Matsudaira Masachika

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Matsudaira Masachika (松平昌親, Matsudaira Masachika^?) (May 31, 1640-October 23, 1711) was a Japanese daimyo of the Edo period who ruled the Fukui domain twice, from 1674-1676 and from 1686-1710.

[edit] As Matsudaira Masachika

Masachika was born on May 31, 1640, the 5th son of Matsudaira Tadamasa. In 1645, when his brother Mitsumichi succeeded their father as lord of Fukui, Masachika received 25,000 koku of land and became the lord of the new Yoshie Domain. After his brother's suicide in 1674, he became lord of Fukui. His brother had left a written will stating that Masachika was to be heir; however, Mitsumichi had an illegitimate son by the name of Matsudaira Masakatsu, and so a succession dispute arose. It was only settled when the karo Ashida Zusho produced Mitsumichi's will and submitted it to the shogunate for its mediation. The shogunate ruled that Masachika was to be heir. At this time, the Yoshie Domain was terminated, and its territory reabsorbed into the main Fukui landholdings.

However, despite this settlement, there were many in the domain who remained unhappy with Masachika's succession, and so, after only two years as lord, he resigned in favor of Masakatsu's son Tsunamasa.

[edit] As Matsudaira Yoshinori

Tsunamasa proved to be a cruel lord, going on rampages and even killing retainers. Consequently, the shogunate confiscated the Fukui landholdings and terminated the domain. However, as Fukui was a famed domain founded by Yūki Hideyasu, special consideration was given. The domain was restored, and Masachika, the previous lord, was allowed to resume headship, at a drastically reduced income of 250,000 koku. Upon his return to headship, he changed his name Yoshinori (吉品).

As Matsudaira Yoshinori, he is famous for having been the man who formally gave his domain the name "Fukui." Though the domain is retroactively called "Fukui" from Hideyasu's time on, its name was actually Kitanoshō (the same domain ruled by Shibata Katsuie a century before) until Yoshinori's tenure.

Though Yoshinori had initially adopted an heir from the Mōri clan of Chōshū by the name of Matsudaira Masakata, there was opposition from the retainers, and so he "divorced" Masakata and instead adopted Matsudaira Yoshikuni, Masakatsu's 6th son, as his heir.

Masachika died in 1711 at age 72, and has two graves; one in Fukui and one in Edo (Tokyo).

Preceded by none	Daimyo of Yoshie 1645-1674	Succeeded by none (domain abolished)
Preceded by Matsudaira Mitsumichi	Daimyo of Fukui 1674-1676	Succeeded by Matsudaira Tsunamasa
Preceded by Matsudaira Tsunamasa	Daimyo of Fukui 1686-1710	Succeeded by Matsudaira Yoshikuni

[edit] References

• This article is derived from corresponding content on the Japanese Wikipedia