Today's theme is " Ritsuryo Nation and Road Establishment "is.
In the latter half of the Asuka period, " a strong centralized nation centered on the emperor The appearance of "" will be arranged, and you will be able to clearly see the difference between senior officials and junior officials.
Meanwhile, something like the "law" that we now call was created. 701 Taiho Code is. Vinaya Is a order in today's criminal law Is today's administrative law and civil law. Order In addition to the work regulations of administrative organizations and management, the tax of the people was also stipulated.
Emergency communication system / station system in the midst of such legislation (It seems that this system itself has already existed since the Taika Reform, but large-scale ones are thought to be related to the establishment of the decree).
What is a post-horse? ??
Post-horse in the first place What is it? I will start from that.
According to "Ryoshukai" and "Engi-shiki", there are seven station roads nationwide:Tokai, Higashiyama, Hokuriku, Sanin, Sanyo, Nankai, and Saikai. Is said to have been opened. Station Road Is a post-horse It is a road that has been decided to be used in.
Along this station road, the official messenger who uses the station road (=station messenger) Accommodation and rest area, as well as the means of transportation for station users, station horse Station House , which is also a facility for breeding (Ekiba / Hayuma) (Umaya) was placed.
Station horse Seems to have been able to rent each time it was needed to move post-horse When it was first established, it had the same role as an emergency vehicle such as a police car today, but it seems that its role was gradually expanded in the 8th century.
Regulations regarding station houses
Station house The provisions regarding Ritsuryo It is stipulated in detail in " Station House Interval to put "" station house Stationmaster To have one person who is wealthy and has excellent practical ability. "" Station Road In addition to "the number of horses that should be kept according to the grade of horses", various things such as how to purchase horses and how to deal with official messengers were decided when the horses became ill.
Station house Stationmaster The reason why we needed "rich and practically talented" human resources is that although the country provided rice fields in the first stage, later operations had to be covered by the investment profits from the rice fields. We lent the rice harvested from this rice field to the people and used the interest as an investment profit. Of course, it is not done by one family, but farmers near the station house will cultivate it. These people are station children It is called (Ekishi / Ekiko).
The station child who managed the horse
A sturdy horse is required as a means of transportation in an emergency, but the management of that horse is also station child . I am in charge of. It takes a lot of effort just to manage the physical condition of the horse, and station child with the expansion of the role from around the 8th century. The burden on you will increase further. And the situation has come to be seen in which those who cannot tolerate it escape.
Originally Ritsuryo Since the system itself was imported from Tang, it may not be in line with the customs in Japan, and the decree will be expanded. post-horse Is the same.
Modification of station road
Is it because it is too far from reality? In the second half of the 8th century, station road Will be modified. Abandoned or reduced station road Or remake it. Anyway, station road The scale itself will be gradually reduced. As a result, station roads nationwide in the middle of the 10th century Has been abolished.
This is a ritual system Ritsuryo at about the same time as the collapse of At the end of the 8th century, a system that was no longer in operation began to appear, and in the 10th century it was the last form of the Engi-shiki . Is compiled. However, by this time, it was almost ritual system The reality of is gone, and it is believed that it was (nominal) already gone in the 10th century. In some cases, some researchers think that the 8th century will be the end.
Thus post-horse Is becoming more burdensome, and in the process from the era of centralization to the era of local autonomy, station roads are in the local road network. Is said to have been buried.
The road itself is thought to have existed since the Jomon period, as found at the Sannai Maruyama Site, but it is just a means of transportation within the region. Station Road A large road network that involves the will of the nation like station system Is probably the first time (although roads are mentioned around the Taika Reform, it seems uncertain).
Farmers used the station road most
Most station road to pay taxes Was used by farmers, who probably couldn't see much of the world outside the region until then. Those who are given rice fields will find it difficult to leave the land.
And I can imagine that many of those who went to the gorgeous city to pay taxes were foolish and ran away after seeing it. Station child I didn't know if there was a tax exemption, but ... even if the tax was exempted, station child The fact that the work itself was a heavy burden, and that I was in a position to know the situation of Kyoto and the current situation where the number of fugitives is increasing in the region from the local farmers who go to pay taxes, is the station. Child I think it can be enough to motivate him to escape. For that reason, I myself am " post-horse Is Ritsuryo I think it was one of the factors that accelerated the collapse.
Station road that seems to have played a role in controlling local areas because it is a road for the emergency communication system. However, the ironic result was that the system at hand was shaken. However, such station road Some of them are still in use until now, and you can feel a long history when you look at the national highways that were built 1300 years ago. In addition, I am deeply moved when I think that this led to the railway later.