Zu den religiösen Aspekten tugendhafter Politik (tokusei) zum Schutz von Herrscher und Volk im frühen Mittelalter

摘要

This article focuses on administrative efforts through acts of benevo-\udlent or virtuous governance (tokusei) as means to secure divine protection\udfrom the Buddhas and kami in early medieval Japan. This aspect of tokusei has\udhitherto been neglected in this regard mainly because the term came to be associated\udprimarily with economical regulations, especially debt relief. This narrow\udunderstanding originated most notably with the “Regulations of the Einin era”,\udEinin no tokuseirei 永仁の徳政令, issued in 1297, and has continued through the\udfollowing centuries until the present day. However, tokusei – as will be argued –\udwas part of the symbolic politics and religious justification of power, especially\udfor the Tennō and his court in Kyōto, and later for the warrior governments and\udShōgun in Kamakura. These acts of virtuous rule, manifesting in several ways,\udserved along with religious rituals as emergency measures for divine protection\udagainst natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, crop failure or even astronomical\udphenomena such as comets. At the turn of the 12th century, tokusei\udbegan to be used for general political reforms as well, and with the dual government\udbetween Kyōto and Kamakura taking shape, the focus shifted to hardships\udof the rural population. In this context benevolent measures taken for the people\udcame to be deeply connected with divine protection for the powerful.