As the imperial court was no longer able to maintain control over the population based on the land allotment system and the family registration system and depended more and more on indirect means of control through rich families (called "tato fumyo" in Japanese) who were subcontracted for the management of farmland, the Ritsuryo system gradually collapsed and the status system itself was reduced to a nominal existence.
朝廷が班田制と戸籍制度を基礎にした人民の人別支配を放棄し、名田経営を請け負う田堵負名を通じた間接支配への移行により律令制が解体していく過程で、この身分制も次第に有名無実化した。