Official rank system

One of the Ritsuryo systems, it was a kind of rank system that corresponded official positions to ranks. It was stipulated in the Kani-Ryo. While the Kanpin-Ryo of the Tang Dynasty merely stipulated the hierarchy of official positions, the official rank equivalence system in the Japanese Ritsuryo system corresponded official positions to ranks, and in principle, officials were assigned to official positions corresponding to their ranks. In cases where the ranks did not correspond to the official positions, if the official position was lower than the rank, the title was added with "Gyo" (executive), and conversely, if it was higher, the title was added with "Shu" (guard). Note that the Kani-Ryo did not stipulate any provisions for court ladies of the imperial harem or county governors, and it is thought that the official rank equivalence system was not applied to these people.

[Yutaro Yanagi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

律令(りつりょう)制度の一つで、官職と位階とを対応させた一種の職階制。官位令においてそれを規定した。唐の官品令が単に官職の序列を定めるにすぎないのに対し、日本律令における官位相当制は、官職と位階を対応させ、官人の身分を位階によって定めるとともに、位階に対応する官職に任ずるのが原則であった。位階と官職が相当しない場合は、位階より官職が低ければ「行(ぎょう)」、逆に高ければ「守(しゅ)」を官職に冠した。なお官位令には、後宮の女官や郡司は規定されておらず、これらには官位相当制は適用されなかったと考えられる。

［柳雄太郎］

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