Write an essay on the growth of feudalism in medieval japan
Answers
The Rise of Feudalism in Japan - White Plains Public Schools A system of feudalism arose in Japan that was similar to feudalism in Western Europe. Lords and their private armies became very powerful. By 1192, Japan's most powerful lord or noble had the emperor appoint him as Japan's “Supreme Military Governor” or Shogun. ... A daimyo was a noble landowner or a lord.
From the beginning of Japanese civilization until 1185 an emperor ruled all of Japan. An emperor is
similar to a king, but in Japan he was also a religious leader. However, the emperor began to lose power in a series of wars. A civil war broke out in 1336 that ended the real power of the emperor. The emperor sent armies of what became known as samurai to fight the civil war for him, and when they returned he gave the title Shogun to the leader of the army, so they would not take him over as emperor. This began a new form of control in Japan, where the leaders of different armies controlled smaller pieces of land, rather than one emperor controlling everything--this is usually called Feudal control (Feudalism). Feudal control began when wealthy landholders divided up the land into smaller areas and relied on peasants (serfs) to farm the land and be soldiers--similar to Medieval Europe. Feudalism is a type of government where a weak monarchy (emperor) tries to control an area of land through agreements with wealthy landholders. Feudalism brought many changes in Japan. The feudal period of Japanese history was a time when powerful families (daimyo) and the military power of warlords (shogun), and their warriors, the samurai ruled Japan. The Yamato family remained as emperor, but their power was seriously reduced because the daimyo, shoguns, and samurai were so powerful. During this time period, the emperor appeared at ceremonies, celebrations, and parades, but had no real control over the people. This is the time periods when Japan becomes very different than China. Japan often tried to model themselves after China, but during feudal times, Japan created their own unique identity.
During the next 700 years of Feudal Japan, different shoguns (shogunates) controlled Japan. Several civil wars were fought among the powerful families and their samurai armies. The Mongolians attempted to invade and conquer Japan in the early part of this time period. The Mongolians would have easily invaded and conquered a much weaker Japan, however, a famous typhoon hit Japan and destroyed the Mongol boats and saved Japan.
In 1543, a Portuguese trade ship landed in Japan for the first time. Japan had never seen European people. The trade ship carried many new products the Japanese had never seen, especially guns. The guns introduced by Portuguese would bring major changes to society. In the Battle of Nagashino, 2,000 guns were used to shoot a charging army of samurai who still carried swords. The power of the samurai was seriously threatened. During the following years, traders from Portugal, the Netherlands, England, and Spain arrived, and so did many Catholic (Christian) missionaries who tried to spread their religion to Japan. Many traditional Japanese leaders disliked the changes bro
The growth of feudalism in Japan:
Introduction:
By the late 1100s, Heian was the great center of Japanese art and literature.
But in the rest of Japan, life was very different.
Powerful nobles fought each other over land.
Rebels fought against imperial officials.
This fighting destroyed land, which made it difficult for peasants to grow food.
Some poor people became bandits or thieves.
Meanwhile, Japan’s rulers were so focused on courtly life, they didn’t notice the many problems growing in their country Shoguns rule in Japan: Many of the nobles outside Heian were unhappy with the way Japan’s government was being run.
Frustrated, these nobles wanted a change of leadership.
Eventually a few very strong noble clans decided to try to take power for themselves.
Two of these powerful clans went to war with each other in the 1150s. For almost 30 years, the two clans fought.
Their fighting was terrible, destroying land and property and tearing families apart.
In the end, the Minamoto clan won.
Because he had a very powerful army, and because the emperor was still busy in Heian, the leader of the Minamoto clan was the most powerful man in Japan.
He decided to take over ruling the country.
He didn’t, however, want to get rid of the emperor.
He kept the emperor as a figurehead, a person who appears to rule even though real power rests with someone else.
As a samurai, the Minamoto leader was supposed to be loyal to the emperor, but he decided to rule in the emperor’s place.
In 1192 he took the title shogun, a general who ruled Japan in the emperor’s name.
The title of shogun was supposed to be temporary.
However, Minamoto made it permanent.
When he died, he passed his title and power on to one of his children.
For about the next 700 years, shoguns would rule Japan.
The Rise Of Samurai:
Life under the shogun was often lawless and violent.
The job of protecting people became the responsibility of the daimyo, or local, land-owning lords.
The daimyo decided that they needed to protect their lands against violence.
They hired samurai, or trained professional warriors, to defend them and their property.
The result was a new social order known as feudalism.
This is a social system in which lords grant people land or other rewards in exchange for military service.
The samurai hired by the daimyo wore light armor and fought with swords and bows.
Most samurai came from noble families and inherited their positions from their fathers.
The word samurai comes from the Japanese word for “to serve.”
Every samurai, from the weakest soldiers to the most powerful warrior, was supposed to serve his lord.
Because all lords in Japan were supposed to serve the emperor, all samurai were required to be loyal to him.
An army of samurai was expensive to support.
Few lords could afford to buy armor and weapons for their warriors.
As a result, lords paid their samurai with land or food.
Only the most powerful samurai got land for their service.
Most of these powerful samurai didn’t live on the land they received, but they did profit from it.
Every year, the peasant farmers who worked on the land gave the samurai money or food.
Samurai who received no land were given food – usually rice – as payment.