Chapter Nine, Lesson Two: Developing a National Culture

1. Chapter Nine, Lesson Two: Developing a National Culture

2. A Court of Refinement • Question: Why was the capital moved from Nara to Kyoto in 794? How did the emperor avoid the same problem at Kyoto? • Buddhist clergy tried to interfere with politics at Nara • At Kyoto, emperor limited the number of Buddhist temples that could be built.

3. A Court of Refinement • Question: Why was the Fujiwara clan so powerful and what were the effects of their power? • Powerful because they were the emperor’s advisers and were related to the emperor by marriage (custom to marry a Fujiwara woman). • Effects: • Served as regents and ran government. • Emperor became a religious symbol. • High government offices were closed to other clan members.

4. A Court of Refinement • Question: what types of literature were popular in the Kyoto court? • Poetry focused on beauty and nature. • Diaries that tell the daily lives of courtiers as well as shows what was important • Fictional Tales…usually long stories that show the virtues of the Kyoto Court. The most famous is the Tale of Genji

5. A Court of Refinement • Question: instead of effectively ruling the country, what were the courtiers at Kyoto focused on? • Refined manners and delicacy • Elaborate ceremonies and rituals • The arts

6. Life in the Provinces • Question: why were the courtiers able to live such in such luxury? • Farmers had to pay taxes to the court as well as pay taxes to the landowners (who were the courtiers)

7. Life in the Provinces • Question: Why were the provincial nobles unhappy with the Taika Reforms? • Taika Reforms took their lands and gave it to the emperor.

8. Life in the Provinces • Question: while the landowners were distracted with life at court, what did the provincial nobles do? • Slowly took over control of the land. • Some nobles had acquired large estates that had no government control.

9. Life in the Provinces • Question: how did the change of land ownership from the court to the nobles affect the peasants? • To avoid paying taxes, some small landowners gave their land to the nobles. • Didn’t affect the peasants…just changed who they paid taxes to.

10. Life in the Provinces • Question: why were the provincial nobles able to take land from the courtiers without their knowledge? • The courtiers were too involved in court life to pay attention to what was going on in the provinces. • They viewed the common people as unimportant.

11. Big Ideas…Lesson Two • Life in the Provinces • Farmers paid part of their income to imperial taxes and part to the landowners. • Courtiers ignored provinces because they were involved in court life. • Provincial nobles ran the provinces • Clan nobles began taking land from the court who wasn’t paying attention. • Some small farmers gave land to the nobles to avoid taxes • Peasants remained poor • Imperial Court • Capital moved to Kyoto in 794 to limit influence of Buddhist priests • Fujiwara clan becomes powerful • Kyoto courtiers focused on manners and acting in a certain way. • Courtiers were wealthy people that owned land in the provinces that provided income for them. • Poetry and stories were important