Sogen's decree - Sogen's decree

From the end of the Middle Ages to the early modern period, this was the order used by the Yoshida family in Kyoto to bestow ranks and titles of deity to each shrine and licenses to priests. In ancient times, when the Imperial Court presented ranks to shrines, it was the Shirakawa family who carried out this task, but Yoshida Kanetomo, the founder of Yoshida Shinto (original Genpon Sogen Shinto), opposed the Shirakawa family and issued licenses to shrines and priests that resembled imperial edicts from the Imperial Court. This was the Sogen Edict. From then on, this gave the Yoshida family immense power, bringing most of the priests in the country under its control. There was criticism of this in the early modern period, but it was abolished with the Meiji Restoration.

[Haruo Ogasawara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中世末から近世にわたり京都吉田家から各神社に位階神号、神職に免許状を授与するときの辞令。古来、朝廷から神社に位階献上の際は白川家が執行していたが、吉田神道(しんとう)（元本(げんぽん)宗源神道）の大成者吉田兼倶(かねとも)はこの白川家に対抗し、朝廷の宣旨に擬した免許状を神社・神職に発行した。これが宗源宣旨である。以後、これによって吉田家は全国の神職のほとんどを傘下に収め、絶大な勢力をもった。これに対して、近世には批判も出ていたが、明治維新に至り廃止された。

［小笠原春夫］

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