The Kamakura Period in Japan

1
The Kamakura Period in Japan
2
Triumph and Fall of the Taira

• Hogen Conflict
• Conflict between retired emperor and reigning
  emperor
• Minamoto backed the retired emperor
• Taira backed the emperor Go-Shirakawa
• Heiji War
• Victories gives Taira Kiyomori new power base,
  but he operated within old framework

3
Gempei Wars

• Attacked temple armies
• Central government could not control provinces
• Minamoto Yoritomo built up power base in
  provinces
• Supported by eastern Taira and Minamoto clans
• Yoshitsune defeated Taira at sea and on land
• Permanent defeat of Taira

4
Establishment of the Bakufu

• Minomoto Yoritomo establishes base at Kamakura
  far from the court at Kyoto
• Bakufu Tent Government
• Legitimized when the emperor appointed Yoritomo
  seii taishogu
• Power based on vassalage
• Gokenin, honorable housemen
• Dual Government

5
Local Governance

• Yoritomo wins power to appoint provincial posts
• Jito, land steward or overseer
• Shugo, military protector or sheriff
• Emperor Go-Toba attempts to restore imperial
  power
• Failed attempt strengthens the bakufu

6
The Hojo Regents

• On Yoritomos death, his widow and her clan the
  Hojo - dominate the shogunate
• Hojo never assumed title of shogun, but ruled as
  regent dominated bakufu by appointing clan
  members to key offices
• 1219 a Fujiwara infant appointed shogun
• Real power doubly divorced from authority

7
Kamakura Shogunate

• Office of Samurai
• Looked after affairs of vassals and supervised
  military/police affairs
• Board of Inquiry
• Judicial matters
• Office of Administration (mandokoro)
• General administration
• Heads of three bureaus participated in council to
  advise shogun
• Law Code of 1232 (Joei Code)
• Codification of warrior law

8
Mongol Invasion and Its Aftermath

• 1266 Khubulai Khan demands submission
• 1274 first Mongol Expedition of 30,000
• 1281 second Mongol Expedition of 140,000
• Kamikazi, divine winds
• Mongol invasions proved the Bakufus eventual
  undoing

9
Warrior and His Ideals

• Martial skill, valor, manly pride
• Man of action
• Disdain for death and concern for maintaining
  honor
• Seppuku
• Ideal must not be confused with reality

10
Pure Land Sect

• Continued growth of earlier pietistic trends
  advocated by Honen
• Pure Land, paradise in the West over which Amida
  presides
• Chanting the nembutsu promised rebirth in the
  Pure Land
• Salvation through faith
• Shinran established True Pure Land

11
Nichiren

• Nichiren vociferous opponent of rival schools of
  Buddhism
• Advocate of the Lotus Sutra
• Namu myoho renge-kyo, hail to the Lotus Sutra of
  the wonderful law
• Japan centered and devoted to Lotus Sutra
• nichi sun, ren lotus

12
Zen

• Promoted by two monks, Eisai and Dogen
• Koan
• Zazen

13
Kami Worship

• Kami worship subsumed within Buddhism
  institutionally
• Kami worship borrowed freely from Buddhism
• Mountain Religion (shugendo)
• Syncretized elements of Shinto, Buddhism,
  shamanism, and daoism