Court rank in Japan

The court rank ( Japanese 位階 , ikai ) was originally used in Japan from the Nara to the Heian period (beginning of the 8th to the end of the 12th century ) as the social position of the officials serving the Tennō , mostly nobles, at the time of direct imperial rule . The stratification created by the ranks was an important part of the Ritsuryō administrative system created under the Taihō Code .

Ritsuryo

Classification of nobles and civil servants

The ranking of the nobles sat in the Japanese early days after her family associations ( uji ) zukommenden hereditary able securities ( Kabane ).

Hat ranks

Kan'i jūni kai ( 冠位十二階 ) is an old Japanese ranking system that was created under Shōtoku Taishi in 603 based on Chinese models. It allowed a person to be promoted or demoted independently of the kabane . The right of appointment and dismissal of officials in the top three ranks was held by the Tennō, promotions in ranks 4 and 5 were made on the proposal of the Chancellor.

The ranking of the total of 12 classes (six grades, each with a higher and a lower level) was differentiated by the color of the "hat" of the official costume:

大徳 Daitoku (dark purple)
小徳 Shōtoku (light purple)
大仁 Dainin (dark blue)
小仁 Shōnin (light blue)
大礼 Dairai (dark red)
小礼 Shōrai (bright red)
大信 Daishin (dark yellow)
小信 Shōshin (light yellow)
大義 Daigi (dark and white)
小義 Shogi (light white)
大智 Daichi (dark black)
小智 Shōchi (light black)

In Daigi and Shōgi there are discussions in modern research, how dark white and bright white difference.

The designations are made up of the characters for “large” ( 大 ) and “small” ( 小 ), followed in the first two classes by virtue ( 徳 ) or in the following classes by one of the five Confucian cardinal virtues: humanity ( 仁 ), Courtesy ( 礼 ), sincerity ( 信 ), justice ( 義 ) and wisdom ( 智 ).

This system was modified for the first time in 647 (13 steps). In the 5th year Kōtoku (649) a 19-stage ranking system ( kan'i ) was introduced. The distinction was also made by headgear. Further changes took place in the preparation of the Taika reforms 646 (26 levels) and 685 (12 ranks reserved for the imperial family and 48 simple ranks).

701-1869

The Taihō Code introduced a new ranking system in 701. A separate four- tier ranking system called hon'i was introduced for imperial princes ( shinnō ) , while there was a ranking system with 9 ranks for the remaining princes and officials. These ranks were in turn subdivided into a “real” ( 正 , shō ) or “following” ( 従 , ju ) level and, from rank 4, additionally into an upper ( 上 , jō ) and lower ( 下 , ge ) lower level. This ranking system thus had 30 levels.

Furthermore, from rank 5 onwards, a distinction was made between “internal” (officials at court) and “external” ( 外 prefix) (in the province). The former required a family residence in the capital. The system of class-based grading of the total population lays the basis for the later (hereditary) four-tier structure in the Shogunate .

Officials and ranks

Certain benefices and privileges result from the ranks, which are always a measure of social status (for example with regard to escorts or testimonies of honor). Between posts and ranks of the incumbent there was a certain "appropriateness of the rank" ( 官位相當 / 官位相当 , kan'i-sōtō ). The court rank required for taking on an office could be awarded to a candidate after the age of 25, with a correspondingly high kabane even at 21. Thus the rank depended on the origin and education of the candidate.

In the event that a person held a post higher than their rank, their official title was preceded by a 守 . Conversely, it was unusual for a person to have a higher rank than appropriate for their post, which was indicated by the prefix 行 in front of the official title.

The top three ranks formed the circle of great dignitaries, the kuge . All ranks from fifth upwards entitled the owner to step into the face of the ruler, they formed the so-called denjōbito . In certain cases it was inevitable to give a deserved personality fifth rank, but without the right to speak. For these purposes, a special external stage of the "fifth consecutive rank lower stage" was created in 728; initially with the same remuneration and rights as the inner rank holder. The privileges were later reduced. Ordinary courtiers and officials ( jige ) were in the 6th – 8th centuries . Rank. Among them there was the entry level Daisō-i .

