Suzaka Domain

was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. It was located in Shinano Province (modern-day Nagano Prefecture) in central Honshū. The domain was centered at Suzaka Jin’ya, located in what is now part of the town of Suzaka."Shinano Province" at JapaneseCastleExplorer.com
retrieved 2013-5-13.

History

Suzaka Domain was established for Hori Naoshige, the 4th son of Hori Naomasa, ''daimyō'' of Sanjō Domain in Echigo Province. Naoshige had holdings of 2,000 ''koku'' in Shimōsa Province and 6,000 ''koku'' in Suzaka, which had been awarded for his services during the Battle of Sekigahara. To this, he added 4,000 ''koku'' for services during the Siege of Osaka, which elevated him to ''daimyō'' status. His son, Hori Naomasu, gave the 2000 ''koku'' in Shimōsa to his younger brothers, reducing the domain to 10,000 ''koku''. The Hori clan continued to rule Suzaka uninterrupted until the Meiji restoration.

The Hori clan served in a number of administrative posts within the government of the Tokugawa shogunate. The 9th ''daimyō'', Hori Naoteru, opened a han school. The 12th ''daimyō'', Hori Naotake, reformed the domain’s finances and encouraged the develop of ginseng cultivation as a cash crop.

During the Bakumatsu period, the 13th ''daimyō'', Hori Naotora, reformed the domain’s military, introducing western-style firearms. He also served as a ''wakadoshiyori'' within the administration of the Tokugawa shogunate. he committed ''seppuku'' in Edo Castle in protest over the policies of ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Yoshinobu. During the Boshin War, the domain quickly supported the imperial side, and participated in the Battle of Utsunomiya Castle, Battle of Kōshū-Katsunuma, Battle of Hokuetsu and Battle of Aizu. In July 1871, with the abolition of the han system, Suzaka Domain briefly became Suzaka Prefecture, and was merged into the newly created Nagano Prefecture. Under the new Meiji government, Hori Naoakira, the last ''daimyō'' of Suzaka was given the ''kazoku'' peerage title of ''shishaku'' (viscount).

There was a peasant revolt in 1871 in this small domain.

Bakumatsu period holdings

As with most domains in the han system, Suzaka Domain consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned ''kokudaka'', based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.
*Shinano Province
**15 villages in Takai District

List of ''daimyō''

*

Hori Naoshige

was the 1st Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka Domain in Shinano Province under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. Naoshige was the fourth son of Hori Naomasa of Sanjō Domain in Echigo Province. In recognition of his services at the Battle of Sekigahara, he was awarded a 6000 ''koku'' fief at Suzaka in Shinano Province, which he added to his existing 2000 ''koku'' holdings at Yasaku in Shimōsa Province. After the Siege of Osaka, he was added an additional 4000 ''koku'', which qualified him for the status of ''daimyō'', and he built a ''jin'ya'' in Suzaka to rule his holdings. He died in 1617 at the age of 33.

Hori Naomasu

was the 2nd Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naomasu was the eldest son of Hori Naoshige and was received in formal audience by Shōgun Tokugawa Hidetada in 1615. He became ''daimyō'' on the death of his father in 1617. He disposed of the domain's exclave in Shimōsa Province by granting 1000 ''koku'' to his youngest brother Naoaki, 500 ''koku'' to his third brother Naohisa and 500 ''koku'' to his half-brother Naohide. He was married to the daughter of Hori Naoyuki, the Edo Machi-bugyō. He died in 1637.

Hori Naoteru

was the 3rd Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naoteru was the eldest son of Hori Naomasu and became ''daimyō'' on the death of his father in 1637. He served as ''Osaka kaban'' in 1660 and 1663. He was married to the daughter of Matsudaira Masatsuna, of Tamanawa Domain. He died in 1669.

Hori Naosuke

was the 4th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naosuke was the eldest son of Hori Naoteru and became ''daimyō'' on the death of his father in 1669. After an uneventful tenure of 50 years, he retired in 1719. He was married to the daughter of Itakura Shigekata, of Annaka Domain. As his eldest son Naotomi had already died and his younger son Naotoshi had been disinherited, the domain went to his son-in-law. He died in 1721.

Hori Naohide

was the 5th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naohide was the third son of Hori Naotoshi of Muramatsu Domain and was married to the daughter of Hori Naosuke. He was received in formal audience by Shōgun Tokugawa Ienobu in 1612 on his marriage, and became ''daimyō'' on the retirement of Naosuke in 1719. From 1725-1727, he served in the post of ''Obantō''. He retired in 1735 in favor his son and died in 1767.

Hori Naohiro

was the 6th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naohiro was the eldest son of Hori Naohide and became ''daimyō'' on the retirement of his father in 1735. He served in the post of ''Osaka kaban'' and castellan of Nijō Castle. From 1746 he was an ''Ōbangashira'' and from 1751 was appointed ''Fushimi Bugyō''. His wife was a daughter of Mitake Sukenori of Tahara Domain. He retired in 1768 in favor his son and died in 1777.

