STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY
|
BATTLE OF DAN-NO-URA |
Feudal
Japanese society was structured around the Confucian ‘shi-ko-no-sho’
system. This involved eight major positions of society, with two lower than all
of them that are not worthy to even be considered part of the system. All of
these eight positions, with the exception of the Emperor, are divided into
either ‘shi’, ‘no’, ‘ko’
or ‘sho’.
At the top of this system is the Emperor, even though he is actually a figurehead with no real political power. The real masters of Japanese society were the shogun, the military leaders who ruled Japan. They are part of the ‘shi’ class, the upper noble class. Below them were the daimyo who held pieces of land across Japan, also part of the ‘shi’ class. The daimyo’s warriors were known as samurai, paid soldiers who had endured years of training to serve their daimyo. They were also part of the ‘shi’ class. The last rung of the ‘shi’ ladder is the ronin, samurai who for some reason or another, do not currently have a master. The ‘shi’ class is at the top of society because they protected the nation for invasion and set moral standard for the rest of society. Then it enters the ‘no’ class, which consists only of peasants, the proletariat class. They make up 90% of the population and are considered essential to Japan because they produced food. Below them were the artisans, the ‘ko’ class. They were below the peasants because even they craft things, they do not create their own equipment or produce. At the bottom of society were the merchants, the 'sho'. They didn't make anything of their own, just sold what others had manufactured, so they weren't considered very important to society. Below even the merchants, there is another group of people that aren't even considered part of society, therefore putting them off the shinokosho spectrum. They are called the burakumin and consist mainly of the 'hinin' and the 'eta'. The hinin were made up of entertainers, vagrants and ex-convicts. The eta was those with the plague, defiled people and social outcasts; and they lived in their own villages and hamlets away from society. The shogunate periodThe Shogunate Period was a long, turbulent time for Japan. Authority switched places many times and you could never be sure who came out on top. It could be argued many ways who truly won this war for leadership of Japan. It could be argued that it was Minamoto, as many of the following shoguns could at least trace themselves back to the Minamoto clan. This meant that even after their time was gone, their successors were still descendants of the Minamoto. Or it could be argued that the Tokugawa Shogunate was the most successful, as they would have reigned indefinitely if Tokugawa Yoshinobu hadn't resigned. Or maybe because they had the greatest effect on modern Japan, with Tokyo (Edo) remaining as the capital. It could be argued many ways, but they all had an effect on the history of Japan and had their own strengths and weaknesses which benefited their rule.
On the more factual side of the coin, the Shogunate Period lasted for around 1000 years. It begun with the Kamakura Shogunate, who had fought for power in the Heian Period and Genpei War. After the fall of Kamakura in 1333, the Ashikaga picked up the torch and carried it until 1574 when Tokugawa Ieyasu seized control and reigned until the late 1800s, where authority of Japan returned to the Emperor. This was when the Shogunate period officially ended. The Emperor still reigns in Japan to this day, with the current man on the 'Chrysanthemum Throne' being Akihito. The samurai also flourished in the Shogunate Period. The samurai were a deadly fighting force that followed the code of Bushido. They wielded katana, swords famed for their effectiveness and razor edge. If you wish to learn more about the samurai, click here. |
The Battle of Dan-no-ura was a major sea battle of the Genpei War. The Genpei War was a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans during 1180-1185. The battle occurred in the Shimonoseki Strait off the southern tip of Honshu. The Taira fleet and its leader, was defeated by Minamoto no Yoshitsune after a half day engagement.
The Taira were outnumbered by the Minamoto. However, it is said that Taira had the advantage of strategic knowledge over the enemy, due to them knowing the tides and the Shimonoseki area. Despite this, Minamoto gained the advantage through the use of a spy in the Taira army. This spy told Minamoto where the six year old Emperor was, causing the Minamoto fleet to attack this ship for a swift victory. As the tide of battle changed, many of the Taira generals jumped off the ship to their deaths. This was because they did not want to be captured or killed by the enemy. Among these was the young Emperor, Antoku, and his grandmother. There is a legend to this day that says the Heike crabs found in the Strait hold the souls of these dead Taira. The battle was long-ranged for the first portion of the engagement. That was before the Taira seized their opportunity and used the tides to surround the enemy. This caused the ships to pull up close together and the two armies began to board each other. It soon came down to melee as the sides clashed against each other in close combat. The defeated Taira clan tried to throw all of their imperial artifacts off of the ship. They only managed to get rid of a ceremonial sword and a jewel before their regalia ship was captured. The two artifacts have been found and have been placed in the Atsuta Shrine. The battle resulted in the destruction of the Taira clan and their claim for the throne of Japan. The Minamoto gained control of the nation, where Yoshitsune's older brother was named the first Shogun of Japan. RISE OF THE ASHIKAGA SHOGUNATEThe Kamakura Shogunate lasted from 1192-1333. It ended after their capital, Kamakura, fell and the Hojo Regency was destroyed.
There was two families who had a claim to the title of Emperor: the Northern and Southern Courts. The two couldn't come to an agreement, causing for the Kamakura Shogunate to come to an ultimatum for the two families. They agreed on alternating leadership of Japan. This lasted until 1331, when Go-Daigo of the Southern Court attempted to overthrow the Shogunate by staging a coup-de'tat. Go-Daigo wanted to end the military rule of the Shogun and return authority to the Emperor. He failed and was exiled. However, a few years later, Ashikaga Takauji helped Go-Daigo seize control of Japan. Go-Daigo was Emperor for only a short amount of time, as Ashikaga changed sides and betrayed Go-Daigo. In 1336, the Emperor was banished once again. His son rose to power, staying there until 1335 where he was put under house arrest before finally being killed by Ashikaga Tadayoshi. This begun the reign of the Ashikaga Shogunate. This period could also be referred to as the "Muromachi Period", referring to the Muromachi District of Kyoto, as this is where the third Ashikaga shogun built his palace. The Ashikaga Shogunate held the weakest bakufu of all of the ruling families of Japan. They held very little territory and depended on the prestige of their positions as shogun. Due to this, they depended very heavily on the daimyo. The Imperial House was at its weakest though, as Go-Daigo's attempt at restoring power to the Emperor (the Kenmu Restoration) failed. This meant the Emperor was subservient and completely obedient to the shogun. The North and South Courts still fought for the position of Emperor though. The two courts had split opinions, with the North Court wanting Ashikaga and the South wanting Go-Daigo. This continued 56 years into the Ashikaga reign, before the South Court finally gave up in the reign of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. |