 Occupants of the throne during the period gradually shifted their focus from military preparation, to religious rites and institutions, in an attempt to strengthen their divine authority over the population.With the establishment of the new capital, Asuka-dera, the temple of the Soga clan, was relocated within Nara.The Emperor Shōmu ordered the construction of Tōdai-ji Temple (largest wooden building in the world) and the world's largest bronze Buddha statue.