Daikan (代官) was anofficial in ancient Japan that acted on behalf of a rulingmonarch or alord at the post they had been appointed to. Since the Middle Ages,daikan were in charge of their territory and territorial tax collection. In theEdo period,daikan were local governors in charge of the government and security ofdomain andshogunate territories.[1]
In the Middle Ages,azukaridokoro andukesho referred todaikan of a feudal andShōen lord, andshugo-dai andjitō-dai referred todaikan ofshugo andjitō governors, respectively. In theAzuchi-Momoyama period, territorial rulers in charge of local tax collection were calleddaikan.[2]
In theEdo period, high-rankinghatamoto retainers of theshogun were appointeddaikan to govern the shogunal demesne (天領) across Japan and were given a 50,000-100,000koku territory as their own fief. Thedaikan worked from their administrative headquarters (jin'ya) at their territory or their mansion inEdo, under the Commissioner of Finance (kanjō bugyō), and had a dozen oftetsuki andtedai officials under their service. Hereditary succession of the position was common.[3] In 1867, at the end of the Edo period, there were 37daikan.[4]
Daikan who had a bad reputation for self-interest were dismissed by the shogunate, as the harsh collection of annual taxation led to the escape of farmers, which in turn reduced the amount of collectable taxation. Some of them were dismissed and punished for causing starvation during famines.[citation needed] On the other hand, otherdaikan gained a great reputation, such asSuzuki Shigenari, who continued to appeal to the shogunate for a reduction or exemption of annual taxation at the cost of his own life in order to save the people of the domain from heavy taxes, and Ido Masaaki, who also saved the people from famine by introducingganzo to the territories under his control.
In the latter half of the Edo period, thefeudal domains or vassals of theTokugawa Shogunate followed the shogunal example and appointed their owndaikan, districtmagistrates, who were calledgun-dai orkōri bugyō.[3][4]
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