日本古代 蔭位制에 대한 一考察

A Study on the Protection Privilege System(Onmi-sei) of Ancient Japan : The Reinterpretation of the Regulation of the Third Year of the Keiun Era

The protection privilege system(Onmi-sei), which awarded the son or grandson of a court aristocrat a rank prescribed by their father’s or grandfather’s rank, was stipulated for the first time in the Taiho-Ryo (大寶令). The Onmi-sei served as the main channel for recruiting the highest ranks aristocrats during the Nara Period. However, the conditions of conferring privilege rank and how they were actually enforced still remain unclear, due to the lack of relevant sources and misinterpretation of the Regulation of the third year of the Keiun era(Keiun-sannen-kyaku). Previous studies argued that the Keiun-sannen-kyaku fundamentally changed the way in which the protection privilege rank was awarded and required the expectants to enroll in the imperial school(大學). Apparently the Onmi-sei of Ancient Japan is thought to have been modeled on that of China. But it was the stipulation of the traditional principle of conferring ranks widely practiced under the Japanese clan system(氏姓制) as well. The Keiun-sannen-kyaku was designed to clarify the treatment of apprenticeship period before awarding privilege rank. The title and term of apprenticeship were decided during the reigns of Tenmu and Jito, and the rank was determined by the pedigree(族姓ㆍ氏姓大小) and the talent(景迹ㆍ善最功能). But the Onmi-sei in the Taiho-Ryo corresponded only to the pedigree principle, not to the talent principle. For example, the treatments of apprenticeship period and the merit ratings during the period were not specified m the Taiho-Ryo. Therefore, Keiun-sannen-kyaku made clear that the privilege rank expectant’s apprenticeship period was not the same as the ordinary service period(常選) of officials and the merit rating system was not applied to this period.