Shogunate In Japan
Japan : The Fall of the Shogunate Reshma Menon
Japan has a very rich and a unique history, making it stand out among the rest of the civilization. While they became more refined, Japan still hold to its military roots, which can be seen from the formation of the Shogunate.The Shogun is the military commander and has way more power than the Emperor, who became just a figurehead.This paper
1
postulates the demise of the Shogun bakufu was brought about three distinct factors. These factors include class system, religion and trade.We will be mainly looking at Cultural and linguistic anthropology. A distinct element that is present in each of the periods is the belief of aggressive military strength during the Shogunate period and will be …show more content…
mentioned throughout the paper.
Creation of the Shogunate
The Shogunate was first established in the He ian period, named after the capital
. Meaning “peace and tranquility”,
[2]
this period is when the warrior class dominated Japan
. Starting at the Asuka period, the government was based of the
[2]
chinese Tang dynasty administration
. Prince Shotoku, who was heavily influenced by buddhism, confucianism and
[2]
chinese laws, attempted to create a similar government
. Prince Shotoku’s model was a failure, with the nation divided
[2]
with people who wanted a centralized government based of the chinese model versus people who wanted independent chieftains with their own lands
.
[2]
The political battle ended by the Nara period, though the efforts of Emperor Temmu. Emperor Temmu created a capital that praised the magnificence of the emperor along with a detailed administrative laws and codes
.While having a
[2]
strong government, the heavy taxes on farmers and peasants led them to sell their land and become tenants of the land owner; buddhist monasteries (imported from China and later “japanized”) and the aristocracy were the ones who are
1
immune to the taxation
. This led to diminishing state income, making the power shift from the central government to
[2]
the largest independent landowners
.
[2]
While the powershift was going on, the Fujiwara family controlled the political decisions through centuries of strategic decisions, intermarriages with the imperial family and occupying major political offices in Kyoto(capital) and the major states . However, their power on Japan soon lessens and the public is angry at the heavy taxations; the Fujiwara family
[2]
could no longer guarantee their safety nor of the land owners
. This led to many of them to hire samurai’s to quell the
[2]
public
. This would later be the contributing factor in giving the samurai class power and domination over the farmers,
[2]
artisans and the merchants
.
[2]
The Fujiwara’s control came to an end when they couldn’t control the new emperor GoSanjo
. Emperor GoSanjo
[2]
began a new type of government called the Insei government were the emperors exerted power
.The Fujiwara’s power
[2]
was replaced by two other aristocratic families; the Minamoto(Genji) and the Taira(Heike) families
. The Taira family
[4]
raised ranks though political prowess while the Minamoto family gained military experience by conquering lands of the
Northern Honshu(Mainland)
. The Taira family won the power struggle and led by Taira Kiyomori, they ruled through
[4]
the emperor
. The Minamoto family kept rising in power; after Kiyomori’s death, the two families battled out for the
[4]
next five years
. The Minamoto family arose victorious, led by Minamoto Yoritomo who ruled as the leader of Japan
.
[4]
[4]
With no remaining enemies, he was the first appointed Shogun and created a new form of government in his home city
Kamakura
.
[4]
The Warring Period and the Daimyo While creating a samuraidominated Kamakura bakufu, they were soon overthrown by the Mongols
. With nothing to
[4]
gain and much to lose, the Kamakura bakufu was overwhelmed
.The emperor tried to gain his power back, but was
[4]
instead driven away by Ashikaga Takauji, who served under the Minamoto family and the emperor
. Instead, Ashikaga
[4]
Takauji appointed himself the Shogun and established his government in Kyoto
.The government buildings where
[4]
located in the
Muromachi district,hence the Muromachi bakufu and the Muromachi period
. The Muromachi bakufu
[4]
was able to control the central states, but slowly lost control over the outer regions
. Their power kept diminishing till
[4]
the bakufu had no power
. Instead, the landowning militaristic families dominated Japan. The Muromachi bakufu
[4]
cooperated with many of them, giving the families influences over whole states
. These feudal lords, called the daimyo,
[4]
fought each other and soon led to the civil wars called the Sengoku jidai
.
