우와지마 번(宇和島藩) 다테 가문(伊達家)의 혼인과 센다이 번(仙臺藩)

The Sendai Domain and Marriage of the Date’s Family in the Uwajima Domain : Focusing on the Era of the 5th Lord, Date Muratoki

In this paper, the role and influence of relative Dimyo exerted in the process of divorce and reentry was examined. Based on a case of marriage issues discussed during the reign of Date Muratoki, the 5th lord of the Date’s family in the Uwajima Domain, it was explored how the Sendai Domain, a relative daimyo, was concerned in the Date’s family. From the early days of the reign, the Uwajima Domain was a branch of the Sendai Domain and a very close relative. When Muratoki became the lord of the Uwajima Domain, the Uwajima Domain was highly dependent on the Sendai Domain. In this situation, there were talks about Date Muratoki of a marriage. Date Muratoki made privately a promise of marriage with a daughter of the Kuroda’s family, but dissolved soon a marriage contract. As a result of examining the circumstances, it became clear that the cause of disengagement was not in the Uwajima Domain but in the Sendai Domain, the relative of their Damain. After broke off the engagement, Muratoki married a daughter of the Nabeshima family. It took only about three months from deciding on a marriage partner to obtaining permission to marry by the Shogunate. Becuase Date Yoshimura of the Sendai Domain urged Muratoki’s marriage. Since the marriage was abandoned due to the circumstances of the Sendai Domain, he would have wanted to solve problems of Muratoki s marriage at the earliest possible date. Thus, the Sendai Domain was deeply involved in the matchmaking of the Uwajima Domain. This being so, it was rumored that the Sendai Domain was conducting the marriage of Muratoki s sister, and there were cases which marriages were brought in through the Sendai Domain. From this case, everybody recognized that the relative Daimyo was in charge of arranging a marriage. In light of the above, we could confirm the characteristics of the daimyo society, which had a close relationship affected rites of passage such as marriage, because of the matter not of his own family, but of the relative daimyo.