Table of Contents
戦国II (Kano Historical Records, Sengoku II, Records for the Gion Shrine, Yasaka Shrine, and Jōfukuji, Bunmei 13 (1481)

 

戦国II (Kano Historical Records, Sengoku II, Records for the Gion Shrine, Yasaka Shrine, and Jōfukuji, Bunmei 13 (1481)

九日、幕府、杉生暹忍(せんにん)の訴えにより、越前国本覚寺及び大坊主中に、祗園社領加賀国苅野村における違乱停止を命ずる。

「祗園社記」続録十 (一四八一)
(忍)
杉生暹恩申し祗園社領加州苅野村内本役分年貢の事、違亂に及ぶと云々、然るべからず、早く其の妨(さまたげ)を止らるるべし、若又子細有ば、不日に明き申さるるべき候也、
仍って執達の件の如し、
文明十三                      (飯尾)
十一月九日                     元連判
(松田)
貞康判

(越前国)
本覺寺(pp.23)

This first piece of evidence relates to a complaint made by Sugio Sennin (a daikan of pseudo- priestly status from Gion shrine) in relation to the payment of tithes by the village of Karugano (located up near the border with Noto). Sugio claimed that persons had been `engaged in illegal activities`, meaning the non-payment of tithes. As such, the Bakufu sent this Monjō to Hongaku ji (or presumably sent it, as will be seen), ordering Hongakuji to cease with their illegalities, and if any further evidence were to come to light, to report this immediately to the Bakufu. Note that this Monjō was a copy of the original (it not possessing a kaō), and the fact that it was addressed to Hongakuji, a temple located some distance from Karugano. The Monjō itself appears to be a request rather than an order to get Hongakuji to restrain the activities of the villagers and bring them to repay the tithes owed to Gion.

「八坂神社文書」
                               (河北郡)
杉生暹忍申し祗薗社領加州苅野村内本役分年貢の事、百姓等難澁すと云々、然るべからず、早く先々如く厳密其の沙汰を致すべし、若又子細有ば、不日に参洛に企てて、明き申すべき之旨、下知を加えらるべき之由候也、仍って執達の件の如し
   文明十三                       (飯尾)
     十一月九日                    元連(花押)
                             (松田)
                              貞康(花押)

   大坊主中(p.23)

This next Monjō goes into more detail than the first, stating that the reason for the non-payment of tithes stemmed from a refusal on behalf of the peasantry to pay them. The Bakufu then seemingly tells this particular priest (as it was addressed to such a character) that such a situation is indeed regrettable and should not be allowed to happen, and then orders (or more likely requests) the priest to quickly have the peasants fulfill their duties and pay their tithes, and if any further evidence is to come to light, to immediately come to the capital and report this to the Bakufu. On this occasion, the Monjō was legitimate, yet it was addressed to the priesthood, thus suggesting that either Hongakuji or an affiliate of it.

祗薗社領加州真野輕賀(かるがの)村の事、去る文明十三年十一月九日富樫次郎奉書を掠め給う(かすめたまう)之段、其の謂れ無くと云々、太(はなはだ)然るべからず、早く沙汰居(さたしそえ)を社家之雑掌に、先々如く所務を全くせしむべき之由、仰せ出される候也、尚以って承引無ければ、其の罪に處(しょ)さるべき者也、仍って執達の件の如し、
  月  日
  (河北郡) 
光徳寺
  (加)   河北郡一揆中(p.24)

This final Monjō reveals more about the situation regarding Kuragano and the reason behind the request from the Bakufu. It appears as though Togashi Masachika had received the previous two Monjō by effectively lying and having both documents sent to him (copies of these Monjō addressed to Masachika and his shugodai Tsukihashi are found in the other Gion addressed Monjō). This document addresses both Kōtokuji and again the figure of the ikki chū of Kahoku gun (the same ikki found in the Monjō for 1476), stating that all duties pertaining to Karugano are to be fulfilled forthwith, and if an act were made without the approval of the Bakufu, then it was to be dealt with as a crime. If Masachika had lied to receive the two previous Monjō, he might have done so out of an intention of using Hongakuji and its priesthood to subdue the activities of its peasant followers. By first receiving those Monjō, he could then present them to the temple, stating that this is what the Bakufu had ordered and that they were to act as their dutie dictated. If so, it would have been a fairly novel way of regaining control over Kaga by having the Bakufu issue requests to Honganji affiliated temples to have them restrain their followers, whereupon Masachika could then claim to have pacified.

As such, this ruse was discovered, and harshly rebuked, the Bakufu then requesting that both Kōtokuji and the ikki chū take measures to resolve the situation with Karugano mura. Yet why did the Bakufu address this Monjō to both Kōtokuji and the ikki chū? If the ikki chū were a Honganji organization, wouldn`t it have made more sense to send this Monjō to Kōtokuji (unless, of course, the ikki were affiliated with another temple with influence in the Kahoku gun region)? Or could one suggest that the ikki chū of Kahoku gun were independent of the entire Honganji apparatus, that they were in fact an ikki of the Bakufu (although subsequent evidence would suggest that they were in fact a Honganji institution yet acting independently of other ikki in the region. See Inoue and Kinryū for details on interpretation for this evidence).

「常福寺文書」(文明十三年 1481)
    又「    」のほか二「 」にて、それの御煩(おんわずらい)のみにてこそ候へ、
吉崎の事留守之儀、今于於いて等閑無くの事候の間、悉く皆それの計らい爲るべく候の間、心安覚え候、佛法不思議之事候の間、さのみ煩もあるまじく候、去りながら老躰のこと候の間、御身勞推量を申し候、愚老も事の外老屈候之間、迷惑こそ候らへ、毎事後信を期し候、恐々謹言、
                        (本願寺)
五月十日                  蓮如(花押)
(越前国)

本覺寺御房 (p.24)

This document is more of a situation report from Rennyo, in which he places the care of Yoshizaki in the hands of Honkakuji, believing that it is in safe hands. He states that maintenance of the temple is not an arduous job (wazurainaku), and then goes on to describe his age, how he was becoming a mere old `fool`, and hoped to receive another letter in due course.

© Greg Pampling. This page was modified in December 2011