Seventeen-article constitution
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The Seventeen-article constitution (十七条憲法 Jūshichijō kenpō) is a document originating in 604 and said to be authored by Prince Shōtoku. The emphasis of the document is not so much on the basic laws by which the state was to be governed, such as we might expect from a modern constitution, rather, it was a highly Confucian document that focused on the kinds of morals and virtues that were to be expected of government officials and the emperor's subjects to ensure a smooth running state where the emperor ruled with absolute authority. It is one of the earliest moral dictitorial documents in history.
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