Prince Shōtoku’s Government and the Twelve-Level Cap and Rank System

The leading figure of the Asuka period was Prince Shōtoku (Prince Umayado). As regent for Empress Suiko, he introduced new political institutions learned from China and laid the foundations of the state.

Basic Knowledge

Prince Shōtoku (Prince Umayado) was a member of the imperial family and a politician who was born in 574 and died in 622. In 593, he became the regent of the empress Empress Suiko and worked with Soga no Umako to promote political reforms.
Prince Shōtoku’s main achievements:
・603: Establishment of the Twelve-Level Cap and Rank System - Officials were appointed based on ability rather than family background
・604: Establishment of the Seventeen-Article Constitution - Presented the principles officials should follow
・607: Dispatch of envoys to Sui China (Ono no Imoko) - Equal diplomacy with Sui China
・607: Construction of Hōryūji Temple - Promotion of Buddhist culture
Through these reforms, Japan began to shift from an old society based on the uji-kabane system to a centralized state that adopted institutions from China.

Further Study (Background・Impact)

The Twelve-Level Cap and Rank System divided six levels—virtue, benevolence, propriety, faith, justice, and wisdom—into higher and lower grades, making twelve levels in total. Colored caps were awarded to indicate rank. The innovation of this system was that officials could be appointed based on ability regardless of family background. Previously, social status was fixed by the uji and kabane, but the cap ranks were granted to individuals and were not hereditary.
The Seventeen-Article Constitution was not a constitution in the modern sense (the fundamental law of a state), but a statement of moral principles and guidelines for officials. Article 1, “Harmony is to be valued,” is famous. Based on Buddhist thought (Article 2, “Respect the Three Treasures with sincere devotion”) and Confucian thought (Article 5, “End feasting and abandon desire”), it expressed a view of the state centered on the emperor.
Among the envoys to Sui, Ono no Imoko carried a letter stating, “The sovereign of the land where the sun rises sends this letter to the sovereign of the land where the sun sets. I hope you are well,” which angered Emperor Yang of Sui. This expression attempted to show that Japan stood on an equal footing with China and represented an effort to break away from the tributary relationship that had existed until then. Emperor Yang was angry, but ultimately sent a return envoy, and diplomatic relations were maintained.

Points to Note (Easy to Confuse)

① Prince Shōtoku was not an emperor. He held the position of crown prince and regent. ② Empress Suiko was Japan’s first empress and Prince Shōtoku’s aunt. ③ The Twelve-Level Cap and Rank System was established in 603, and the Seventeen-Article Constitution in 604. Be careful because they were one year apart. ④ Do not confuse the Constitution with a constitution in the modern sense. The Seventeen-Article Constitution was a moral code. ⑤ Envoys to Sui are famous for the mission in 607, but they had actually also been sent in 600, as recorded in the Book of Sui. ⑥ “Prince Shōtoku” is a posthumous honorific name; during his lifetime he was called “Prince Umayado.” In recent years, textbooks have tended to list both names as “Prince Shōtoku (Prince Umayado).”

Practice

1. What was the name of the merit-based system for appointing officials established by Prince Shōtoku?
2. Briefly state the content of Article 1 of the Seventeen-Article Constitution.
3. Who was sent as an envoy to Sui China in 607?