(from
Old Japanese: ''muraⁿzi'' < *''mura-nusi'' "village master"
) was an ancient
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese hereditary title denoting rank and political standing (a ''
kabane'') that was reserved for the most powerful among the ''Tomo no
Miyatsuko'' clans, which were clans associated with particular occupations. The ''muraji'' rivaled the rank of ''
omi
is a hereditary noble title (''kabane'') of ancient Japan. It was given to the descendants of the Imperial Family before Emperor Kōgen. Along with ''Muraji'', ''Omi'' was reserved for the head of the most powerful clans during the Kofun period. ...
'' in political power and standing during much of the
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...
and were frequently in conflict with them over political issues such as whether
Buddhism should be accepted and issues of imperial succession. By tradition the ''muraji'' clans claimed descent from mythological gods (神別氏族, ''shinbetsu shizoku'') and included such clans as the Ōtomo (大伴), the
Nakatomi (中臣), the
Mononobe
The was a Japanese aristocratic kin group (''uji'') of the Kofun period, known for its military opposition to the Soga clan. The Mononobe were opposed to the spread of Buddhism, partly on religious grounds, claiming that the local deities wou ...
(物部) and the Inbe (忌部).
Like the ''omi'', the most powerful ''muraji'' added the prefix ''Ō'' (大) to ''muraji'' and were referred to as ''Ōmuraji'' (大連). Examples of ''Ōmuraji'' mentioned in the ''
Nihon Shoki'' included Mononobe no Ikofutsu (物部伊莒弗) during the reign of
Emperor Richū,
Ōtomo no Muroya (大伴室屋),
Ōtomo no Kanamura (大伴金村),
Mononobe no Me (物部目),
Mononobe no Arakabi (物部麁鹿火),
Mononobe no Okoshi (物部尾輿) and
Mononobe no Moriya (物部守屋).
When the ''kabane'' system was reformed into the eight ''
kabane'' system in 684, a few of the powerful ''muraji'' of the time were given the ''kabane'' of ''
ason'', which ranked second under the new system, but most were given the ''kabane'' of ''
sukune'', which ranked third. ''Muraji'' itself was dropped to seventh in rank.
List of ''Ō-muraji'' (大連)
*
Mononobe no Toochone (物部十千根)
*
Mononobe no Ikofutsu (物部伊莒弗), great-grandson of Toochone
*
Ōtomo no Muroya (大伴室屋)
*
Mononobe no Me (物部目), son of Ikofutsu
*
Ōtomo no Kanamura (大伴金村), grandson of Muroya
*
Mononobe no Itabi (物部木蓮子), grandson of Ikofutsu
*
Mononobe no Arakabi (物部 麁鹿火), grandson of Itabi (died 536)
*
Mononobe no Okoshi (物部 尾輿), grandson of Me
*
Mononobe no Nieko (物部 贄子), son of Okoshi
*
Mononobe no Moriya (物部 守屋), son of Okoshi (died 587)
References
Ancient Japan
{{Japan-hist-stub