also: しじょう
noun
junior official under the sakan (ritsuryō system)
Historical term for a low-ranking government clerk in the ritsuryō bureaucracy, ranked just below the sakan (主典).
See also: 主典
律令制では、史生は主典の下で文書作成や記録を担当した。
Under the ritsuryō system, the shishō was responsible for drafting documents and keeping records under the sakan.
Standard kanji spelling for this historical official title.
Alternate reading; less common than ししょう.
The term is composed of 史 (history, record) and 生 (life, student), likely referring to a junior scribe or clerk. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.