[4]
Edo period : The Shogun bakufu at the pinnacle Before the Tokugawa period, Japan was in an era of civil wars with mainly three feudal lords emerging powerful: Oda
Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu . They were the three main contenders trying to be the next
[13]
shogun . Oda Nobunaga was keen on uniting Japan and kept cutting down his enemies one after another,
[13]
reestablishing the central power, until he was defeated by his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide . Toyotomi Hideyoshi quickly
[13]
reacted and defeated Akechi, continuing to eliminate his remaining rivals . Hideyoshi completed Nobunaga 's work and
[13]
reunited Japan . To have full control, he banned swords, forced the samurai to live in castle towns and even expelled
[13]
christian missionaries . He tries to conquer China, with his forces starting from Korea and capturing Seoul
. The
[13]
[9]
chinese Ming and korean forces soon responded but Hideyoshi didn’t give up until his death . Tokugawa Ieyasu, who
[13]
has partnered up with both Nobunaga and Hideyoshi and has been waiting for this golden opportunity, succeeded
Hideyoshi as the new leader of Japan .
[13]
This led to the Tokugawa period or the Edo(Tokyo) period
. Ieyasu defeated Hideyoshi’s successor and was appointed
[9]
as the Shogun by the emperor
. He persecuted christians, believing that they were unloyal
,
. Foreign trade, while
[9]
[9]
permitted, was very limited and done in the port of Nagasaki
. Foreign books and travelling abroad was banned, Japan
[9]
was completely isolated from the outside world
.This lasted for 200 years and is known as the Sakoku period
.This
[9]
[9]
isolation would later prove to be a deterrent for Japanese technological advancement which would be later one of the main reasons why the conservative shogun bakufu could not survive.
During this period, Confucianism was prevalent
. A hierarchical order was created : At the top, the samurai
[9]
stood
.Then the farmers, artisans and the last being the merchants
.The daimyos, shogun and the Emperor stood above
[9]
[9]
the hierarchy
. A fifth class, were outcasts and people with jobs considered impure, was created
. The adoption of
[9]
[9]
“Japanized” NeoConfucianism to a society which has its roots on belief of independence and aggressive military forces will soon backfire.
Peace reigned, which gave the opportunity for merchants to grow and soon become wealthier than the samurai, who became financially depend upon the merchants .Heavy taxation and famine cause many farmers to riot and financial
[13]
problems for the bakufu
. Unable to pay the samurai, many of them became ronin(a samurai with no lord) or
[9]
mercenaries
. They were hired by the merchants, who could afford their needs
. Some samurai even became
[9]
[9]
gangsters . The bakufu experienced a decline in morals, power and rampant corruption took over
.
[13]
[9]
Tokugawa bakufu : The Last Shogunate
Meanwhile, the Rangaku monitored foreign affairs and trade, specifically the west
. The bakufu lifted the ban on
[9]
western literature and teachings from the Dutch and China entered Japan
. Mainly, the western teachings of medicine
[9]
shamed japanese doctors for treating their patients with knowledge of the body .
[13]
With Japan’s acceptance of the Dutch, other countries soon set sail to Japan in the name of commerce . The Russians,
[13]
the Europeans and the Americans came to Japan to establish trade contacts but were refused . Finally,
Commodore
[13]
Perry in 1853 gave an ultimatum to the Tokugawa bakufu: Either they are to open for international trade voluntarily or they will be forced to open up . The Americans had much sophisticated technology at their disposal and the bakufu
[13]
were forced to sign a peace treaty, which many daimyos and samurai considered to be humiliating . Soon, Japan was
[13]
divided again; people who wanted open more international trade ports and are antigovernment and be able to travel abroad versus people who were antiwest and ultraconservative samurai who believed in independence, until they saw the American steamships . With the Tokugawa bakufu slowly losing power with the heavy taxation, people revolted
[13]
for government reforms . Due to heavy political pressures, the Tokugawa bakufu was disbanded and the power of the
[13]
Emperor was restored
.
