also: たいりょう
noun
district director (ritsuryō system)
Historical term for a government official in charge of a district under the ritsuryō system. Compare 長官 (かみ).
See also: 長官 (かみ)
大領は律令制下の地方官の一つである。
The dairyō was one of the local officials under the ritsuryō system.
長官 (かみ) is a broader term for a head official, while 大領 specifically refers to a district director in the ritsuryō system.
From 大 (dai, 'great') + 領 (ryō, 'territory, jurisdiction'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is a title from the ritsuryō system.