Special groups are posthumous honorary ranks ( zo-i ), which ensure better care for the deceased's family. This was usually 3 notches higher than that of the deceased. After 718, provisional ranks ( shaku-i ) were still awarded, mostly to lower provincial officials, sometimes also to envoys. Ordained Buddhist monks were equal to the 6th rank.

There was the following assignment between rank and post in the ranking system of the Taihō Code for the first five ranks:

Rank	Posts
正一位	- ^a
従一位	dajō daijin (Grand Chancellor)
正二位	sadaijin (chancellor on the left), udaijin (chancellor on the right)
従二位
正三位	dainagon (Grand Chancellery Council)
従三位	chūnagon (from 761), danjō-in (chairman of the censor board; from 759), konoe no daishō (commander of the bodyguard; from 807), dazai no sotsu (governor-general of Tsukushi)
正四位上	chūnagon (705–761), kōtaishi no fu (mentor of the crown prince), nakatsukasa-kyō (minister of the court ministry)
正四位下	Minister of the other ministries of Daijō-kan
従四位上	danjōin (until 759), sadaiben / udaiben , konoe no chūjō (Vice-Commander of the Life Guard ; from 807)
従四位下	jingi-haku (president of the office of gods), chūgū no daibu (director of the Imperial Palace ), tōgū no daibu (director of the Crown Prince's Palace ), dazai no daini (vice- governor- general of Tsukushi; from 793), danjō-daihitsu (vice-chairman of the censor board ; from 823) , sa-u- kyō -daibu (directors of the capital city's magistrate; from 822), sa-u- emon no kami (commanders of the gate guard; 799-808), sa-u- hyōe no kami (commanders of the palace guard, from 799 ?), sa-u- eji no kami (commanders of the guard warriors; from 799? to 811, thenrenamedfrom eji to emon )
正五位上	sa-u- chūben , dazai no daini (until 793), nakatsukasa no taifu (vice minister of the court ministry ), sa-u- kyō -daibu (until 822), daizen no daibu (director of the large table), sa-u-emon no kami (up to 799), sa-u- eji no kami (up to 799?)
正五位下	sa-u- shōben , vice minister of the other ministries of Daijō-kan
従五位上	taikoku no kami (governor of a major province), chief officer, sa-u-hyōe no kami (until 799?)
従五位下	jōkoku no kami (governor of an upper province), jingi no taifu (vice-president of the office of gods), chamberlain, shōnagon , head of office

^a The real first rank was only awarded posthumously from the Heian period (ie from 794), before that also to five people during their lifetime.

Earnings strands

As a military counterpart to the civil ranks, merit ranks ( kun'i ) were awarded, also in 12 levels, which were, however, by no means equivalent. After the end of a campaign, a merit register ( kumbo ) was created. The direct elevation to the 6th rank took place, for example, after the delivery of 40 enemy heads. There were no incomes and few privileges associated with the ranks. From the 8th grade onwards, there was exemption from taxes and compulsory duties, in the 9th grade only exemption from compulsory military service and compulsory military service. In the 8th century there were around 12,000 awards, most of them in the lower classes. In the 9th century, awards to assimilated ( fu-shū , dt. "Subjugated") Emishi , who were often given special "barbarian ranks" at the same time, increased. The awards end with the transition from general conscription to the kondei militia.

education

The education of sons from corresponding families was subordinate to the Shikibushō, to which a Daigaku - as an "administrative school" with up to 400 students - was subordinate. Access was automatically open to children aged 13 to 16 and grandchildren of imperial princes as well as those from families of 5th rank or higher. Members of the 6-8 Rangs were allowed to study on application, but had to pass an entrance exam later. From 730 onwards, scholarships are known that later turned into "postgraduate positions". Exams took place for the first time in 702, then always in the 2nd and 8th month, but was "sifted" during the training. Passing the final office examination ( ryō-shi ) required knowledge of several of the 13 Chinese classics. This was followed by the “ministerial examination” of the “tire talent” or “connoisseur of the classics” upon suggestion. These tests were less extensive than their Chinese models . The court rank was dependent on the exam grade. "Diarrhea" and relegates could be used as trainers for the sons of the landed gentry in the provinces. There were also students of Chinese pronunciation ( myōon-dō ), literacy ( myōsho-dō ), law (10; myōhō-dō ), literature ( monjō-dō ) and mathematics (30; san-sei ). Later the graduates were so numerous that their service was limited to four years. Overall, the opportunities for advancement were slim. The education was more attractive to sons from middle-ranking families, those of the highest ranks given their office as birthright. Various professorships have become hereditary within certain clans over time.

