Ministry of Civil Services (Ritsuryō)
Encyclopedia
The was a division of the eighth century Japan
ese government of the Imperial Court in Kyoto
, instituted in the Asuka period
and formalized during the Heian period
. The Ministry was replaced in the Meiji period
.
The Ministry's activities encompassed maintenance of the lists of civil officers, oversight of appointments to office and to rank (third grade and above) and stewards in the imperial palace, and administration of rewards for service. Additionally the ministry was an administrative body for schools and civil examinations, pensions, and donations. The ministry was tasked with maintaining the order of precedence of the various officials at the time of congratulatory occasions and of festivals.
This ministry collected and maintained biographical archives of meritorious subjects.
, this ministry was renamed Mombushō. The original name was restored in 764
; and this name was unchanged until the ritsuryō system was abandoned during the Meiji period
.
In the Edo period
, titles related to the Shikibu-shō, such as Shikibu-dayū, were largely ceremonial and could be held by non-kuge
, such as daimyō
lords.
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Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese government of the Imperial Court in Kyoto
Imperial Court in Kyoto
thumb|left|350px|Front view of Kyoto imperial palaceImperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji Era, in which the court was moved to Tokyo and integrated into the Meiji government....
, instituted in the Asuka period
Asuka period
The , was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 , although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period...
and formalized during the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
. The Ministry was replaced in the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
.
Overview
This part of the bureaucracy has been variously identified as the "Ministry of the Civil Services," the Ministry of Legislative Direction and Public Instruction. and the Ministry of Civil Administration or the Ministry of Rites.The Ministry's activities encompassed maintenance of the lists of civil officers, oversight of appointments to office and to rank (third grade and above) and stewards in the imperial palace, and administration of rewards for service. Additionally the ministry was an administrative body for schools and civil examinations, pensions, and donations. The ministry was tasked with maintaining the order of precedence of the various officials at the time of congratulatory occasions and of festivals.
This ministry collected and maintained biographical archives of meritorious subjects.
History
In 758758
Year 758 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 758 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Emperor Junnin succeeds Empress Kōken on the...
, this ministry was renamed Mombushō. The original name was restored in 764
764
Year 764 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 764 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Empress Shōtoku succeeds Emperor Junnin on the...
; and this name was unchanged until the ritsuryō system was abandoned during the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
.
In the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
, titles related to the Shikibu-shō, such as Shikibu-dayū, were largely ceremonial and could be held by non-kuge
Kuge
The was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo...
, such as daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
lords.
Hierarchy
The court hierarchy developed a ; also known as the "Ministry of Legislative Direction and Public Instruction". This ministry collected and maintained biographical archives of meritorious subjects. Amongst the significant Daijō-kan officials within this ministry structure were:; also known as Chief minister of public instruction. This office is ordinarily filled by a son or close relative of the emperor. There are seven judges who directly assist this court official:-
- , two positions
- , two positions
- , two positions, one superior to the other
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. There would have been many copyist calligraphers working under the direction of the chief calligrapher
-
- , two positions, two positions, two positions