[9]
Citations
1. "Japanese History."
Japan Reference JREF
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015. < http://www.jref.com/history >.
2."Japanese History: Nara, Heian Periods."
Japanese History: Nara, Heian Periods
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2132.html
>.
3."Historical Periods of Japan Japan Reference (JREF)."
Japan Reference JREF
. 10 May 2013. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.jref.com/history/historicalperiodsjapan/
>.
4."Japanese History: Kamakura Period."
Japanese History: Kamakura Period
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2133.html
>.
5."Japanese History: AzuchiMomoyama Period."
Japanese History: AzuchiMomoyama Period
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2123.html
>.
6."The Samurai Archives Japanese History Page."
The Samurai Archives Japanese History Page
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.samuraiarchives.com/index.html
>.
7."It 's More Fun to Be Jack of All Trades Than Master of One."
In Our Time: Japan 's Sakoku Period
. Web. 3 Jan.
2015. < http://ninecats.org/margaret/blog/2013/06/18/ourtimejapanssakokuperiod >.
8."Japanese History: Overview."
Japanese History: Overview
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2126.html
>.
9."Japanese History: Edo Period."
Japanese History: Edo Period
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2128.html
>.
10."Prince Shotoku Japan Reference (JREF)."
Japan Reference JREF
. 3 Dec. 2012. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.jref.com/history/princeshotoku/
>.
11.Szczepanski, Kallie. "The FourTiered Class System of Feudal Japan." Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/japan/p/ShogJapanClass.htm
>.
12.Szczepanski, Kallie. "Bakufu in Japan." Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryae/g/bakufuglos.htm
>.
13."Japan : History of Japan 's Ancient and Modern Empire (Full Documentary)."
YouTube
. YouTube. Web. 3 Jan.
2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmTZnnbqfsc>.
Japan has a very rich and a unique history, making it stand out among the rest of the civilization. While they became more refined, Japan still hold to its military roots, which can be seen from the formation of the Shogunate.The Shogun is the military commander and has way more power than the Emperor, who became just a figurehead.This paper
1
postulates the demise of the Shogun bakufu was brought about three distinct factors. These factors include class system, religion and trade.We will be mainly looking at Cultural and linguistic anthropology. A distinct element that is present in each of the periods is the belief of aggressive military strength during the Shogunate period and will be …show more content…
mentioned throughout the paper.
Creation of the Shogunate
The Shogunate was first established in the He ian period, named after the capital
. Meaning “peace and tranquility”,
[2]
this period is when the warrior class dominated Japan
. Starting at the Asuka period, the government was based of the
[2]
chinese Tang dynasty administration
. Prince Shotoku, who was heavily influenced by buddhism, confucianism and
[2]
chinese laws, attempted to create a similar government
. Prince Shotoku’s model was a failure, with the nation divided
[2]
with people who wanted a centralized government based of the chinese model versus people who wanted independent chieftains with their own lands
.
[2]
The political battle ended by the Nara period, though the efforts of Emperor Temmu. Emperor Temmu created a capital that praised the magnificence of the emperor along with a detailed administrative laws and codes
.While having a
[2]
strong government, the heavy taxes on farmers and peasants led them to sell their land and become tenants of the land owner; buddhist monasteries (imported from China and later “japanized”) and the aristocracy were the ones who are
1
immune to the taxation
. This led to diminishing state income, making the power shift from the central government to
[2]
the largest independent landowners
.
[2]
While the powershift was going on, the Fujiwara family controlled the political decisions through centuries of strategic decisions, intermarriages with the imperial family and occupying major political offices in Kyoto(capital) and the major states . However, their power on Japan soon lessens and the public is angry at the heavy taxations; the Fujiwara family
[2]
could no longer guarantee their safety nor of the land owners
. This led to many of them to hire samurai’s to quell the
[2]
public
. This would later be the contributing factor in giving the samurai class power and domination over the farmers,
[2]
artisans and the merchants
.
