Marugame Domain (丸亀藩, Marugame-han) was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Marugame Castle, and was ruled throughout much of its history by a cadet branch of the tozama daimyō Kyōgoku clan. Marugame Domain was dissolved in the abolition of the han system in 1871 and is now part of Kagawa Prefecture.^[1][2][3]

Location of Marugame Castle

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Marugame Domain (Japan)

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Ikoma Chikamasa, a general in the service of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was awarded territories in Sanuki Province with a kokudaka of 171,800 koku in 1587, and construction was begun on Marugame Castle in 1597. In 1600 at the Battle of Sekigahara, Chikamasa was part of Ishida Mitsunari's Western Army while his son, Ikoma Kazumasa was part of Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army. Chikamasa remained at his stronghold at Takamatsu Castle and sent his retainers in his stead to attack Tanabe castle in Tango Province. He chose this strategy to preserve the Ikoma clan regardless of which side prevailed. Because Kazumasa fought on the side of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Ikoma were permitted to keep their existing domain; however Chikamasa was forced to take responsibility being on the losing side by transferring the clan chieftainship to his son in 1602. In 1615, immigrants from Ako Domain established salt production at Marugame. The same year, the Tokugawa shogunate ordered the demolition of Marugame Castle under the "one castle per domain" ruling. The Ikoma clan was demoted to Yashima Domain in Dewa Province by the shogunate in 1640 due to attainder following an uprising. The Ikoma territory was divided, with large portions going to Saijō, Ōzu and Imabari Domain in neighboring Iyo Province.The remaining portion centered on Marugame Castle became Marugame Domain and was awarded to Yamazaki Ieharu, formerly from Tomioka Domain in Higo Province in 1641. The following year, he restored Marugame Castle. The Yamazaki clan died out after three generations in 1658 and was replaced by a cadet branch of the Kyōgoku clan from Tatsuno Domain in Harima Province. From 1660 to 1680, Marugame Castle was expanded and its current tenshu completed. In 1694, a 10,000 koku portion of the domain was separated out to form a sub-domain, Tadotsu Domain (多度津藩, Tadotsu han). The domain profited greatly from its position on the main pilgrimage route to the shrine of Kotohira-gū; however, Marugame Domain also attempted various stratagems to overcome financial difficulties. In 1705, the first paper currency was issued. In the Tenmei era, the underemployed samurai of the domain were assigned to make uchiwa fans to supplement their income. A han school, the "Seimeikan" was opened in 1794.

The domain was an early and staunch supporter of the Imperial side in the Bakumatsu period and often sent troops to help guard the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Following the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, the domain was ordered to attack neighboring Takamatsu Domain, which had been designated as an enemy of the crown: however, Marugame worked as an intermediary to secure a pardon for Matsudaira Yoritsuna, the daimyō of that domain. In February 1869, Kyōgoku Akiyuki was one of the first to daimyō sign over his domain to the new Meiji government. In 1871, domain was also one of the first to be abolished under the abolition of the han system and became "Marugame Prefecture" which subsequent was merged into modern Kagawa Prefecture.^[1]

The third Kyōgoku daimyō of Marugame, Kyōgoku Takamochi, was only age three when he succeeded his father. The domain therefore petitioned the Tokugawa shogunate to divide the holding with his brother-in-law, Kyōgoku Takamichi, who would serve as official guardian. This was accomplished by setting aside a 10,000 koku portion of the domain to allow Kyōgoku Takamichi to set up a cadet branch of the clan as daimyō of the newly-created Tadotsu Domain. However, Kyōgoku Takamichi was himself only age 4, so he continued to live within Marugame Castle. It was only during the tenure of the Kyōgoku Takakata in 1827 that a jin'ya was actually built within the territory of the sub-domain itself, in what is now part of the town of Tadotsu, Kagawa.

As with most domains in the han system, Marugame consisted of several discontinuous territories calculated to provide the assigned kokudaka, based on periodic cadastral surveys and projected agricultural yields.^[4][5]

• List of Han
• Abolition of the han system