Sect Law - Souhou

The organizational regulations of clans established in the Zhou dynasty in China. It consists of a large family and a small family, with the large family being the main family and the small family being the branch family. The large family is passed down infinitely by the eldest descendants of the founder (a family that will never be passed down for a hundred generations), but the small family is limited to five generations, with the eldest brother being the "separate son" and forming another small family group after that. Therefore, countless small families are created, but the large family is always in a position to bring together these small family groups (collect the clan). The clan law is considered to be the clan organization law of the aristocracy, and is a regulation that distinguishes it from the royal lineage of kings and feudal lords, but originally the clan law was the basis of the political organization associated with the succession to the throne, and it is thought that its seeds were born at the end of the Yin dynasty, and the Zhou feudal system is generally considered to have followed the clan law. In other words, it is thought that the relationships between the royal family, feudal lords, and ministers were all structured according to the clan order of the clan law. However, it is also thought that this system first became widespread among feudal lords and aristocrats during the latter half of the Western Zhou dynasty and the Spring and Autumn period. The order of aristocratic society based on the law of lineage was called "ritual," but the system of ritual gradually collapsed during the Warring States period. However, it had a great influence on later generations, and in the Song dynasty, its revival was emphasized again.

[Akira Utsugi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、周代に成立した宗族の組織規定。大宗と小宗からなり、大宗は本家、小宗は分家にあたる。大宗は始祖を中心に嫡長子孫によって無限に受け継がれるが（百世不遷の宗）、小宗は長男の弟が「別子(べっし)」としてたてる家で5世代を限りとし、それを過ぎればまた別の小宗集団を形成する。したがって小宗は無数に生ずるわけであるが、大宗はつねにこの小宗集団をまとめる（収族）立場にある。宗法は貴族の族組織法とされ、王や諸侯の君統とは区別する規定であるが、元来宗法は王位継承に伴う政治的組織の基本であり、殷(いん)代末期にその萌芽(ほうが)が生じたと考えられ、一般的には周の封建制は宗法に従うものとされている。すなわち、王室、諸侯、卿大夫(けいたいふ)の関係はすべて宗法的な族秩序をもって構成されたと思われる。しかし一方、諸侯や貴族の間にこの制度が浸透するのは、西周後半から春秋時代にかけてのことであろうとも考えられている。宗法に基づく貴族社会の秩序が「礼」とよばれるものであるが、礼の制度は戦国時代に入るとしだいに崩壊してゆく。しかしそれは後世にまで大きな影響を及ぼし、宋(そう)代になるとふたたびその復活が強調された。

［宇都木章］

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