王朝国家国衙軍制の成立 : 延喜の「軍制改革」について <論説>

In the early tenth century, a series of national readministrations having been carried out, Ritsuryo (律令) Administrative System was converted to Ocho-Kokka (王朝国家) Administrative System, and thus, as an important part of the reform the new military system was realized.

Under Ritsuryo (律令) Administrative System, in the event of an uprising of Gunto (群盗) or revolts, it was up to Kokushi (国司) to put them down by mobilizing warriors.

The distinguished marks of Kokushi's (国司) military power were as follows. Firstly, the power was under the strong control of the Central Government, as shown by his obligation to ask the Government for the mobilization order beforehand and to report on the number of warriors mobilized afterward. Secondly, the power was given only as occasions might demand, but not as an independent military agency.

Meanwhile, in the latter half of the ninth century, due to a sudden increase in uprisings of anti-Kokuga (国衙) powers, the Government determined to strengthen Kokuga's (国衙) military power to meet the situation. It was realized, firstly, by enlarging fully Kokuga's (国衙) discretionary power to mobilize warriors and put anti-powers down by means of reducing sharply the Governmental Power to control Kokuga's (国衙) military power in mobilization and confining it only to the general control by means of a warrant for arrest, i. e. Tsuibu-Kanpu (追捕官符), and, secondly, by concentrating and simplifying Kokuga's (国衙) military power into an independent agency.

In the latter case, Kokuga (国衙) Military Commander was systematized into Shokoku-Tsuibushi (諸国追捕使), recommended by Kokushi (国司) and appointed by the Central Government.

It was Togoku-Ran (東国乱) in the first year of Engi (延喜) (901 A. D.) that established the new administrative system as an epoch making event.