[2]
The Fujiwara’s control came to an end when they couldn’t control the new emperor GoSanjo
. Emperor GoSanjo
[2]
began a new type of government called the Insei government were the emperors exerted power
.The Fujiwara’s power
[2]
was replaced by two other aristocratic families; the Minamoto(Genji) and the Taira(Heike) families
. The Taira family
[4]
raised ranks though political prowess while the Minamoto family gained military experience by conquering lands of the
Northern Honshu(Mainland)
. The Taira family won the power struggle and led by Taira Kiyomori, they ruled through
[4]
the emperor
. The Minamoto family kept rising in power; after Kiyomori’s death, the two families battled out for the
[4]
next five years
. The Minamoto family arose victorious, led by Minamoto Yoritomo who ruled as the leader of Japan
.
[4]
[4]
With no remaining enemies, he was the first appointed Shogun and created a new form of government in his home city
Kamakura
.
[4]
The Warring Period and the Daimyo While creating a samuraidominated Kamakura bakufu, they were soon overthrown by the Mongols
. With nothing to
[4]
gain and much to lose, the Kamakura bakufu was overwhelmed
.The emperor tried to gain his power back, but was
[4]
instead driven away by Ashikaga Takauji, who served under the Minamoto family and the emperor
. Instead, Ashikaga
[4]
Takauji appointed himself the Shogun and established his government in Kyoto
.The government buildings where
[4]
located in the
Muromachi district,hence the Muromachi bakufu and the Muromachi period
. The Muromachi bakufu
[4]
was able to control the central states, but slowly lost control over the outer regions
. Their power kept diminishing till
[4]
the bakufu had no power
. Instead, the landowning militaristic families dominated Japan. The Muromachi bakufu
[4]
cooperated with many of them, giving the families influences over whole states
. These feudal lords, called the daimyo,
[4]
fought each other and soon led to the civil wars called the Sengoku jidai
.
[4]
Edo period : The Shogun bakufu at the pinnacle Before the Tokugawa period, Japan was in an era of civil wars with mainly three feudal lords emerging powerful: Oda
Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu . They were the three main contenders trying to be the next
[13]
shogun . Oda Nobunaga was keen on uniting Japan and kept cutting down his enemies one after another,
[13]
reestablishing the central power, until he was defeated by his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide . Toyotomi Hideyoshi quickly
[13]
reacted and defeated Akechi, continuing to eliminate his remaining rivals . Hideyoshi completed Nobunaga 's work and
[13]
reunited Japan . To have full control, he banned swords, forced the samurai to live in castle towns and even expelled
[13]
christian missionaries . He tries to conquer China, with his forces starting from Korea and capturing Seoul
. The
[13]
[9]
chinese Ming and korean forces soon responded but Hideyoshi didn’t give up until his death . Tokugawa Ieyasu, who
[13]
has partnered up with both Nobunaga and Hideyoshi and has been waiting for this golden opportunity, succeeded
Hideyoshi as the new leader of Japan .
[13]
This led to the Tokugawa period or the Edo(Tokyo) period
. Ieyasu defeated Hideyoshi’s successor and was appointed
[9]
as the Shogun by the emperor
. He persecuted christians, believing that they were unloyal
,
. Foreign trade, while
[9]
[9]
permitted, was very limited and done in the port of Nagasaki
. Foreign books and travelling abroad was banned, Japan
[9]
was completely isolated from the outside world
.This lasted for 200 years and is known as the Sakoku period
.This
[9]
[9]
isolation would later prove to be a deterrent for Japanese technological advancement which would be later one of the main reasons why the conservative shogun bakufu could not survive.
