighbouring counties, Chinzei 鎮西 (i.e. Kyushu) as well as Tōgoku 東国 was exempted from the abolishment or suspension. In other words his right of supplementing Jitō in every county and manor remained in the form of the nomination of Jitō in Kyushu. But the latter right of Yoritomo was not so comprehensive that he dared not interfere in the affairs of county officials there were deprived of the nomination of Jito after 1186, and the title of Kunijitō was maintained there. After the period of Kenkyū 建久, 1190-1198, the governmental policy of creating Honryōando-jitō receded in that area, while Konponryōshu 根本領主 or reclaimers led by Sōjitō 惣地頭 came to be appointed to be deputies of Jitō or Myōshu 名主. Since then lesser Jitō gradually began to appear in this district.