Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 1.djvu/134

 tury; for just as the modern government signalised the fall of feudalism and the transfer of administrative power to the sovereign by abolishing the samurai's privilege of wearing two swords, and thus, in effect, abolishing the samurai himself, so when the Taikwa Government put an end to the system of hereditary offices in 645, it collected all the implements of war from their owners and stored this great assemblage of swords, bows, and arrows in magazines. The bearer of arms thus lost whatever prestige had previously attached to that distinction. But such a state of affairs could not be permanent in a country where the control of the indigenous inhabitants still continued to demand constant exhibitions of force. Before forty years had elapsed, another emperor (Temmu) organised a definite military establishment and inaugurated a course of training in warlike exercises; and shortly afterwards, an empress (Jito) introduced conscription. At first only twenty-five per cent of the youths throughout the realm were required to serve, but at the beginning of the eighth century the number was increased to one in every three. All the ryō-min appear to have been held liable for this service. Thus a man engaged one day in hawking merchandise or dyeing cloth might find himself, the next, bearing arms and receiving military training. A regiment was organised for every five rural divisions, and from among these regiments certain sections were