During this period, Confucianism was prevalent
. A hierarchical order was created : At the top, the samurai
[9]
stood
.Then the farmers, artisans and the last being the merchants
.The daimyos, shogun and the Emperor stood above
[9]
[9]
the hierarchy
. A fifth class, were outcasts and people with jobs considered impure, was created
. The adoption of
[9]
[9]
“Japanized” NeoConfucianism to a society which has its roots on belief of independence and aggressive military forces will soon backfire.
Peace reigned, which gave the opportunity for merchants to grow and soon become wealthier than the samurai, who became financially depend upon the merchants .Heavy taxation and famine cause many farmers to riot and financial
[13]
problems for the bakufu
. Unable to pay the samurai, many of them became ronin(a samurai with no lord) or
[9]
mercenaries
. They were hired by the merchants, who could afford their needs
. Some samurai even became
[9]
[9]
gangsters . The bakufu experienced a decline in morals, power and rampant corruption took over
.
[13]
[9]
Tokugawa bakufu : The Last Shogunate
Meanwhile, the Rangaku monitored foreign affairs and trade, specifically the west
. The bakufu lifted the ban on
[9]
western literature and teachings from the Dutch and China entered Japan
. Mainly, the western teachings of medicine
[9]
shamed japanese doctors for treating their patients with knowledge of the body .
[13]
With Japan’s acceptance of the Dutch, other countries soon set sail to Japan in the name of commerce . The Russians,
[13]
the Europeans and the Americans came to Japan to establish trade contacts but were refused . Finally,
Commodore
[13]
Perry in 1853 gave an ultimatum to the Tokugawa bakufu: Either they are to open for international trade voluntarily or they will be forced to open up . The Americans had much sophisticated technology at their disposal and the bakufu
[13]
were forced to sign a peace treaty, which many daimyos and samurai considered to be humiliating . Soon, Japan was
[13]
divided again; people who wanted open more international trade ports and are antigovernment and be able to travel abroad versus people who were antiwest and ultraconservative samurai who believed in independence, until they saw the American steamships . With the Tokugawa bakufu slowly losing power with the heavy taxation, people revolted
[13]
for government reforms . Due to heavy political pressures, the Tokugawa bakufu was disbanded and the power of the
[13]
Emperor was restored
.
[9]
Citations
1. "Japanese History."
Japan Reference JREF
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015. < http://www.jref.com/history >.
2."Japanese History: Nara, Heian Periods."
Japanese History: Nara, Heian Periods
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2132.html
>.
3."Historical Periods of Japan Japan Reference (JREF)."
Japan Reference JREF
. 10 May 2013. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.jref.com/history/historicalperiodsjapan/
>.
4."Japanese History: Kamakura Period."
Japanese History: Kamakura Period
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2133.html
>.
5."Japanese History: AzuchiMomoyama Period."
Japanese History: AzuchiMomoyama Period
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2123.html
>.
6."The Samurai Archives Japanese History Page."
The Samurai Archives Japanese History Page
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.samuraiarchives.com/index.html
>.
7."It 's More Fun to Be Jack of All Trades Than Master of One."
In Our Time: Japan 's Sakoku Period
. Web. 3 Jan.
2015. < http://ninecats.org/margaret/blog/2013/06/18/ourtimejapanssakokuperiod >.
8."Japanese History: Overview."
Japanese History: Overview
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2126.html
>.
9."Japanese History: Edo Period."
Japanese History: Edo Period
. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.japanguide.com/e/e2128.html
>.
10."Prince Shotoku Japan Reference (JREF)."
Japan Reference JREF
. 3 Dec. 2012. Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://www.jref.com/history/princeshotoku/
>.
11.Szczepanski, Kallie. "The FourTiered Class System of Feudal Japan." Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/japan/p/ShogJapanClass.htm
>.
12.Szczepanski, Kallie. "Bakufu in Japan." Web. 3 Jan. 2015.
<
http://asianhistory.about.com/od/glossaryae/g/bakufuglos.htm
>.
13."Japan : History of Japan 's Ancient and Modern Empire (Full Documentary)."
YouTube
. YouTube. Web. 3 Jan.
2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmTZnnbqfsc>.