The Seventeen Article Constitution Essay

Based on the edicts and guidelines proposed in The Seventeen Article Constitution, it can be inferred that Japanese rulers faced several internal problems and conflicts that Shotoku hoped to resolve through the creation of this document. For example, it can be inferred that local feuds undermined peace and imperial authority, leading to the need for a constitution that would restore law and order and provide guidelines that would contribute to the reunification and betterment of Japanese society. The constitution may have been written as a way for Japanese authorities to strengthen their own emerging state, and adopt a range of Chinese political values and practices that allowed for Sui and Tang China to flourish and prosper. As referenced in the document, “As an early Japanese state gradually took shape in the sixth and seventh centuries, it was confronted by serious internal divisions of clan, faction, and religion.” This illustrates that Japanese rulers may have been faced with problems involving religious and social disparities, requiring a leader who could reunify and weld

This may have provided Shotoku with a reason to write articles of the constitution outlining ways to correct the behavior of those subservient to the Emperor and restore law and order within society. As referenced in The Seventeen Article Constitution, “When you receive the Imperial commands, fail not scrupulously to obey them. The lord is Heaven, the vassal is Earth. Heaven overspreads; and Earth upbears…. When the superior acts, the inferior yields compliance.” If imperial commands and injunctions were not always obeyed, Shotoku may have felt the need to write this article as a guideline as to how a harmonious and consolidated society would be structured, resolving the internal issue of disobedience and disregard for laws or government