In the middle of the Nara period, the principle of “public land and public people,” the foundation of the handen-shuju system, began to collapse. Let us examine the changes in the land system represented by the Sanze Isshin Law of 723 and the Konden Einen Shizai Law of 743.
Basic Knowledge
The principle of public land and public people established after the Taika Reform made all land and people the property of the emperor and lent rice fields to farmers. However, population growth and the flight of farmers during the Nara period caused a shortage of assigned rice fields.
The government therefore introduced policies that gradually recognized private ownership of land in order to encourage cultivation.
・722: One-million-cho Cultivation Plan - A large-scale national project
・723: Sanze Isshin Law - Land newly cultivated using newly built irrigation facilities could be privately owned for three generations; land cultivated using existing irrigation facilities could be privately owned for one generation by the cultivator
・743: Konden Einen Shizai Law - Cultivated land could be privately owned permanently
As a result, aristocrats, temples and shrines, and powerful farmers actively developed new land, and private estates called early shoen expanded. This became the origin of the later shoen system.
Public land and public people（from 646） All land and people belonged to the emperor
Handen-shuju system Rice fields assigned to people aged 6 and over, returned upon the owner's death
Sanze Isshin Law（723） Cultivated land privately owned for three generations or one generation
Konden Einen Shizai Law（743） Cultivated land privately owned permanently
Early shoen Private estates developed by aristocrats, temples, and shrines
Rights of non-taxation and non-entry Rights later acquired by shoen to avoid taxes and refuse entry to government officials
Further Study (Background and Influence)
Why did the government relax the principle of public land and public people and recognize private land ownership? The background included the following circumstances:
① Population growth: The population increased under the ritsuryo system, causing a shortage of assigned rice fields
② Flight of farmers: Farmers fled excessive tax burdens, leaving fields abandoned
③ Need for cultivation: Developing new fields was urgent in order to secure food
④ Financial difficulties: Large projects such as the construction of the Great Buddha placed severe pressure on government finances
In exchange for recognizing private land ownership, the government encouraged cultivation in an attempt to increase the productive capacity of the entire nation. In modern terms, this was an “economic growth strategy through deregulation.”
However, this policy produced an ironic result. Only aristocrats, temples and shrines, and powerful clans had the people and funds needed for large-scale cultivation. Ordinary farmers received little benefit, while major temples and aristocrats came to own vast private estates（early shoen）.
As a result, assigned rice fields decreased, and tax revenue also fell. The principle of “public land and public people,” the foundation of the ritsuryo system, began to collapse. This led to the establishment of the shoen system from the end of the Nara period through the Heian period and to the decline of the ritsuryo system.
In other words, the Konden Einen Shizai Law was a policy with two sides: “in the short term, it promoted cultivation,” but “in the long term, it led to the collapse of the ritsuryo state.”
- 723: Sanze Isshin Law（private ownership for three generations or one generation）
- 743: Konden Einen Shizai Law（permanent private ownership）
- Background: Population growth, flight of farmers, shortage of assigned rice fields, financial difficulties
- Result: Large-scale cultivation by aristocrats and temples → early shoen
- Impact: Collapse of public land and public people, malfunction of the handen-shuju system
- In the long term, decline of the ritsuryo system and establishment of the shoen system
- Konden Einen Shizai Law = Same year as Emperor Shomu's edict for the construction of the Great Buddha
Points to Note (Easily Confused)
① Distinguish the year and content of the Sanze Isshin Law（723）from those of the Konden Einen Shizai Law（743）. Sanze means up to three generations; einen means permanently. ② The Konden Einen Shizai Law was issued in 743, the same year as the edict for the construction of the Great Buddha. ③ Remember that the collapse of “public land and public people” began with the Konden Einen Shizai Law. ④ Early shoen and shoen from the medieval period onward had different systems. Early shoen centered on self-managed cultivated land, while later shoen were based on donated estates. ⑤ “Konden” means newly cultivated fields, while “assigned rice fields” were fields distributed by the government. Distinguish them. ⑥ A way to remember 723 and 743: “7-2-3, Sanze Isshin for cultivation” and “7-4-3, permanent private property.”
Practice
- State the names and contents of the two land-system laws issued in 723 and 743.
- List three reasons why the Konden Einen Shizai Law was issued.
- Explain the long-term impact of the Konden Einen Shizai Law on the ritsuryo system.