The Kunaishō was subordinate to the Tenyaku-ryō, which had to make (every 5 years) and pharmacists for the training of doctors (9 years of internal medicine and acupuncture, 7 years for surgeons and pediatricians), masseurs, exorcists.

Furthermore, even schools for Heaven or calendar client and passed divination (in Onyo-ryō ) and Obstetrics (for women). In addition to these government agencies, there were also some private training centers that also led to the official exams. However, they were mostly only open to members of the high nobility. Although there should be a training center for the landed gentry in every province, the standards were low, with the exception of the Dazaifu training center in Kyushu .

The state training system collapsed in the middle of the Heian period, and training then took place exclusively in large families' private schools. The attempt to create access to scientific training for other levels of education was undertaken by Kūkai in 829 by opening a private school in Heian-kyō . This experiment failed.

Appointment

Successful graduates were assigned corresponding entry-level positions with a good final grade. Otherwise there was a preparatory service to be performed. Sons and grandchildren of great dignitaries were granted a classification bonus in the form of a “shadow rank”. A distinction was made between main and co-heirs. There could also be a bonus for “respectful” sons. As a result, those qualified by birthright did not complete any training. After 702, passing an exam was a prerequisite for certification . Candidates from unruly families were appointed one level lower. The entry ranks were mostly higher than their Chinese equivalents .

Assessment and Promotion

The achievements of the civil servants were assessed annually by their superiors on a fixed date ( kōbun ; 9 grades regulated in the kōka-ryō ). The writing materials required for the assessment had to be provided / paid for by the assessors themselves. The assessment was based on the number of days worked (at least 240), moral behavior and fulfillment of duties (passed for the service catalogs). This grading ( kōtei ) - against which objection was possible - was announced in a ceremony for which attendance was compulsory. In the lower ranks, dutiful officials were promoted fairly regularly on the basis of lists submitted to the ministry. District officials and military leaders were assessed (4 grades) by the relevant provincial administrations. Officers who received the worst grade were to be removed from office immediately.

The assessments (long-serving "internal" civil servants) within a period of service, which up to 705 generally comprised 6 assessment periods ( kō ) - after 706 still 4 - accumulated ( kekkai ) and led to promotions in the ranks below 5 according to a complicated calculation mode which also included seniority. The rules have been changed several times. For provincial officials (including the teaching staff hakase ) simpler rules applied, the period of service lasted 10 (after 706: 8) years. “External” civil servants had a compulsory attendance of 140 working days, with 12/10 years of service, with a 3-stage evaluation system. Furthermore, there were mixed and special forms, for example for district officials in the kinai or security personnel / entourage of the high nobility (200 working days).

The requirements for promotions to the 5th rank, and thus the area of leading positions, as well as to the 3rd rank, the circle of great dignitaries or kuge were particularly strict . Such promotions (in 3rd rank or higher) made the Tennō himself. Those in the 4th and 5th rank (or more than 3 levels) took place after the presentation on imperial orders. In the late Nara period , the custom of carrying out promotions on the 7th day of the 1st month arose. The formalities for the ladies (nyōju'i) of the imperial palace, who were subordinate to the "Nakatsukasashō" (Central Ministry), differed only insignificantly, but took place more irregularly.

Holders of at least 8th civil grade or 12th grade had the option of buying themselves free from punishments. The basic amount was 1 kin copper for offenses against private individuals, double that amount against the state, for redemption for every 10 strokes of the stick. However, (detached) penalties were included in the assessments of officials.

Nominally, the ranks courtiers continued to be awarded until 1871, but at the beginning of the Ashikaga shogunate - like the power of the emperor - they had become meaningless.

