Foreign Affairs Commissioner - Ingaikokushi

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[Degeneration]
This kokushi system gradually changed from the beginning of the Heian period as centralized control loosened. One of the main reasons for this was the increase in kokushi salaries, and in the Nara period, the appointment of non-regular kokushi, such as in-kokushi and guon-nin kokushi, began solely for the purpose of earning income. In the Heian period, in 826 (Tencho 3), Kazusa, Hitachi, and Kozuke were appointed as provinces under the jurisdiction of imperial princes, and the imperial princes who served as provincial governors were called taisho (seniors), who stayed in Kyoto and received only a salary. This trend of remote appointment became even more prevalent later on as various Kyoto officials took on the role of kokushi for the sake of the income, and in such cases the provincial governor would send a trusted aide to the province as a mokudai (deputy governor) to command the rusudokoro (official residence) composed of local government officials below the rank of suke.

*Some of the terminology explanations that refer to "Ingaikokushi" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

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［変質］
　この国司制は平安時代に入ったころから，中央集権的支配の弛緩に伴って，しだいに変質していった。そのおもな原因の一つは国司の給与の増大で，奈良時代からもっぱら収入を目的とする員外国司，権任国司など，定員外の国司の任命が始まり，また平安時代に入って826年(天長3)に上総，常陸，上野を親王任国とし，その国守の親王を太守と呼び，太守は京にいてただ俸料のみを受けることにしてから，いわゆる遥任の例が生じた。この遥任の風は，その後各種の京官が収入を目当てに国守を兼帯することによってますます盛んとなったが，その場合には国守は腹心の者を目代（もくだい）として任国に派遣し，介以下の在庁官人によって構成される留守所（るすどころ）を指揮させることが行われた。…

※「員外国司」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報