ently
powerful to dispense with such artificial aids.

THE FIEFS

There were certain general divisions of the feudatories. Everyone
possessing a fief of 10,000 koku or upwards was called a daimyo. The
title included the Sanke, the Sankyo, the gokemon (governor of
Echizen), the fudai (hereditary vassals), and the tozama. These were
again subdivided into three classes according to the sizes of their
fiefs. In the first class stood the kokushu (called also kuni-mochi,
or provincial barons) who possessed revenues of at least 300,000
koku. The second class consisted of the joshu (called also
shiro-mochi, or castle-owning barons) whose incomes ranged between
100,000 and 300,000 koku. Finally, the third class was composed of
the ryoshu (sometimes known as shiro-nashi, or castleless barons),
whose revenues ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 koku. These feudatories
might be recommended by the shogun for Court rank in Kyoto, but the
highest office thus conferred was that of dainagon (great
councillor), from which fact the attitude of the feudatories towards
imperially conferred distinctions can be easily appreciated.
Nevertheless, the rules of etiquette were strictly observed by
provincial magnates attending Court functions. They had to conform
carefully to the order of their precedence and with the sumptuary
rules as to colour and quality of garments, and any departure from
these conventions was severely punished.

SUCCESSION

If a feudatory committed some crime or died childless, the law
required that he should be transferred to another province, or that
his successor should suffer a considerable reduction of revenue.
Experience showed, however, that as many of the feudatories died
childless, there were numerous losses of fiefs, and ultimately it was
enacted that a baron might adopt a successor by way of precaution,
unless he deferred that step until he lay dying or sought permission
to take it before he reached the age of seventeen. This meant that if
any feudal chief died before reaching his seventeenth year, his
estate was lost to his family. By way of correcting such a hardship,
the adoption of an heir was afterwards sanctioned without reference
to the age of the adopter, and it was further decided that a man of
fifty or upwards might adopt a son even on his death-bed. Finally, in
the year 1704, all these restrictions were virtually abolished, and
especially the rule that an adopted son must necessarily belong to
the fami