Japan in the Nara and Heian Periods

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Japan in the Nara and Heian Periods

• The Rise and Fall of Chinese Influence

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The Chinese Influence in Late Yamato Period
(5-7th Centuries)

• The influx of Chinese Civilization via Korea
• Official introduction of Chinese writing system
  around 400 AD, together with Confucian tests
• Official introduction of Buddhism in 538 or 552,
  causing power struggle between Mononobe
  (military) Nakatomi clan (Shinto ritual) and
  Soga clan (finance) Soga victory leading to the
  official sanction of Buddhism in 587 AD

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Prince Shotokus Regency and Reform (597-622)

• General goal in cooperation with the Soga clan,
  using Confucianism to remold political structure
  to strengthen imperial power
• The Constitution of 17 Articles
• The emperor is the only master of the land, who,
  as the direct descendent Sun Goddess, is
  arahito-gami (kami appears as man), whose power
  is sanctioned by Heaven
• Provincial authorities has no right to tax
• Confucian moral ideals of benevolence, propriety,
  good faith, harmony are of guidance of behavior
• Buddha, law and priesthood are three treasures
• 16 missions sent to Tang China between 618 and 907

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The Taika Reform (late 600s early 700s)

• Shotokus limited success due to the abstraction
  of the Soga clan and provincial lords
• 644 Coup Prince Naka-no-Oe (Emperor Tenchi) with
  the help of Nakatomi-no-Kamatari (Fujiwaras
  founder) against Soga clans dominance, laying
  the foundation for institutional reforms which
  were codified in the Taiho Code in 702, referred
  to as the Great Reform of the 8th century by
  Ivan Morris

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Taika Reform measures

• Central government
• Ministers of Left, Right, and Center
• 8 ministries war, justice, civil affairs,
  ceremonial, treasure, imperial household, central
  administration, peoples affairs
• Local government
• 66 prefectures, 592 counties, under central
  government control
• 50 households form a township
• Governors of prefectures have 6 yrs term limits
• People have to surrender their arms

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• Equal-field system as the financial foundation of
  central govt.
• Nationalization of all land
• Equally distributed to people over 6 yrs old
• Govt. tax and military conscription
• Land redistribution once every 6 yrs
• Civil service exams only among children of
  officials
• The construction of a capital city in Nara
  (710-84), molded after Changan
• An aristocracy 125 high ranking officials 10
  court aristocrat form the elite group sharing
  power, with Fujiwara clan at the core

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Heian Japan (794-1185)

• Nara was abandoned by Emperor Kanmu, Heian Kyo
  became the new capital, known as Kyoto today,
  Capital of the West
• The physical condition of Heian Kyo as a planned
  city
• Natural beauty and ostentatious layout with
  palace at the center
• A refined culture and assertive emperor up to 858
• Wards and neighborhoods class division in the
  city
• Architecture and furniture comparison to China
• The limits of wealth and power of Heian Japan

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Fujiwara Dominance (858-1068)

• After 50 yrs assertive imperial rule, Fujiwara
  clan came to dominate Heian Japan for 200 years
• marriage politics Fujiwara patriarch became
  emperors father-in-law or grandfather, whose
  mansion was more grandeur than imperial palace
• Forcing emperors into early retirement, into
  Buddhist monasteries or in separate quarters,
• Suppression of opposition/rivalries Michizane, a
  scholar official exiled to Kyushu
• Four Fujiwara branches were large estate (shoen)
  owners conflict among them was a permanent
  fixture in Heian politics

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The Heian Hierarchy

• A rigid rank system formed the foundation of
  administrative appointments, pedigree was more
  important than ability
• The disconnect between the imperial court in
  Heian and provinces, due to travel and
  communication difficulties as well as its
  culture the governor of a province was of the
  same rank of a junior secretary in a ministry to
  be appointed as the governor of a remote province
  was an unbearable punishment
• The rise of provincial powers against Heian
  aristocracy was only a matter of time

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The Collapse of the Great Reform Measures

• The original flaw in the equal field system
  shoen as tax exempted estate kept growing, as
  powerful clans kept getting more land
• Lesser land holders commendation (kishin)
  upward transfer of land rights to avoid tax and
  conscription, the Fujiwaras became the largest
  absentee landlords
• Heian bureaucracys inability to redistribute
  land and the assertion of local lords in land
  rights
• Heians power struggle invited provincial
  warlords to stage on the national scene The
  Kamakura era