Shadow position - Oni

In the Ritsuryo bureaucracy, this was a privileged rank bestowed on the descendants (hidden children and grandchildren) of princes, kings, and aristocratic bureaucrats. Modeled on the Tang system, it was established in the Taiho Code of 701 (the first year of the Taiho era) and came into effect the same year. Children of princes were given the rank of Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade, children of kings, including the fifth generation king, Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade, legitimate children of the fifth generation king, and Senior Sixth Rank, Lower Grade, but there were special cases granted by separate imperial decree. In addition, when the ministers reached the age of 21 or older, the legitimate sons of first-rank bureaucrats were given the rank of Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and illegitimate children were given the rank of Senior Sixth Rank Upper, and so on down the ranks. The legitimate sons of Inner or Outer Fifth Rank were given the rank of Junior Eighth Rank Upper, and illegitimate children were given the rank of Junior Eighth Rank Lower, but the grandchildren of high-ranking aristocrats of Junior Third Rank or higher were given a rank one rank lower than their sons. This rule was strictly applied except for cases of special imperial conferral, but since the highest rank that could be conferred on those who passed the recruitment examination for bureaucrats in the Ministry of Ceremonies, which also inherited the Tang system, was Senior Eighth Rank Upper, the fact that the ranks of the Innocent Ranks were significantly raised played an important role in reproducing aristocratic bureaucrats from the same rank and class. Then, in March 728 (Jinki 5), as part of creating a difference in treatment between Inner and Outer Fifth Ranks, the ranks of the Innocent Ranks for the children of Outer Fifth Rank bureaucrats were lowered, and the ranks of the Innocent Ranks were set to range from Junior Eighth Rank Upper to Daisho Rank Lower. Then, in 800 (Enryaku 19), the title of Inei was added to the grandchildren of fourth-rank officials, and the legitimate sons and illegitimate children were lowered by four ranks, respectively. In 706 (Keiun 3), the title was granted only after a certain number of years of study at a university or working as a chamberlain, but in 795 (Enryaku 14), this was changed to granting the title to those who turned 21 years old.

[Tadao Nomura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

律令(りつりょう)官僚制において、親王、諸王および貴族官僚の子孫（蔭子(おんし)、蔭孫(おんそん)）に授けられた特典的な位階。唐制をモデルに、701年（大宝1）の大宝律令(たいほうりつりょう)で創設され、同年から適用された。親王の子には従(じゅ)四位下、五世王を含む諸王の子には従五位下、五世王の嫡子には正六位上、庶子には正六位下を授けたが、別勅処分による特例があった。また諸臣には、21歳以上になると、一位官僚の嫡子には従五位下、庶子には正六位上、以下しだいに叙階が下って、内・外(げ)従五位の嫡子には従八位上、庶子には従八位下を授けたが、従三位(じゅさんみ)以上の上級貴族官僚の孫は、子より一階降ろして授ける規定であった。この規定は、別勅特授を除き、厳密に適用されたが、同じく唐制を継受した式部省の官僚採用試験の合格者の叙位の最高が正八位上であったから、蔭位が著しく引き上げて規定されたのは、同じ階級、階層から貴族官僚が再生産されるうえで重要な役割を果たした。そして728年（神亀5）3月、内・外五位の処遇差を設ける一環として、外五位官僚の子への蔭位を引き下げ、従八位上から大初位(だいそい)下にわたる叙位を規定した。ついで800年（延暦19）四位官僚の孫にも蔭位が追加され、嫡子、庶子からそれぞれ四階降ろして叙した。また蔭位は、706年（慶雲3）から、一定年数にわたる大学における就学、あるいは舎人(とねり)としての勤務ののちに授けられることになったが、795年（延暦14）、21歳になれば授けると改変された。

［野村忠夫］

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