Efu - Efu

A general term for the imperial guard military organization in the Nara period. It consists of five units: Emonfu, Ejifu, and Hyoefu, and is generally referred to as the Five Efu. However, under the Taiho Code (701), the Emon and Eji units were different from Hyoefu in terms of the four ranks of official titles and the system of official rank equivalents, and the establishment dates and principles of each unit were not the same. The Yoro Code (enacted in 757) states that the Emonfu was in charge of the guard of the various gates, entry and exit, etiquette, and inspections, as well as Hayato, family registration, and gate signs, the Ejifu was in charge of the guard of the Imperial Palace and guarding the entrance and exit of carriages, and the Hyoefu was in charge of guarding the Komon and carriages, but it is necessary to consider how these roles were divided. For the time being, the Hyoe guards guarded the Emperor directly when the carriages were entering and leaving the enemy to the Eji, and the Eji were considered to have been a military force that was always on the lookout for and ready to engage with the enemy, in front of and behind the procession of the Imperial procession. As for the guards of the various gates and the Imperial Palace, the Outer Gate (the twelve gates) was guarded by the Emon-fu, the Middle Gate, the Kurazomon Gate, and the Shobu Gate were guarded jointly by the Emon-fu and the Eji-fu, and the Inner Gate (Kōmon Gate) was guarded by the Hyoe-fu. Also, nighttime guards for the Inner Gate, Middle Gate, and Outer Gate were initially the responsibility of the Emon-fu guards. Of the Efu, only the Hyoe-fu was established before the Taiho Code, and Emon-like duties were supervised by the Imperial Guards. After the Taiho Code, as the Eji conscripting peasants was gradually institutionalized, the Emon-fu was established, and finally the Eji-fu was established, and it was probably around the end of the 8th century that it was separated into the Left and Right. In 708 (the first year of Wadō), for the first time, the Minister of War, the Chief of the Guards, the Chief of the Left Guards, the Chief of the Right Guards, the Left Guards and the Right Guards were all appointed at the same time. This marked the establishment of the Efu system.

[Noda Reishi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

奈良時代の親衛軍組織の総称。衛門府(えもんふ)、左右衛士府(えじふ)、左右兵衛府(ひょうえふ)の五つからなるので一般に五衛府という。しかし、大宝令(たいほうりょう)（701）下では四等官名、官位相当制などにおいて、衛門、衛士の三府と兵衛府は異なっており、五衛府それぞれの設置期、構成原理は同じではなかった。養老(ようろう)令（757施行）には、衛門府は諸門の禁衛、出入、礼儀、巡検と隼人(はやと)、門籍(もんじゃく)、門牓(もんぼう)をつかさどり、衛士府は宮中の禁衛、車駕(しゃが)出入の警護、兵衛府は閤門(こうもん)、車駕の警護にあたるものであるというが、どのように分担していたのか検討が必要である。いちおうは、車駕出入における兵衛は敵との戦闘を衛士にまかせて天皇を直衛し、衛士は行幸の陣列の前後にあって索敵しつねに敵との戦闘に対応した武力であったと解される。諸門、宮中の守衛についても、外門（十二門）は衛門府、中門、庫蔵門、所部は衛門府と衛士府が共同、内門（閤門）は兵衛府がその守衛にあたっていたのであろう。また内門、中門、外門の夜間警備は衛門府衛士が当初その任についていた。衛府のうち、大宝律令以前に設置されたのは兵衛府だけで、衛門的な任務は宮守官が指揮し、大宝律令以降、農民徴発の衛士がしだいに制度化されていくなかで衛門府が成立し、最後に衛士府が成立し、それが左右に分化したのは8世紀の終わりごろであろう。708年（和銅1）初めて、兵部卿(ひょうぶきょう)、衛門督(えもんのかみ)、左衛士督、右衛士督、左兵衛率、右兵衛率が同時に任命された。衛府制の成立である。

［野田嶺志］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例