Economic, Social, And Administrative Developments
Prior to the establishment of the Taiho Code, it was common practise to relocate the capital following the death of an emperor. This was done out of respect for the long-held idea that a location associated with death was impure. The construction of a permanent imperial capital in Heijokyo, now known as Nara, in the year 710 A.D. was the result of government reforms and the bureaucratization of government. The new era (710-94), after which the capital at Nara was named, was modelled after the magnificent capital of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in China, which was located at Chang’an, and it was Japan’s first true urban centre. Nara also gave its name to the new period. It quickly grew to a population of 200,000, which was equivalent to roughly 4% of the total population of the nation, and it employed around 10,000 people in government positions.
During the Nara era, there was a rise in the amount of economic and administrative activity. Roads connected Nara to the capitals of the provinces, which resulted in improved efficiency and consistency in tax collection. Even though they were not extensively utilised, coins were made and used. Outside of the Nara region, on the other hand, there was very little economic activity, and the traditional land reform procedures of Shotoku fell into disuse in the provinces. Shomen, also known as landed estates, were one of the most significant economic organisations in mediaeval Japan. Their growth started about the middle of the eighth century as a consequence of the quest for a type of landholding that was easier to administer. Many of the individuals who eventually became known as the “wave people” lost their land or gave it up as a result of the collapse of the outdated land distribution system and the increase in property taxes. Meanwhile, the local government steadily grew more self-sufficient. Some of these once “public persons” were hired on by major landholders for private employment, and “public lands” progressively returned to the hands of the shoen.
The imperial court was plagued by conflict between several factions throughout the whole of the Nara period. Members of the Imperial family, prominent court families like as the Fujiwara, and Buddhist monks all vied for positions of power within the government. During the late Nara era, the state was under an increasing amount of financial strain, and the court started getting rid of officials who were not important. In the year 792, universal conscription was discontinued, and district leaders were granted permission to organise their own private militias for use in maintaining public order. In spite of the changes implemented during the Nara era, decentralisation of power ended up being the norm. In the end, the capital was relocated in 784 to Nagaoka, and then in 794 to Heiankyo (Capital of Peace and Tranquility), also known as Heian, which is located around twenty-six kilometres north of Nara. This was done in order to restore sovereignty to the hands of the royal family. By the end of the eleventh century, the populace of the city had adopted the name Kyoto (Capital City), which is the name that has been used for it ever since.