Hori Naokata

was the 7th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naokata was the eldest son of Hori Naohiro of Muramatsu Domain and became ''daimyō'' on the retirement of his father in 1768. He served in a number of minor posts within the shogunate administration, including captain of the guard of the Hibiya Gate to Edo Castle and castellan of Sunpu Castle. From 1746 he was an ''Ōbangashira'' and from 1751 was appointed ''Fushimi Bugyō''. He died in 1779 without heir and was succeeded by his brother.

Hori Naosato

was the 8th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naosato was the third son of Hori Naohiro and became ''daimyō'' on the death of his elder brother Naokata in 1779. His wife was a daughter of Mizoguchi Naoyasu of Shibata Domain; however, he died in 1784 without heir.

Hori Naoteru

was the 9th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naosato was the seventh son of Tachibana Nagahiro of Miike Domain and his mother was a daughter of Hori Naohide. He was adopted as posthumous heir to the childless Naosato on the latter's death in 1784 and was presented in formal audience to Shōgun Tokugawa Ieharu the same year. In 1789 he was appointed ''Osaka kaban'', and in 1792 he was appointed ''Ōbangashira'' and castellan of Nijō Castle. He resigned his offices in 1803 citing illness; however, in 1804 he was appointed a ''Sōshaban''. He resigned this post in 1809, again citing illness. He established a han school in the domain around 1804. He retired from his offices in 1813 and died the following year. His wife was a daughter of Hosokawa Okiharu of Yatabe Domain.

Hori Naooki

was the 10th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naooki was the eldest son of Hori Naoteru and became ''daimyō'' on the retirement of his father in 1804. His wife was a daughter of Tachibana Tanechika of Miike Domain; however, he died in 1821 without heir.

Hori Naotada

was the 11th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naotada was the third son of Hori Naoteru and became ''daimyō'' on the death of his elder brother without heir in 1821. He retired in favor of his eldest son in 1845. His wife was a daughter of Nishio Tadayoshi of Yokosuka Domain. After the Meiji Restoration, he adopted the surname of Okuda (奥田).

Hori Naotake

was the 12th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naotake was the eldest son of Hori Naotada and became ''daimyō'' on his father's retirement in 1845. He served in a number of minor posts within the shogunate administration, including ''Osaka kaban'', castellan of Sunpu Castle and captain of the guard of the Hibiya Gate to Edo Castle.
He retired in 1861. His wife was a daughter of Nishio Tadasaka of Yokosuka Domain; however, he died in 1862 without heir.

Hori Naotora

was the 13th Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naotora was born in Edo as the 5th son of Hori Naotada, the 11th ''daimyō'' of Suzaka Domain. In 1861, on the retirement of his elder brother Hori Naotake, he became ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Immediately on assuming office, he removed 41 senior retainers from office, including the domain's ''karō'', and pursued an aggressive policy of reforms, which also include westernization and modernization of the domain's military capability. He also supported the Tokugawa shogunate, and was given the position of ''Ōbangashira'' in 1863. In 1864, he received an order to pursue and suppress the Mito Rebellion, but the orders were cancelled five days later, and he was ordered instead to strengthen public security within Edo. In December 1867 he rose to the position of ''wakadoshiyori'' and was simultaneously appointed ''Gaikoku Sō-Bugyō'' (Foreign Affairs Magistrate).Totman, Conrad D. (1980)
''The Collapse of the Tokugawa Bakufu: 1862–1868'', p. 338
However, in January 1868 he committed suicide by drowning within Edo Castle as a gesture of protest against the surrender of the office of Shogun by Tokugawa Yoshinobu.

Hori Naoakira

was the 14th (and final) Hori ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Naotora was born in Edo as the 6th son of Hori Naotada, the 11th ''daimyō'' of Suzaka Domain. In 1868, on the suicide of his elder brother Hori Naotora, he became ''daimyō'' of Suzaka. Immediately on assuming office, he completely reversed the politics of his brother and declared the domain for the Meiji government and dispatched troops to fight against the pro-Tokugawa forces in the Boshin War. Samurai from the domain were active at the Battle of Utsunomiya, Battle of Hokuetsu and Battle of Aizu. Many of the undecided minor ''daimyō'' of Shinano were thus convinced to join the new government, which then awarded Suzaka Domain with a bonus of 5000 ''koku''. In June 1869 he was proclaimed imperial governor of Suzaka and in July 1871, with the abolition of the han system, he surrendered his offices and relocated to Tokyo. On February 13, 1877, he officially changed his surname to "Okuda". In 1884, he was elevated to the title of viscount (''shishaku'') under the new ''kazoku'' peerage system. He died the following year in Tokyo.

See also

List of Han

References

*''The content of this article was largely derived from that of the corresponding article on Japanese Wikipedia.''
*

External links

Suzaka Domain on "Edo 300 HTML"

Notes

{{Authority control

Domains of Japan
History of Nagano Prefecture
Shinano Province
Hori clan