Manza

Manza [前最; まんざ] was the title given to the military dictators of Kanton's national army during the period spanning from the 12th century to 1879. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, manza were given the governance of the national military, and were in charge of most national affairs. They were chosen from a pool of high-ranking nominees from the imperial courts who had been put forward through their power, wealth, or in later periods, through voting by the populace.
Although manza were figureheads of protection, control, and peace-keeping, they retained only nominal authority. The manza's officials were known collectively as the kunjō; they were the ones who carried out the duties of administration, although they had to follow the commands of their leader. These groups often consisted of high-ranking and experienced local sai. Once a certain clan or family had taken the title of manza, it could be handed down hereditarily unless disrupted.
== Etymology ==
The word manza uses the two characters 前 [man] meaning 'face' or 'forward', and 最 [za] meaning 'military' or 'army'. In other words, it could be transliterated as 'face of the army' - meaning a prefectural force.
== History ==
Although the actual office and title of manza did not exist until it was formed by the Emperor Iezu in 1227, it was inspired by a previous generation of military officials known as konbūshin, who served a very similar role throughout the Chisō period. Konbūshin were powerful commanders who oversaw their prefectural armies and were in charge of all military affairs within their home regions. They worked alongside the chief of a clan, making them hugely powerful, and they held more prestige than knights [sai]. Konbūshin continued to work under their kunjō administrators until the 1800s, when the entire system was abolished. They were often powerful landowners who oversaw certain regions or districts under provinces.
There was much conflict involved with the system of choosing a new konbūshin, as although the title was passed down hereditarily, competition for such strong power and influence was always rife and sometimes quite ferocious. First-born sons of existing konbūshin were expected to inherit the title, but it was common for their brothers to sabotage their inheritance, or even for other family members to try and disprove their worth and take the title for themselves. It was possible for the heir to be changed if the current was considered unfit, which presented a lot of opportunity to those who coveted the title. Being the first-born son of a konbūshin commander was incredibly dangerous. An old, jocular proverb says 'if a būshin-mida [heir] is fit to survive his childhood, he is fit to become konbūshin.'
By the early 1300s, the system of manza had been approved and set in place. Konbūshin continued their work, answering to the manza for the organisation of expeditions or higher affairs.