Inbe Clan

Imbe clan (also spelled Imibe clan or Inbe clan) was a Japanese clan during the Yamato period. They claimed descent from Futodama.

The Inbe clan originally had a religious function by preparing and taking care of offerings.

Overview

As the name of the clan "Imu" means "to abstain from Kegare", or "Saibai", the Imu clan was responsible for the rituals of the ancient Imperial Court, as well as for making ritual implements and building palaces. In the narrow sense, it refers to the Imaibe family, the central family that led the Imaibe clan, but in the broad sense, it includes the clans of the tribesmen who were led by the Imaibe clan.

The main Imaibe family claimed its ancestor was Amatatama-no-mikoto, who appeared in the Amano-Iwato myth of the Chronicles. It was based in the area around the present-day town of Imbe in Kashihara, Nara. They led the various clans in the region, and together with the Nakatomi clan, administered rituals for the Imperial Court since ancient times. In the Shukushi of the Enki-Shiki, it is written, "Let the Saibe clan's shukushi be used for the rituals of the palace and the gates, and let the Nakatomi clan's shukushi be used for all other rituals."

However, starting around the Nara period, the Nakatomi clan grew in power, and overwhelmed the Inbe position. In the early Heian period, the clan changed its name from Imaibe to Saibe, and Saibe Hironari wrote the book ''Kogo Shūi''. However, it never regained its momentum, and the position of ritual clan was occupied by the Nakatomi and Ohnakatomi clans.

The Imbe were divided into two groups: the Tomobe (public officials belonging to the imperial court) and the Kakibe (private citizens of the Imbe). Unlike the Saibes of the central clans, who had fewer and fewer achievements, the Imbe of the various regions included Izumo, who delivered jade, Kii, who delivered wood, Awa, who delivered cotton and linen, and Sanuki, who delivered shields. It is known from the literature that the people of these tribes later took the name of Imaibe. These local clans left their traces everywhere.

Origins

In the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, it is written that '' Amenotama-no-mikoto'' and Amenokoya-no-mikoto were involved in rituals in the myth of Amano-Iwato. Ame-no-Koyane were involved in the ritual relationship, and both deities were followed together in the Descent of the Sun. Both of these deities were in charge of the rituals of the Imperial Court at the time of the compilation of the Chronicles. This reflects the difference in power between the Nakatomi clan and the Imbe clan at the time of the compilation. On the contrary, the position is reversed in the Kogo Shūi of the Imbe clan.

The Kogo Shūi on the side of the Imbe clan reverses its position. As for the origin of Amata-tamamikoto, the Kogo Shūi says that he is the son of Takamimusubi no Kami, and the Shinsen Surname Records follows this, but the origin is not mentioned in the Kojiki or Nihonshoki, so the truth is not clear.

History

The clan started off as low class but gained power due to religious reasons. During the reign of Emperor Kōtoku, the Inbe, along with the Nakatomi and Urabe clans, were tasked with supervising Jingikan. The clan lost its power during the reign of Emperor Shōmu. In the year 927 CE, members of the clan lost their long-standing right to present ''asa'' cloth for use in the imperial rituals.

The Imbe clan is said to have established itself around the late 5th century to early 6th century, and initially took the name "Imbe 首 (Obito)". Yamato Province Takaichi-gun Kanahashi-mura Imbe (now Nara Prefecture Kashihara City, Imbe Town) as the Honkan (base). , where the Amata-tamamikoto Shrine (Shikinai Meishin-taisha), dedicated to the ancestral deity Amata-tamamikoto, still remains. He was also involved in the construction of temples and palaces, as well as in the manufacture of ritual implements.

He was also involved in making ritual implements and building temples and palaces. His name is first mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, Daika first year (645) article, where he was sent to Mino Province by Imbe Shukomaro to levy divine money. During the Jinshin War of the first year of Tenmu (672), the Imbe Shukoto (also known as Shukoto or Shukoto) belonged to the shogun Otomo Fukiage and defended the ancient capital of Yamato with Aratao Nao Akamaro. In the 9th year of Emperor Temmu's reign ( 680), he and his younger brother Irofuru (色夫知/色布知) were given the Kabane of Ren (Muraji). In addition, in the 13th year of Emperor Temmu's reign (684), he received the Kabane of Shukune (Sukune) along with 50 other clans of the Ren surname. In the fourth year of Emperor Jitō (690), when Emperor Jitō ascended to the throne, Irofuro offered a sword and mirror with the divine seal, and in the first year of Keiun (704), his son was appointed as a minister to Ise. In the first year of the Keiun reign (704), a son was appointed to the post of Ise minister.

In the first year of the Keiun reign (704), his son was appointed as Ise bounty messenger. In Tenpyo 7 (735), the Imbe Shukune Mushi-na, Torimaro, and others appealed for the appointment of the Imbe clan as bishops, and their appeal was granted. However, in June of Tenpyō-shōhō 9 (757), only the Nakatomi clan was appointed, and no other surnames were recognized.But in the Tenpyō-hōji era (757-765) However, in the Tenpyo-Hoji era (757-765), Imbe Shukune Hitonari, Gohanomaro, and others were appointed as envoys, and it is believed that the Imbe clan appealed to the government afterwards (, ). After this, the Nakatomi (and later the Ohnakatomi) clan's exclusion of other clans became so pronounced that some of them were not even allowed to hold positions unique to the Imbe clan.

In Enryaku 22 (803), the name was changed to Saibu upon the application of Imbe Sukune Hamanari. In the first year of Daidō (806), the dispute with the Nakatomi clan developed into a situation of ''complaint between the two clans'', and in the same year, an imperial order decreed that prayers should be offered by both clans, and that both clans should be used equally for consecration messengers other than for regular worship. Then, in Daido 2 (807), ''Kogo Shūi'' was written by Saibe Hironari, criticizing the tradition of the Saibe clan and the Nakatomi clan.

However, the Saibe clan has been pushed back by the power of the Nakatomi clan and is no longer visible on the stage of history. In the Shinsen Seijiroku of 815, the name "Saibe Shukune" is listed as a descendant of Amatatama-no-mikoto, son of Taka-no-Sanrei-no-mikoto, in the ShImbetsu (heavenly deity) section.

The story of Aba Imbe's relocation to the east

In the "Kokugo Shiki" and other works, the following story is known as the origin of the name "Boso" by Aba Imbe, a tribesman.

Records

"Gleanings of Ancient Words" (established in 807)The Ancient Word Collection（(See also.) According to a story in the Sekaiyo Kyu-jihonki and Sekaiyo Kyu-jihonki, Amatomi-no-mikoto (grandson of Amatatatama-no-mikoto), a distant ancestor of the Imbe clan, led the Saibe-no-mikoto of various regions to make various ritual implements, and led the Saibe-no-mikoto of Awa to the east in search of a better land, where he planted hemp (asa) and grain (Paper mulberry

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