1994 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Politics in the Nara Period - as seen through the Sutras Preserved in the "Shosoin Documents"
Project/Area Number |
05610286
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Research Field |
Japanese history
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Research Institution | MIYAGI GAKUIN WOMEN'S JUNIOR COLLEGE |
Principal Investigator |
OHIRA Satoshi MIYAGI GAKUIN WOMEN'S JUNIOR COLLEGE CULTURAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT,Assistant Professor, 教養科, 助教授 (40192520)
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Project Period (FY) |
1993 – 1994
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Keywords | Shosoin documents / tripitaka / Sutra-copying Office / ledger book / 写経所帳簿 / 正倉院文書 / 一切経 / 善光朱印経 |
Research Abstract |
This prupose of this study was to examine the policy of the state towards Buddhism in the Nara Period. There is a general consensus that the state used Buddhism in this period for its own ends, as a milder form of state Buddhism. This syudy examined this interpretation by using the "Records of the Sutra-copying Office" (shakyojo chobo) for information concerning the great sutra-copying project known as the "Later Tripitaka" (goshaissaikyo) begun in 746. both the "Records" and the tripitaka are preserved in the "Shosoin Documents". This study concluded that the emperor, who was responsible for the policy of promoting Buddhism, ordered the production of a tripitaka in order to establish himself as an outstanding sponsor of Buddhism. Another aspect of this study was that it was possible to provide a startingpoint for gaining a systematic understanding of the role of "chobo" (record book or ledger book) with in the overall system of keeping records within the bureaucratic system of the Ancient Japanese State.
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