<論説>室町・戦国期の小早川氏の領主制

Abstract

国人領主の一典型とされている小早川氏について､惣領制と家臣団の問題を中心として､室町･戦国期の歴史的性格を考察しようとしたのが本稿である｡応永末-嘉吉ごろの惣領職の成立は､惣領家沼田小早川氏の在地領主制転換(庶子の統制強化がその中心となる)を明瞭に示すが､転換の時期には独自にそれを促進する役割を果した｡同じころ沼田小早川氏は惣領家被官(直臣)を養成し､これと庶子よりなる家臣団を形成し､応仁･文明ごろにはこれらを代官として所領に配置する支紀体制をつくりあげていた｡これによって戦国期の沼田小早川氏の領主制は一段と強力なものになった｡小早川氏一族の中には､沼田小早川氏､竹原小早川氏､椋梨氏という三つの型の異なった領主制があったが､結局室町･戦国期を通じて椋梨氏を代表とする庶子家は沼田小早川氏に支配され､竹原小早川氏はこれに対抗して独自の領主制を形成する｡

The present paper deals the historical characteristics of the Kobayakawas 小早川氏, one of the typical medieval land lords, especially the change of the eldest son inheritance system 惣領制 and the formation of land retainers 家臣団. The Nutakobayakawa family 沼田小早川氏 is the head one of the Kobayakawas, from which about twenty kinsmen established branch families. Two families of them, the Takeharakobayakawas 竹原小早川氏 and the Mukunashis 椋梨氏, were larger than the others. Sôryoshiki 惣領職, established in the second quarter of the 15th century, clearly indicates the change of seignorial regime of the Kobayakawas, the subordination of kinsmen to the Nutakobayakawas inherited by the eldest son, and on the other hand it promotes the change. In the same era the Nutakobayakawas formed immediate vassals and organized them into land retainers including obedient kinsmen to the Nutakobayakawas. It may be said that the Nutakobayakawas stationed retainers in the domains and established their strengthened system governing peasants in the turbulant period of Ohnin-Bunmei 応仁・文明期. In Muromachi era 室町時代, the Takeharakobayakawas and the Mukunashis were different from the Nutakobayakawas in the mode of existence viewed from the form of seignorial regime. But in the Sengoku era 戦国時代, the Mukunashis, having none of retainers, came to be subject to the Nutakobayakawas. On the other hand, the Takeharakobayakawas established their own seignorial regime against the Nutakobayakawas. Although both of them had lord retainers, the Takeharakobayakawas differed from the Nutakobayakawas in that the former could not subordinate kinsmen possessing their own feudal estates.