The History of Ineffective Manor Regulation Ordinances

     Ironically enough, the first manor restriction ordinance in 902 spread the idea and concept of land ownership across the nation.  That is, it was largely recognized that you could own a manor if you had a written certification, or if you had equivalent authority.

     In 985, Emperor Kazan (968-1008) had to issue another manor restriction ordinance to have provincial officers to inspect manors which had been developed and approved after 902 and to confiscate illegal ones.  However, it was central powerful clans who were to operate policies and to work out measures.  The clan members were owners of manors, and provincial officers, who belonged to middle-ranking noble families, tend to accept manor applications as part of their job hunting, especially at the end of their terms of offices.

     In 1040, Emperor Go-Suzaku (1009-1045) issued another manor restriction ordinance.  On the pretext of the renewal of the Imperial Palace, all the manors that had been newly approved by the incumbent provincial officers were confiscated.

     In 1045, Emperor Go-Reizen (1025-1068) issued another manor restriction ordinance.  This time, new countermeasures were taken against provincial officers’ job hunting.  He threatened in bravado to confiscate manors which had been approved by the previous provincial officers, to dismiss provincial officers who disobeyed the rule, and never to appoint them as provincial officers again.  His ideas were very lovely, but he couldn’t stop the number of manors from increasing.  The previous provincial officers, the incumbent provincial officers, and even would-be provincial officers all belonged to one class, the “zuryo” class.  State-owned rice paddy fields were, rather, being eroded.  The emperor issued another manor restriction ordinance in 1055, only in vain.  Some manors even came to just orally claim to belong to the Fujiwara Clan.