Since 1884

Even after the reform of the Japanese nobility based on western models ( Kazoku ) in 1884, Japanese citizens continued to be awarded court ranks ( ikai or kurai ). However, these had only ceremonial and symbolic value. Also, the number of classes was reduced to 8 and the levels were only divided into “real” ( 正 , shō ) and “following” ( 従 , ju ) ranks. The new nobles were automatically given a court rank corresponding to their rank, barons, for example, were placed in the 4th court rank. The "first real rank" ( 正一位 , shō-ichi-i ) was awarded to high dignitaries only posthumously. The practice of elevation at the deathbed, which has been common since Nakatomi no Kamatari († 669), continued.

At the end of the Second World War , this system was abolished and reintroduced in 1964.

literature

Ishihara Masaakira (1764-1821): Kan'i-tsūkō . (to hat ranks)
Hans Dettmer: The documents of Japan from the 8th to the 10th century. Volume 1: The Ranks . Wiesbaden 1972, ISBN 3-447-01460-1 .
Gerhild Endreß, Hans Dettmer (Ed.): Japanese government and administrative officials of the 8th – 10th centuries. Century . Wiesbaden 1995/2000, 2 volumes, ISBN 3-447-04308-3 (A); (Without knowledge of Dettmer, The documents of Japan from the 8th to the 10th century not understandable.)
JI Cramp: “Borrowed” T'ang Titles and Offices in the Yōrō Code. In: Occasional Papers (Michigan University) No. 2 (1952), pp. 35-58.

swell

The Taihō ranks have only been interpreted scientifically correctly since around 1967 , with numerous questions about the relationship between merit rank and court rank still unanswered.

↑ The Nihon Shoki XXII (Suiko 11/12/5) describes the introduction of the classification system.
↑ Nihon Shoki XXV (Taika 5/2)
^ GB Sansom : Early Japanese Law and Administration . In: The Transactions of The Asiatic Society of Japan. Second series . Vol. IX, 1932, pp. 103-104 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
↑ Unless otherwise stated, the entire following section is based on: Hans Dettmer: The documents of Japan from the 8th to the 10th century .
^ GB Sansom: Early Japanese Law and Administration . P. 107
↑ Dettmer, p. 17
^ Hans A. Dettmer : The Yōrō Codex . The commandments. Introduction and translation of the Ryō no gige . Book 1. Harrasowitz, Wiesbaden 2009, ISBN 978-3-447-05940-4 , p. 1–142 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
^ Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 9
↑ ^a ^b Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 10
^ GB Sansom: Early Japanese Law and Administration . P. 104
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m G. B. Sansom: Early Japanese Law and Administration . P. 105
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 11
↑ ^a ^b Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 12
^ Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 13
^ Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 14
↑ ^a ^b Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 15
^ Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 16
↑ ^a ^b Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 17
↑ ^a ^b Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 20
^ Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 18
^ Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 19
^ Dettmer: The Yōrō Codex . P. 21
↑ ^a ^b Cornelius J. Kiley: Provincial administration and land tenure in Heian Japan . In: Donald H. Shively, William H. McCullough (Eds.): The Cambridge History of Japan . Volume 2: Heian Japan. Cambridge University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-521-22353-9 , pp. 256 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
^ Hans Dettmer: Study of Japanese History . Darmstadt 1987, ISBN 3-534-08876-X , p. 82f
↑ Keiun 3/2/16 [706]: Shortening the period of service; Tempyō-Hōji 1/5/20 [757]: promotion to high ranks too fast; Tempyō-Hōji 8/11/28 [764]: Restoration of the previous regulation ( Keiun 372/16); Daidō 2/10/19 [807]: Regulation of the Code; Kōnin 6/7/17 [815]: The Keiun rule is binding . Final regulation in Engishiki .
↑ The names and ranks (with associated appointment dates) of the incumbents who had at least 3rd rank are inherited in the Kugyō bunin .
↑ Cf. Nyōin-shōoden , in: Kluge, IL (Ed.): East Asian Studies , Berlin 1959 (Academy); Hermann Bohner's contribution gives the translation of this work from Gunsho-ruijō (Biographies), which was completed before 1360. The content is limited to short biographies of the princesses and imperial wives or their ranks. Strictly speaking, these are family matters of the imperial family, but the formalities were equally valid for all court ladies.
↑ Japan Peers