In 646, the Japanese Imperial Court declared all land as state-owned and conducted a population census. Adult citizens were given land, but were obligated to pay taxes on it. The legal system was also reformed, following the example of the Tang Dynasty in China. This resulted in imperial bureaucrats being selected to govern the country, and powerful aristocrats gradually became government officials. These reforms strengthened the centralized control of the emperor. Although the idea of giving land equally to all…
