44 Minamoto no Yoritomo [1] (an omission) To some up, Minamoto no Yoritomo placed his own vassals as Provincial Constables and Stewards of the entire country to assume policing and taxation. He also forced the imperial court to eliminate those of whom he disapprofed, and replace them with his aristocratic friends. Hence ranks and appointments were no longer to be directly conferred by the court; they had to be made on the basis of Minamoto no Yoritomo's personal recommendation. Minamoto no Yoritomo lived in the countryside of Kamakura, and he held merely Second Rank, Minor. Yet this system enabled him to have complete political power in Japan. Five years later, in the 11th month of the 1st year of Kenkyuu era (1190), he was appointed a Provisional Major Counsellor and Major Captain of the Right. Two years kater in the 7th month of the 3rd year of Kenkyuu era (112), he was appointed the Commander of the Barbarian-Quelling Headquarters of the East, which in English always retains the original Japanese title of Shougun. The office of Shougun became hereditary in the Minamoto Family. But his own governing office, called the Bakufu (military government), had aleady begun to assume much greater power after his appointment as Major Captain of the Right, in the 2nd year of Kenkyu era (111). Administrative Office Director: Oue no Hiromoto, Former Governor of Inaba Province (Tottori Prefecture). Officer: Fujiwara Yukimasa the Treasurer. High Court Chief Officer: Miyoshi Yasunobu, Junior Lieutenant of the Empress' Household. Warriors' Office Director-General: Wada no Yoshimori, Second Lieutenant of Left Gate Guards. Head Officer: Kajiwara no Kagetoki. The Administrative Office was in charge of government matters, the High Court judged issues of law involving warriors, and the Warriors' Office dealt with all matters regarding the warriors. This establishment had been completed by the beginning of the 2nd year of Kenkyuu era (1191), and Minamoto no Yoritomo's appointment as Shougun took place in the 3rd year Kenkyuu era (1192). However, at the end of the 1st year of Bunji era (1185) Minamoto no Yoritomo had already become the Head of his government, called the Bakufu, and took control of the entire nation. This irregular mode of government persisted for the next 700 years, with some interruptions. It lasted through the Kamakura, Muromachi, and Edo periods, until Tokugawa Yoshinobu relinquished his authority to the imperial government in the 10th month of Keiou era (1867). Two months later, the restoration of imperial authority took place. The beginning of this enduring form of government dates back to the 12th month of the 1st year of the Bunji era (1185).

　

44　源頼朝（上） 　 （前略） 　一方には全国に御家人を配置して守護地頭とし、警察と徴税とを掌る、他方には朝廷 に強請して、気に入らぬ人物は朝廷から排除し、あとは自分と意志の疎通する公卿ばか りで政治をとって貰う、そして凡そ武士の官位は、朝廷から直接にお授けになるのでは なく、必ず頼朝の推薦によらねばならぬ、こうなれば頼朝は辺鄙の鎌倉に住んでおり、 位は従二位を賜っているだけで、官職としては何にも任命せられていないでも、天下の 実権を完全に我が物として握っている事が出来ましょう。その後、五年たって建久元年 十一月、頼朝は権大納言にして右大将を兼ね、更に二年たって、建久三年七月、征夷大 将軍に任ぜられました。その右大将に任ぜられた直後の建久二年から、頼朝の事務所は 、堂々たる体裁を整えてきました。即ち、 　政所　　別当　前因幡守　　大江広元 　　　　　令　　主計允　　　藤原行政 　問注所　執事　中宮大夫属　三善康信 　侍所　　別当　左衛門少尉　和田義盛 　　　　　所司　梶原景時 　 　政所は政務をつかさどり、問注所は裁判をつかさどり、そして侍所は武士を統括する 所でありました。かように役所の体裁は建久二年の初めにととのい、征夷大将軍の称号 は建久三年に与えられましたが、実質的に頼朝が天下兵馬の権を握って幕府の主となっ たのは、文治元年（西暦一一八五年）のくれの事でした。それより鎌倉、室町、江戸を 通じて、やがて慶応三年（西暦一八六七年）十月徳川慶喜の大政奉還、ついで十二月の 王政復古によって、完全に廃止せられるまで、その中に中断はあるものの、殆ど七百年 近くも続いた変体政治「幕府」は、この文治元年のくれに成立したのです。

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