Although it was ostensibly a household agency of the Empress Dowager Komyo, it was actually a military and administrative organization of the Empress Koken and FUJIWARA no Nakamaro faction that was established in order to cope with the anti-Nakamaro and anti-Koken movement which was then active involving Daijokan (the revolt of TACHIBANA no Naramaro occurred two months later).
表面上は光明皇太后の家政機関の体裁を取っていたものの、実際には孝謙天皇－藤原仲麻呂に属する独自の軍事・行政機関として当時太政官を巻き込んで展開された反仲麻呂・反孝謙天皇の動き（2ヵ月後に橘奈良麻呂の乱が発生する）に備えたものとされている。