Japanese Shōen System

Timeline

1. c. 800–900Kinai and Ōmi Province · Kinki regionNobles and temples converted commoner fields into shōen through land petitions and dedications, paying annual tribute to lords in place of the zu-yong-diao tax; the court recognized tax exemptions for some shōen, and the number of shōen began to grow.
2. c. 900–1000Throughout Japan · JapanIn the 10th century shōen generally obtained tax exemption and non-entry privileges; official offices could not intervene in collection or land inspection, the collapse of the public-land and public-citizen system accelerated, and powerful clans such as the Fujiwara and strong temples became the largest shōen lords.
3. c. 950–1000Shōen in Kantō and the Tōkaidō · Tōkai regionShōen lords entrusted samurai as shōkan and guard commissioners to protect shōen by force and collect annual tribute; samurai exchanged land and protection for loyalty, and the shōen system and samurai class formed a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship.