San-chi-sei (_??__??__??_) in the Early Meiji Era

Abstract

In this paper, I have made an inquiry into the San-chi-sei of fu (_??_), ken (_??_), and han (_??_) in the Early Meiji Era, especially into the part played by fu during the period just before the abolition of han (clans) and into the establishment of ken (prefecture) from the historical point of view of the word fu. Thus, I have partly made clear the process of the establishment of the centralized national government from the viewpoint of the constitutional history.