As these private estates were usually tax-free, the Imperial government
was soon deprived of its revenue. And so, as time went on, the Emperor
became a mere figurehead. Elaborate state councils and ministries,
patterned after those of China, became nothing more than ceremonial
forms. Yet centralization was maintained for several centuries, with
the great Fujiwara family as the real power behind the throne. This
family held vast provincial estates, controlled many of the local
officials, and dominated the court. By wedding the Imperial princes
to Fujiwara ladies, it reduced the Emperors to puppets. The Fujiwara
dictatorship ruled a much more intricate and cultured society than had
existed in the early clan period. On the surface, this new society was
Chinese; in fact, it was still run in the old Japanese way.
Changes there had been, however. The courtier had replaced the warrior.
Instead of fighting clan chieftains, a bureaucracy of civilians now
ruled. Buddhism had pervaded Japanese society from top to bottom. The
teachings of Confucius had also been introduced from China. For a time
the home-grown Shinto religion was overshadowed, and lay dormant. But
it was not wholly eclipsed. The Emperor reigned, if he did not rule.
Though the Shinto ritual, playing up the Emperor’s descent from the Sun
Goddess, might be neglected, it was never lost. Japanese government
was still theocratic (centering on a priest-king), even if a Fujiwara
pulled the strings and bureaucrats played all the active roles.