Mahito was the highest in the
Yakusa no kabane system of eight
kabane titles (the second being
Ason and the third being
Sukune), which was established in October 684, during the reign of
Emperor Tenmu.
Mahito was originally a Chinese
Taoist term for
hermit,
shinjin, but it was read as "mahito" in the
Yakusa no kabane system, and was given the descendants of the
Imperial Family after
Emperor Ōjin. However, during the
Nara period, the
kabane system was abolished, and the number of clans taking the title gradually decreased. == See also ==