The Kondei System: An Official Order of the Council of State On the ...
The Kondei System: An Official Order of the Council of State On the ...
The Kondei System: An Official Order of the Council of State On the ...
- No tags were found...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
PrimarySourceDocumentwithQuestions(DBQs)THEKONDEISYSTEM:ANOFFICIALORDEROFTHECOUNCILOFSTATEIntroductionIn<strong>the</strong>ancientJapan,<strong>the</strong>centralgovernment’smilitaryforcesweregenerallymadeup<strong>of</strong>conscriptedpeasants,drilledintoserviceaspart<strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>irlaborobligationto<strong>the</strong>state.By<strong>the</strong>eighthcentury,however,risingdisorderin<strong>the</strong> countryside brought <strong>the</strong> effectiveness <strong>of</strong> traditional, conscripted military units into question. <strong>The</strong> EmperorKammu(737‐806;r.782‐806),whowasresponsibleformoving<strong>the</strong>capital<strong>of</strong>JapanfromNaratoNagaoka‐kyōin784,and<strong>the</strong>ntoHeian‐kyō(present‐dayKyoto)adecadelater,decreedaseries<strong>of</strong>militaryreforms,notably<strong>the</strong>kondeisystem<strong>of</strong>792.<strong>Kondei</strong>hasbeentranslatedbysomescholarsas“stalwartyouth”andbyo<strong>the</strong>rsas“ablebodiedyoungmen.”DocumentExcerptwithQuestionsFromJapan:ADocumentaryHistory:<strong>The</strong>Dawn<strong>of</strong>Historyto<strong>the</strong>LateTokugawaPeriod,editedbyDavidJ.Lu(Armonk,NewYork:M.E.Sharpe,1997),103.©2001M.E.Sharpe.Reproducedwith<strong>the</strong>permission<strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>publisher.Allrightsreserved.<strong>The</strong><strong>Kondei</strong><strong>System</strong>:<strong>An</strong><strong>Official</strong><strong>Order</strong><strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong><strong>Council</strong><strong>of</strong><strong>State</strong><strong>On</strong><strong>the</strong>matterrelatingto<strong>the</strong>recruitment<strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>kondei(physicallyable).Thirtypeoplefrom<strong>the</strong>province<strong>of</strong>Yamato.Thirtypeoplefrom<strong>the</strong>province<strong>of</strong>Kawachi.Twentypeoplefrom<strong>the</strong>provinceifIzumi 1 .…Previously [on <strong>the</strong> seventh day <strong>of</strong> this month], <strong>the</strong> Minister <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Right [FujiwaraTsugunawa] declared that in obedience to <strong>the</strong> imperial command [all military divisionsconsisting <strong>of</strong>] conscript soldiers stationed in <strong>the</strong> provinces should be abolished with <strong>the</strong>exception <strong>of</strong> those in <strong>the</strong> important border areas. <strong>The</strong> munitions depots, outposts, andgovernmental <strong>of</strong>fices which were previously defended by <strong>the</strong>m should be defended by <strong>the</strong>kondei to be sent to those positions. We now order that you select those physically able fromamong<strong>the</strong>sons<strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>districtchiefs(kōrinotsukasa),andplace<strong>the</strong>mtoserveon<strong>the</strong>sepostsonarotatingbasis. Eleventhyear<strong>of</strong>Enryaku(792),sixthmonth,14thday.1Leviesfrom48o<strong>the</strong>rprovincesomittedfrom<strong>the</strong>translatedversion.
PrimarySourceDocumentwithQuestions(DBQs)onTHEKONDEISYSTEM:ANOFFICIALORDEROFTHECOUNCILOFSTATEQuestions:1. How does this order change <strong>the</strong> system for recruiting soldiers for <strong>the</strong>government’smilitaryforces?2. Howmightthissystemhaveservedtoimprovediscipline,pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism,andpreparednessinJapan’smilitary?3. <strong>The</strong>kondeisystemissometimesseenasanimportantstepin<strong>the</strong>rise<strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>warriorelite(<strong>the</strong>samurai)inJapan.Whydoyouthinkthisis<strong>the</strong>case?4. HadyoubeenaJapanesepeasantat<strong>the</strong>time,howdoyouthinkyouwouldhavefeltaboutthisorderfrom<strong>the</strong>imperialcapital?AsiaforEducatorslColumbiaUniversitylhttp://afe.easia.columbia.eduPage2<strong>of</strong>2
Change language