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Medieval Japan and Korea. Japanese Middle Ages. Japan started as a grouping of clans Chinese influence affected the Japanese way of government 500 C.E. Under Shotoku Taishi , the Japanese gained a centralized government with an Emperor at it’s head Also gained a new tax system.
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Japanese Middle Ages • Japan started as a grouping of clans • Chinese influence affected the Japanese way of government • 500 C.E. Under Shotoku Taishi, the Japanese gained a centralized government with an Emperor at it’s head • Also gained a new tax system
Location, Location, Location • After Taishi, emperors traditionally were of Yamato descent, but were “influenced” by other clans. • First of these “influential” clans was the Fujiwara • First order of business was to establish a capital at Nara in 710AD
Got to pay your taxes! • Once Taishi established the Yamato Emperor he also started a system of taxes that sounds like feudalism • However, after the Fujiwara established Nara problems occurred
Moving out! • In 794 AD the capital was moved to Heian (modern day Kyoto) due to corruptive influence of nobles there. • However, at this time the government was starting to become decentralized
“The Way of the Warrior” • As the emperor lost more and more power local nobles started to use samurai • These men were like knights in Medieval Europe but used swords and bows on horseback in place of lances • Also like knights, samurai lived under a strict code called Bushido or “way of the warrior” • Bushido code
Kamakura Shogunate • By the end of the 1100s the emperor was only that in name. Local warlords had begun to carve out their own lands in a time of great civil war • In 1192 Minamoto Yoritomo established the shogunate system after defeated most of his rivals • See diagram on pg. 392 • Emperor (high rank/little to no power) shogun (ruler) Daimyo (large landowners) Samurai Peasants, merchants, artisans
Life in Early Japan • Role of Women • Were seen as almost equal to men • Faced easy divorces • Religion • Shinto • Zen • Zen Buddhism • Culture • Female authors • Landscape art and architecture
Korea in a Nutshell • Korea has a long history of invasion • 109BC after China started to control Northern Korea three kingdoms emerged: Koguryo, Paekche and Silla • Silla gradually took over, but it was the Koryo kingdom that united Korea and gained 400 years of power Chinese influenced government. • With the invading Mongols in 13th century, the Koryo became vassals until 1392 when the Mongol dynasty crumbled. • At this point a Yi Song-gye established the Yi dynasty and once again Korea was in control of itself