1868, all shrine priests were placed under the authority of the new Jingikan, or Council of Kami Affairs. A project of forcible separating kami worship from Buddhism as implemented, with Buddhist monks, deities, buildings, and rituals being banned from kami shrines. Buddhist imagery, scriptures, and ritual equipment were burnt, covered in excrement, or otherwise destroyed. In 1871, a new hierarchy of shrines was introduced, with imperial and national shrines at the top. Hereditary priesthoods were abolished and a new state-sanctioned system for appointing priests was introduced.