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===Tokugawa Courtiers===
===Tokugawa Courtiers===
Even nominal administrative poweers of court officials reached a nadir during the years of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. In this impoverished period, titles and court rank were still prized by those outside the traditional ''kuge''. The Tokugawa shoguns did not demur when the emperor offered rank and an office at his court:
Even nominal administrative powers of court officials reached a nadir during the years of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. In this impoverished period, titles and court rank were still prized by those outside the traditional ''kuge''. The Tokugawa shoguns did not demur when the emperor offered rank and an office in the court:
* [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] had the rank of ''Jūichii'' (First Rank, Second Class) and the office of ''[[Udaijin]]'' (Great Minister of the Right, i.e., inferior to the Minister of the Left).<ref>Screech, T. (2006). ''Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822,'' pp. 157. [''Error in published text was corrected: ''Udaijin'' is Minister of the Right -- not Left.'']</ref>
* [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] had the rank of ''Jūichii'' (First Rank, Second Class) and the office of ''[[Udaijin]]'' (Great Minister of the Right, i.e., inferior to the Minister of the Left).<ref>Screech, T. (2006). ''Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822,'' pp. 157. [''Error in published text was corrected: ''Udaijin'' is Minister of the Right -- not Left.'']</ref>
* [[Tokugawa Hidetada]] had the rank of ''Jūichii'' and was ''[[Daijo daijin |Daijō daijin]]'' (the Great Minister or Chancellor of the Realm).<ref>Screech, pp. 157.</ref>
* [[Tokugawa Hidetada]] had the rank of ''Jūichii'' and was ''[[Daijo daijin |Daijō daijin]]'' (the Great Minister or Chancellor of the Realm).<ref>Screech, pp. 157.</ref>

Revision as of 11:02, 15 May 2007

The Daijō-kan (太政官) was the Department of State in Nara and Heian period Japan and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. Initially created by the Code of Taihō (大宝律令) in 701, the Daijō-kan was headed by the Great Council of State and the Daijō Daijin (太政大臣; Chancellor of the Realm). It and its subsidiary ministries handled all secular administrative affairs of the country, while the Jingi-kan (神祇官) or Department of Worship, oversaw all matters regarding Shintō (神道) ritual, clergy, and shrines.

The Department gradually lost power over the course of the 10th and 11th centuries, as the Fujiwara clan, dominating the post of Imperial regent, began to dominate the Daijō-kan as well. It became increasingly common for the Regent to also hold the post of Chancellor, or Minister of the Right, or even both. By the 12th century, the Council was essentially powerless as a separate entity, though it is not clear when the system was formally dismantled. The department was briefly resurrected under the Meiji Constitution with the appointment of Sanjo Sanetomi in 1871, before being abolished completely in 1885.

Department Organization & Hierarchy

The Daijō-kan was headed by the Great Council of State which, in turn, was presided over by the Chancellor of the Realm (Daijō Daijin). Below him were the Minister of the Left (Sadaijin, 左大臣) and his deputy, the Minister of the Right (Udaijin, 右大臣), along with four Great Councillors (Dainagon, 大納言) and three Minor Councillors (Shōnagon, 少納言).

The Minister of the Left, through the Controller of the Left (Sadaiben, 左大弁), controlled four Ministries:

  • Ministry of the Center (Nakatsukasa-shō, 中務省) which formed the channel between the Throne and the administration
  • Ministry of Civil Servicies (Shikibu-shō, 式部省)
  • Ministry of Ceremonies (Jibu-shō, 治部省)
  • Ministry of Taxation (Minbu-shō, 民部省)

The Minister of the Right, through the Controller of the Right (Udaiben, 右大弁), also controlled four Ministries:

  • Ministry of the Military (Hyōbu-shō, 兵部省)
The head of this organ of the Daijō-kan would ordinarily be a son or another close relative of the emperor.[1]
  • Ministry of Justice (Gyōbu-shō, 刑部省)
  • Ministry of the Treasury (Ōkura-shō, 大蔵省)
  • Ministry of the Imperial Household (Kunai-shō, 宮内省)
This organ of the palace hierarchy is concerned with the oversight of all work which is executed within the interior of the palace.[2]

Tokugawa Courtiers

Even nominal administrative powers of court officials reached a nadir during the years of the Tokugawa shogunate. In this impoverished period, titles and court rank were still prized by those outside the traditional kuge. The Tokugawa shoguns did not demur when the emperor offered rank and an office in the court:

Women in the Court

The unconventional spelling in the 19th century French translation of Nipon o daï itsi ran does nothing to obscure the hierarchic relationships amongst the three most important women in the emperor's inner circle[14]

  • 1. "Daï kwó daï kogou" (the grandmother of the emperor)
  • 2. "Kwó daï kogou" (the mother of the emperor)
  • 3. "Kwó kogou" (the woman considered to be the primary spouse)

Geo-political sub-divisions

The country was divided into provinces called kuni (国), which were administered by governors (kokushi, 国司) appointed by the Daijō-kan. The provinces were then further divided into districts called gun (郡) or kōri, under district governors (gunji, 郡司) who were appointed by the local nobility. At the beginning of the eighth century there were 592 districts making up 66 provinces.

Notes

  1. ^ Klaproth, p. 451.
  2. ^ Klaproth, p. 454.
  3. ^ Screech, T. (2006). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822, pp. 157. [Error in published text was corrected: Udaijin is Minister of the Right -- not Left.]
  4. ^ Screech, pp. 157.
  5. ^ Screech, pp. 157. [Error in published text was corrected: Sadaijin is Minister of the Left - not Right.]
  6. ^ Screech, pp. 157.
  7. ^ Screech, pp. 157.
  8. ^ Screech, pp. 157.
  9. ^ Screech, pp. 157.
  10. ^ Screech, pp. 157.
  11. ^ Screech, pp. 157.
  12. ^ Screech, pp. 157.
  13. ^ Screech, pp. 157.
  14. ^ Klaproth, p. 424.

Reference

  • Klaproth, Julius. (1834). Supplément aux Annales des Daïri, appended to [Siyun-sai Rin-siyo, 1652], Nipon o daï itsi ran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon, tr. par M. Isaac Titsingh avec l'aide de plusieurs interprètes attachés au comptoir hollandais de Nangasaki; ouvrage re., complété et cor. sur l'original japonais-chinois, accompagné de notes et précédé d'un Aperçu d'histoire mythologique du Japon, par M. J. Klaproth. Paris. [Two digitized examples of this rare book have now been made available online: (1) from the library of the University of Michigan, digitized January 30, 2007; and (2) from the library of Stanford University, digitized June 23, 2006.]
  • Sansom, George (1958). A History of Japan to 1334. Stanford.
  • Screech, Timon. (2006). Secret Memoirs of the Shoguns: Isaac Titsingh and Japan, 1779-1822. London.
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