Official decree - Kansenji

An official document issued by the Benkan-kyoku, a division of the Daijokan, to various provinces and temples and shrines. Either the Left or Right Benkan-kyoku receives orders from the Shokei, the noble in charge of government affairs on that day, and issues the document directly to the addressee, omitting the need for a seal or a ceremony for handing it over. It uses an unsealed official document format, and the notation of the person in charge's rank (signature) and other details is simplified. It is characterized by the simple procedures for creating and issuing it compared to documents prescribed by the Ritsuryo. The first appearance of this document was in the Kacho Yoryaku, dated May 11, 869. Among the government affairs that the Dajokan had previously issued as official documents or official notices, those requiring urgency or that were of minor importance began to be issued as official decrees after the Heian period. In particular, from the mid-11th century to the mid-13th century, the Dajokan gave its approval to disputes over manors between provincial governors and various powerful families, and official decrees were most frequently used as documents for legal proceedings.

[Masahiro Tomita]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

太政官(だいじょうかん)の一部局である弁官局(べんかんきょく)が諸国・諸寺社に下した公文書。左・右弁官局のいずれかが、太政官の当日の政務担当公卿(くぎょう)である上卿(しょうけい)の命を受け、請印(しょういん)や授受の儀式を省略して宛所(あてどころ)に直接に下す文書で、無印の下文(くだしぶみ)様式を用い、担当者の位署（署名）などの表記も簡略化されている。律令(りつりょう)に規定された文書に比して作成・発給の手続が簡便な点が特徴である。初見は『華頂要略(かちょうようりゃく)』所収の貞観(じょうがん)11年（869）5月11日付けのもの。以前太政官が官符(かんぷ)または官牒(かんちょう)にて発した政務事項のうち、緊急を要するもの、軽易な内容のものは、平安時代以降官宣旨で下すようになる。とくに、11世紀中ごろから13世紀中ごろまでは、国司(こくし)と諸権門勢家(けんもんせいか)との荘園(しょうえん)をめぐる相論(そうろん)を太政官が裁許したが、その訴訟手続文書としてもっとも盛んに用いられた。

［富田正弘］

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