Order of Merit - Order of Merit

A type of rank in the Ritsuryo system. It was sometimes given to those who had military merit, and sometimes to shrines. It was established in the Taiho Code, and there were ranks from 1st to 12th class. Each rank was equivalent to an official rank from Shosanmi to Jyuhachii, and was used as a guide for ranking when lining up for court ceremonies. In many cases, the order was given to soldiers who had distinguished themselves in the conquest of the Emishi and Hayato, and was also given to those who had distinguished themselves in the Fushu army (an army made up of Emishi who had surrendered). In addition, during the Fujiwara no Nakamaro Rebellion (764), the order was also given to those who had served in putting down the civil war, and the scope of the awards expanded significantly. However, after the second half of the 9th century, the system of awards rapidly declined, and only managed to survive in the form of decorations worn by shrines. In 1875 (Meiji 8), the Meiji government established eight orders, and the system was revised several times after that, but in 1946 (Showa 21), the awarding of decorations to surviving alumni was suspended. However, in 1964, the system was reinstated and continues to this day.

[Yoshioka Masayuki]

"Research on the Ritsuryo Official System" by Tadao Nomura, revised edition (1970, Yoshikawa Kobunkan) " "Basic Research on the Ancient Japanese Official Rank System" by Naohiko Watanabe (1972, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

律令(りつりょう)制における位階の一種。おもに軍功者に与えられた場合と、神社に授与された場合があった。「大宝令(たいほうりょう)」において創設され、勲一等より十二等までの等級があり、各勲位はそれぞれ正三位(しょうさんみ)以下従(じゅ)八位までの各官位に比当され、朝儀に列立する際などの序列の目安とされた。勲位は蝦夷(えみし)・隼人(はやと)征討に功をたてた軍士に与えられた例が多く、俘囚(ふしゅう)軍（投降してきた蝦夷を編成した軍隊）の軍功者にも授与された。また藤原仲麻呂(なかまろ)の乱（764）の際には、内乱鎮圧の功に対しても勲位が授けられ、叙勲の範囲は著しく拡大した。しかし9世紀後半以降、勲位制は急速に衰え、わずかに神社の帯勲のなかに命脈を保った。1875年（明治8）に至り、明治政府は8等よりなる勲位を定め、以後制度の改定を重ねたが、1946年（昭和21）に生存者への叙勲は停止された。しかし64年ふたたび生存者叙勲が復活し、現在に及んでいる。

［吉岡眞之］

『野村忠夫著『律令官人制の研究』増訂版（1970・吉川弘文館）』▽『渡辺直彦著『日本古代官位制度の基礎的研究』（1972・吉川弘文館）』

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