Chikugo Province (筑後国,Chikugo no Kuni;Japanese pronunciation:[tɕi̥ꜜ.kɯ.ɡo(nokɯ.ɲi),-kɯ.ŋo-,tɕi̥.kɯꜜ.ɡo-,-kɯꜜ.ŋo-,tɕi̥.kɯ.ɡoꜜ-,-kɯ.ŋoꜜ-][1]) was aprovince of Japan in the area of northernKyūshū, corresponding to part of southwesternFukuoka Prefecture.[2] Chikugo bordered onHigo and Chikugo to the southeast, andChikuzen to the north and east,Bungo to the east andHizen to the west. Its abbreviated form name wasChikushū (筑州) (a name which it shared with Chikuzen Province), although it was also calledChikuin (筑陰). In terms of theGokishichidō system, Chikugo was one of the provinces of theSaikaidō circuit. Under theEngishiki classification system, Chikugo was ranked as one of the "superior countries" (上国) in terms of importance, and one of the "far countries" (遠国) in terms of distance from the capital.
AncientTsukushi Province was a major power center in theYayoi period, with contacts to the Asian mainland and may have been the site for the Kingdom ofYamatai mentioned in official Chinese dynasticTwenty-Four Histories for the 1st- and 2nd-centuryEastern Han dynasty, the 3rd-centuryRecords of the Three Kingdoms, and the 6th-centuryBook of Sui. During theKofun period, manyburial mounds were constructed and the area was ruled by a powerful clan who held the title of "Tsukushi nokuni no miyatsuko". The area was the launching point forEmpress Jingu's purported conquest of Korea, and was the settlement area for manytoraijin immigrants from China,Silla andBaekje. In 527, theIwai Rebellion between rival factions supporting Silla against Yamato rule occurred. In 531, the priest Zensho arrived fromNorthern Wei and establishedShugendo. In 663, the Yamato government, which was defeated by the combined Silla andTang China forces at theBattle of Hakusonko, decided to establishDazaifu as a regional military and civil administrative center, and after theTaika Reforms and the establishment of theRitsuryō system in 701, Tsukushi Province was divided into Chikuzen and Chikugo Provinces.
Thekokufu of Chikugo was located in what is now part of the city ofKurume, and its ruins are now aNational Historic Site. The ruins of theChikugo Kokubun-ji was also located in the same area, and are likewise a National Historic Site. Theichinomiya of Chikugo Province isKōra taisha, also in Kurume and is also theSōja shrine of the province.[3]
During theSengoku period, theshugo of the province was theOtomo clan; however, in reality the province was controlled by 15 petty warlords, from the Kamachi clan, Tajiri clan, Kuroki clan and others.
Chikugo under theTokugawa shogunate was largely dominated byKurume Domain, ruled by theArima clan in the north, with a smaller area under the rule ofYanagawa Domain, ruled by theTachibana clan in the south.
| Name | Clan | Type | kokudaka |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kurume | Arima | Fudai | 210,000koku |
 Yanagawa | Tachibana | Tozama | 109,000koku |
| Miike | Tachibana | Tozama | 10,000koku |
Following theBoshin War and theMeiji restoration, former shogunal territory was assigned to Hita Prefecture on October 13, 1868, which was merged withNagasaki Prefecture two weeks later. On November 11, 1868, Shimotedo Domain inMutsu Province relocated its seat to Chikugo, and restoredMiike Domain. With theabolition of the han system on December 25, 1871, Kurume, Yanagawa and Miike became prefectures, which were then united as "Mizuma Prefecture". On August 21, 1876, Mizuma Prefecture and merged into Fukuoka Prefecture.
Per the earlyMeiji periodKyudaka kyuryo Torishirabe-chō (旧高旧領取調帳), an official government assessment of the nation's resources, Chikugo Province had 789 villages with a totalkokudaka of 536,851koku. Chikugo Province consisted of:
| District | kokudaka | villages | Controlled by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ikuha District (生葉郡) | 26,882koku | 59 villages | Kurume | merged with Takeno District to becomeUkiha District (浮羽郡) on February 26, 1896 |
| Kamitsuma District (上妻郡) | 79,464koku | 115 villages | Kurume, Yanagawa | merged with Shimotsuma District to becomeYame District (八女郡) on February 26, 1896 |
| Mihara District (御原郡) | 33,304koku | 36 villages | Kurume | merged with former Mii (御井郡) and Yamamoto Districts to become a new and expanded Mii District (三井郡) on February 26, 1896 |
| Mii District (御井郡) | 56,528koku | 72 villages | Kurume | absorbed Mihara and Yamamoto Districts to become a new and expandedMii District (三井郡) on February 26, 1896 |
| Miike District (三池郡) | 53,125koku | 72 villages | tenryō, Yanagawa, Shimotedo | Dissolved |
| Mizuma District (三潴郡) | 140,241koku | 164 villages | Kurume, Yanagawa | |
| Shimotsuma District (下妻郡) | 29,920koku | 37 villages | Kurume, Yanagawa | merged with Kamitsuma District to become Yame District on February 26, 1896 |
| Takeno District (竹野郡) | 22,875koku | 89 villages | Kurume | merged with Ikuha District to become Ukiha District on February 26, 1896 |
| Yamamoto District (山本郡) | 16,559koku | 30 villages | Kurume | merged with former Mii (御井郡) and Mihara Districts to become a new and expanded Mii District (三井郡) on February 26, 1896 |
| Yamato District (山門郡) | 77,948koku | 115 villages | Yanagawa | merged with Ikuha District to become Ukiha District on February 26, 1896 |
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