禅定従二位家政所下文
禅定従二位家政所下文
禅定従二位家政所下 和泉国淡輪庄沙汰人等所
可早令停止下司左衛門尉兼重非法事
右彼兼重背先例有限御年貢致其妨尤以不穏便
且於畠地子麦者先例段別加徴二升也而九条律師
預所之時者内々有芳心於于今者段別五升可令
加増之由令結構云々事実者甚以左道也且故鎌倉
右大将家之時下文状云以左衛門尉兼重為下司職
給田四段之外不可相交他事之由被載之爰兼重背彼
状於事煩土民御年貢成妨条無極新儀之非法也速
任将軍家御下知状有限給田之外不可相交他事且当庄最
狭少之地也如此狼藉於不断絶者百姓等難安堵者也兼又藤松
名事彼律師成妨之由同有其聞甚以不可然早於預所之沙汰
可令耕作之状如件沙汰人百姓等宜承知敢不可違失故下
安貞二年五月 日 案主左史生紀（花押）
知家事右官掌紀（花押）
別当前隠岐守源朝臣（花押）
前備後守源朝臣（花押）
Order issued by the Household Office of the zenjō of the Minor Second Rank, on a certain day of the fifth month of the second year of Antei (1228).
Order from: The Household chancellery (mandokoro) of the zenjō of the Minor Second Rank
To: The Estate Administrators [satanin] of Tannowa Estate, Izumi Province
Swiftly put a halt to the lawlessness of the estate manager [gesu], saemon no jō Kaneshige
The aforementioned Kaneshige has, in violation of precedents, hindered the fixed annual tax [assessed on rice paddies]; this is most disturbing. However, precedents provide for a surtax of two shō per tan of land concerning the [upland] tax on wheat, but the Kujō risshi1, when he served as azukari-dokoro, out of a feeling of compassion [for Kaneshige paid him an additional 3 shō per tan of land].2 Now, it is reported that [Kaneshige] intends to raise the rate of this surtax to five shō per tan of land.3
If this is true, this is most irregular. Moreover, the following is stated in the order issued by the late Kamakura General of the Right: "Saemon no jō Kaneshige is to be made estate manager (gesu); set aside the four tan of rice paddies from which he will receive his salary, he should not meddle in anything else."
Here Kaneshige is seriously violating this decree. His meddling with residents and obstruction of the collecting of the annual tax is and innovation (shingi) and lawlessness of the most serious kind.4 Henceforth, in accordance with the shogunal house order, Kaneshige is to have no involvement outside of his fixed lands. The estate is especially small, and if these outrages do not cease it will be difficult for the commoners (hyakushō) to be at peace.
Furthermore, concerning the Fujimatsu lands (myō), it has been reported that he, the Kujō risshi has been recalcitrant. That is most outrageous. Henceforth, this shall be the responsibility of [the new] azukari dokoro. It is so ordered. Officials and commoners take note, and do not be remiss. Wherefore this order.
Fifth month of the Second year of the Antei era (1228)
Anzu Sashishō Ki (monogram)
Chikeji Ukajō Ki (monogram)
Bettō Saki no Oki no Kami Minamoto Ason (monogram)
Saki no Bingo no Kami Minamoto Ason (monogram)
1. The Kujō risshi was most likely a descendant of a branch line of the Kujō family who served as the azukari dokoro, one who acted on the proprietor’s behalf and directed the gesu and other lower ranking administrators. This person was of a much lower status than the main line, who were high ranking nobles, or members of the monastic nobility.
2. This passage proves challenging to decipher. Another reading, espoused by Tanaka Satoshi, "Jitōshiki no koyū no naiyō ni tsuite," in Haga Norihiko, ed., Chūsei no shakai to shiryō, Yoshikawa Kōbunkan, 2005, pp. 54-57 swould suggest the following translation: "However, this [surtax] is only an ex gratia payment decided by Kujō risshi during his time as azukari-dokoro." For still a third different interpretation, see Jeffrey Mass, The Kamakura Bakufu (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1976), doc. 69, pp. 87-89. According to Horikawa Yasufumi, the compassion here is that of the Kujō risshi who reached an agreement with Kaneshige, that he would receive the amount of taxation determined by law for a jitō. Kaneshige was not eligible for this because he was a gesu but the Kujō risshi felt compassion for Kaneshige and decided to treat him informally as if he were a jitō. This may explain too why the Kujō risshi was later divested of his post.
3. As was allowed by law for jitō, a more durable right, but not a gesu like Kaneshige.
4. The translation for this passage is indebted to Jeffrey Mass.
