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Reference.org
Twelve Level Cap and Rank System
open-in-new
<h2 id="innovations">Innovations</h2> <p>The primary distinction between this new system and the old <i><a href="/facts/Kabane/etd71uDm">kabane</a></i> system by which a person's rank was determined based on heredity, was that the cap and rank system allowed for promotion based on merit and individual achievement. One of the more well known examples of promotion within the cap and rank system is that of <a href="/facts/Ono_no_Imoko/grVMP7M3">Ono no Imoko</a>. When Imoko was first sent as an envoy to the <a href="/facts/Sui_dynasty/r5Mjp8lj">Sui</a> court in 607, he was ranked Greater Propriety (5th rank), but he was eventually promoted to the top rank of Greater Virtue because of his achievements, particularly during his second trip to Sui in 608. </p> <h2 id="ranks-and-colors">Ranks and colors</h2> <p>The following table lists the various ranks and the colors that were believed to have been assigned to each one.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p> <table><tbody><tr><td>Rank</td><td>Kanji</td><td>Romaji</td><td>English</td><td>Color</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>大徳</td><td>Daitoku</td><td>Greater Virtue</td><td>Deep Purple</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>2</td><td>小徳</td><td>Shōtoku</td><td>Lesser Virtue</td><td>Light Purple</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>3</td><td>大仁</td><td>Daijin</td><td>Greater Benevolence</td><td>Deep Blue</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>4</td><td>小仁</td><td>Shōjin</td><td>Lesser Benevolence</td><td>Light Blue</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>5</td><td>大礼</td><td>Dairei</td><td>Greater Propriety</td><td>Deep Red</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>6</td><td>小礼</td><td>Shōrei</td><td>Lesser Propriety</td><td>Light Red</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>7</td><td>大信</td><td>Daishin</td><td>Greater Sincerity</td><td>Deep Yellow</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>8</td><td>小信</td><td>Shōshin</td><td>Lesser Sincerity</td><td>Light Yellow</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>9</td><td>大義</td><td>Daigi</td><td>Greater Justice</td><td>Deep White</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>10</td><td>小義</td><td>Shōgi</td><td>Lesser Justice</td><td>Light White</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>11</td><td>大智</td><td>Daichi</td><td>Greater Knowledge</td><td>Deep Black</td></tr></tbody></table> <table><tbody><tr><td>12</td><td>小智</td><td>Shōchi</td><td>Lesser Knowledge</td><td>Light Black</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Court ranks". <a href="http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Court_Ranks" target="_blank">http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Court_Ranks</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Court ranks". <a href="http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Court_Ranks" target="_blank">http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Court_Ranks</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Yoshimura, Takehiko: 'Kodai Ōken no Tenkai (古代王権の展開)', p. 126. Shūeisha, 1999. <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>