《45》Medieval Hakata - Japan-Ming trade (the tally trade) (Part 6)...Repeated Wars and the Collapse of an Autonomous City
- In 1551, at the end of the Muromachi period (1336-1573), the Ouchi clan was suddenly destroyed when Yoshitaka Ouchi was rebelled against by his vassal, Sue Harukata. This was a very unfortunate event for the Hakata merchants, as the Japan-Ming trade (the tally trade) was disrupted.
- After the fall of the Ouchi clan, Hakata, which had been in a stable period for a long time, moved into a turbulent period and suffered from continuous warfare and repeated burnings until 1586, when Toyotomi Hideyoshi pacified Kyushu.
- The ravages of war concentrated at the end of the Warring States period were a great blow to medieval Hakata, causing the loss of economic activities and the foundation of the city's autonomy itself. This, combined with the severing of the Japan-Ming trade (the tally trade) with the fall of the Ouchi clan, led to a significant decline in Hakata's status as a trading city, and the free city of Hakata finally came to an end.
* On the left side of the photo is a portrait of Kamiya Sotan. He is the grandson of Jutei Kamiya, who was active in all directions in the autonomous city of Hakata.
*On the right side of the photo is Nagato Toyokawa Inari Shrine, located in the precincts of Daineiji Temple, which is associated with Yoshitaka Ouchi. /
中世博多-勘合貿易（その６）…度重なる戦火と自由都市の崩壊
- 室町時代末期の1551年、大内義隆が家臣の陶隆房に謀反を起こされ、全盛期の大内氏が突如滅亡しました。その後勘合貿易が途絶するという、博多商人にとっては誠に不運な出来事が突発したのです。
- 長らく安定期にあった博多は大内氏滅亡以降一転して激動の時代へと移り、豊臣秀吉の九州平定の時期（1586年）まで、打ち続く戦乱と度重なる焼き討ちに見舞われることになります。
- この戦国末期に集中した戦禍は中世博多にとって大打撃となり、経済活動や都市の自治そのものの基盤を喪失させました。これは大内氏滅亡による勘合貿易の断絶とあいまって、博多の貿易都市としての地位を著しく低下させることになり、ついに自由都市博多は終焉を迎えたのでした。
*写真の左側は神屋宗湛の肖像画です。自由都市博多で縦横に活躍した神屋寿禎の孫にあたります。
*写真の右側は大内義隆ゆかりの大寧寺境内にある長門豊川稲荷です。