Kamakura Shogunate

Kamakura Shogunate By: Ben Kommers and Austin Kruczek

Background Information • Medieval Japan was roughly from 1185-1615 CE, however dates vary • Most historians consider the Kamakura period to be the dawn of medieval Japan • Kamakura Period was from about 1185-1333 • Kamakura was about 383 years before the Warring States Period

Background Information (cont.) • The periods were named after the capitals of the shogunates • The economy was based on agriculture

Feudalism • From 12th ‘til 19th century • Known as Japanese feudal period • Founder was Minamoto no Yoritomo • Japanese Feudalism was similar, but not exactly like European Feudalism • Both relied on a warrior class for protection and administration

Feudalism (cont.) • Both centered on service and pledge of honor vassals gave to their lords (the landowners) • They were high-ranking samurai lords, called daimyo • Daimyo provided shogun with warriors in exchange for land • Emperor ‘s power during this period was restricted to religious matters

Bakufu • Bakufu literally means “tent government” (referred to as a shogunate in English) • The Japanese emperor was held little power and was primarily ceremonial • The shogun was the head of the military • Power was mainly held by bushi • The first military leader (shogun) was appointed by the court 1192 • Under the shogun, policies were strictly enforced with constant surveillance

Bakufu (cont.) • Emperor Go-Daigo overthrew bakufu & reestablished imperial rule in 1333 • Imperial rule was short-lived and eventually the bakufu regained power • Political power and/or economic status depended on landholdings

Mongols • Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, turned his attention to Japan • He sent a letter to the “King of Japan” ordering the Japanese to pay tribute to the Yuan dynasty • The Japanese ignored the letters and in 1274 Kublai Khan made his first attempt to invade Japan • The army reportedly had 40,000 warriors • The Mongol forces had a successful landing, but soon after a typhoon destroyed them

Mongols (cont.) • In 1275 Kublai Khan renewed his demands • The Japanese ignored his demands again • The shogunate anticipated an attack and fortified their costal defenses • The Mongols returned and their forces were again destroyed by a typhoon • The fortification hurt the Japanese economy • The human and financial losses weakened the shogunate

Mongols (cont.) • Japan ended up defeating Mongols • This created a sense of national unity among Japanese • Debts left over from war • Unpaid samurai terrorized peasants for money • Samurai drove Kamakura shoguns from power • Marumachi shoguns came afterward, but could not establish power

End of Feudalism • Pressure from the west to trade caused environment to change in Japan • Shogunate resigned & emperor’s power restored in Meiji Restoration of 1868 • Feudal system abolished & western forms of gov’t began to be established

Questions • What was a shogun? a.) a soldier b.) the head of the military c.) a jester d.) a leader of the Mongol invasions • What was a daimyo? a.) a samurai lord b.) an emperor c.) a high priest d.)a vassal • Who was the founder of the Japanese Feudal Period? a.) Kublai Khan b.) Emperor Go-Daigo c.) Spongebob Squarepants d.) Minamoto no Yoritomo

Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura_shogunate http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-c_s-14_u-177_t-515_c-1916/feudalism-in-japan/nsw/feudalism-in-japan/medieval-and-early-modern-societies-japan/medieval-japanese-societal-structure

Kamakura Shogunate