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Prince Shōtoku

Type Figure Region Japan Time 574–622 Also known as Prince Umayado

Prince Shōtoku (574–622) was a regent of Japan's Asuka period, nephew of Empress Suiko, who promoted reforms including the Twelve Level Cap and Rank …

Timeline

  1. 593–622Asuka capital · Yamato ProvinceServing as regent under Empress Suiko as Prince Umayado, he directed court affairs, coordinated the power of great clans, and advanced institutional reforms.
  2. 604Asuka capital · Yamato ProvinceHe established the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System, granting official ranks based on ability rather than mere birth, weakening clan monopolies and laying the foundation for later ritsuryō officialdom.
  3. 607–608Asuka capital · Yamato ProvinceHe dispatched envoys such as Ono no Imoko to the Sui, delivering state letters and introducing continental institutions and culture, opening a new pattern of tributary diplomacy in East Asia.

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