03/12/08- Feudalism in Japan

HIST 105- FALL 2008
FEUDALISM IN JAPAN: Rise of Samurai Class

Christianity in Japan

First Map depicting Japan

Japanese version of world map

Feudalism in Medieval Europe:

• A term first used in early Modern period (17th century)
• > Latin word feodum (=fief)
• Medieval Europe political system
• Reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility
• Lord, vassals and fiefs

"Feudalism" in Japan (1):

• “Feudalism” as translation of land system in ancient China: “Houken” system
• Zhou dynasty (1046BCE-256BCE): lands symbolically given to the aristocrats by the ruler, no obligation for military service
• Qin dynasty (778BCE-206BCE): unified China and established the centralized system (Shi Hunang)

“Feudalism” in Japan (2):

• “Feudalism” as translation of Medieval European political system: “Houken” system
• “Feudalism” as translation of Early Modern Japanese social-economic system: “Houken” system

Debate on the existence of “Feudalism” in Japan during the 1950’s-60’s1):

• Starts with the establishment of Kamakura period (1185)
• Starts gradually in Nambokuchô period (14th century)
• Starts with the results of national cadastral survey (1580-90’s) by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
• No “Feudalism” exists in Japan

The Rise of the Shôen:

• After the Taika Reforms and Taihô Code (702):
• Redistribution of the land every 6 years--> 12 years (834) -->not effective -->Land owners: local magnates, Buddhist monasteries, court aristocrats, high government officials
  
• Reclamation of wastelands --> 734 government agreed to permit permanent ownership
  
• Shôen: freedom from taxation -->The right to deny government officials of agents entrance to their estates.
  

limited to monastic and shrine lands
Privileges without any official sanction to many owners of estates

Distribution of Shôen (8-10th centuries)
Later development of Shôen (12-13th centuries)

The Emergence of the Warrior Class (Samurai):

• Decline of the central government
• Police and military power-->hands of the local magnates
• 792 necessary military forces by local governors

Establishment and Supremacy of the Taira clans:

• 1167 Kiyomori appointed to dajô daijin (chancellor)…virtual dictator
• Governorships of 30 provinces, over 500 shôen
• Commerce with Sung China…building the port of Hyogo
• Ruling through the imperial court in cooperation with the cloistered emperor
• “If one is not a Taira, one is not a human being”
• “The Tale of the Heike”

Establishment of Kamakura Bakufu鎌倉幕府 (Tent Government) 1185:

• Seated in Kamakura 鎌倉 by Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1185
• Removed all potential rivals: all the important members of the Taira family, his own brother Yoshitsune, his non-in law, half-brother Noriyori
• Obtained imperial sanctions for all his policies and decrees
• 1185 assumed the position of supreme constable and supreme land steward of all 66 provinces
• Proprietary rights over the lands her formerly held in Kantô region: appointed the governors from among his followers
• Acquired the lands formerly held by the Tairas (500 shôen)
• 1192 Yoritomo was appointed seiitaishôgun (Supreme General): official military commander-in-chief

Bakufu (tent government) administrative system:

• Not to replace the imperial government in Kyoto
• To manage the Minamoto’s “family” affairs:

1) Office of Samurai:promotions and demotions fo the samurai
2) Administrative office:managed administrative, legislative, and lega affaires
3)Court of Appeals: judical bord to settle civil disputes --> employed members of the Kyoto aristocracy

The constables and the land stewards守護と地頭:

• The constables: military and police authority
• When summoned by the shôgun, duty to come to his aid with his warriors
• The land stewards: (at first) authorized to collect taxes from all the estates whether public or private
• (after the opposition by the Shôen owners in Kyoto) tax-collecting power was limited to public domains
• Gradually increased their authority over the Shôen not owned by Kamakura-> By the end of Kamakura period many of them acquired proprietary rights over the Shôen
• …emergence of a new landholding class

The Jôei Code 御成敗式目（貞永式目）1232:

• The first code by the Warrior’s class
• Issued by Hôjô Yasutoki 北条泰時(1183-1242)
• Customary practices governed the relationships among the the military elements (rather a set of guidelines of jurists)
• Consisting of 51 articles customary law, property rights, land tenure, inheritance, duties and functions of officials, criminal punishments
• Right of women to inherit property and serve as vassals
• Three categories of people: Samurai, commoners and slaves
• Established a basis for the feudal laws and practices of subsequent period
• Yasutoki’s another achievement: Establishment of a council of state (1226) consisted of 11 important military chieftains

“Feudalism” in Japan (3):

• Reciprocal military obligations between warlords (shôgun) and vassals
• “On (favors)” and services (12th century)
• Authorized right of tax collecting
• Gradually acquired the authorities
• Emergence of a new landholding class and military leaders: daimyô (15th century)
• Baku-han system in Edo period (1603-1868)
• Daimyôs as vassals of shôgun

Mongol Invasions:

• 1274 against northern Kyushu: center of Sino-Japan trades
• 1281 second attack with a force of 140,000 men: Seven weeks of fighting
• Results: 1- Successfully repelled 2- No fruits for the victory-->no reward for the services