Japanese Samurai Lecture PDF

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Teacher - Michael McCarty...

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Japanese Samurai Lecture “Medieval Cultures of Violence” Military elite involved in some kind of conquest or providing law and order in order to gain something from the government --------------------------------------------------------------------

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The Samurai o Elite Horseback mounted warriors (archers) o Bows and arrows and swords, primarily bows and arrows o Trained for battles with their own resources o “Private warriors contracted by government to provide law and order for Japan” Pre-Modern Japan o Early period until late medieval period o In Patterns  Tang are in control of China  Japanese villages are experiencing some armed conflict, but small scale  Rice agriculture  New skills and technologies  Tang force Japan to centralize its state  Japan starts building itself into a Chinese-style state o Kyoto modeled after Chinese Chang’an with grid system o Kyoto gets Chinese architecture o Japan gets Confucian-style imperial system, with emperors on top, government ministers underneath operating a bureaucracy, Chinese language for government and religion o Confucianism and Buddhism intellectual traditions o Wholesale Chinese culture  Japan doesn’t HAVE to acculturate with China and can pick and choose what aspects to take on.  Japan doesn’t HAVE to maintain close relations with China because of geography. o Japan adopts a Chinese military system (territorial conscript armies), but it proves inadequate because of geography (mountainous and surrounded by water). Large-scale foot soldier troops aren’t going to work.  Birth of the Samurai  Families who already had military backgrounds were contracted by the government.  No more large army, no more conscripting armies from the peasants

Samurais were only used “as needed”  Government would send out calls to find samurai generals (shogun - who each have their own men)  Government would issue “warrants” for military action, and once the job is completed, the general would be rewarded by the government. Pay only after the job is done, Shogun titles are temporary.  Refusing rewards until the job is done saves the government money and ensures that people are on-task.  “Outsourced military work”  The Samurai would have to bring proof that the task was accomplished, usually by bringing heads.  Controlling the process Isn’t it dangerous to have your military privatized? o YES. o If Samurai decide to act without government approval, things could get bad. Succession Disputes o Different men believe they are next to rule, arguments about who is next in line to be the emperor. (1100s) o Different princes of the imperial family decide they should be next to rule and begin arming themselves with Samurai like “private muscle” – BAD idea. o Using Samurai to fight against other members (brothers) of the royal family. o Taira vs. Minamoto  Taira Kiyomori becomes the dominant samurai leader (victor in succession disputes)  Painting: Sending in fire-arrows and burning palace  Very destructive in Capital city. Samurai (Taira) are starting to act like they own the place, capture the Capital City.  Member of the royal family tries to get Taira kicked out of the Capital, and he responds by holding the emperor hostage, seize political power for himself (wealth, nepotism, etc)  OUTSOURCED MILITARY IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.  Minamoto Yoritimo  Challenges the power of Taira Kiyomori, main rival of Taira family  He was sent into exile as a young boy, but once he becomes an adult, he realizes many people don’t like the Taira family.  Set up for a Samurai civil war while the government is being held hostage.  Genpei War – Taira vs. Minamoto  After a series of battles, Taira forced to flee from Kyoto to Dan-noura, where they are defeated by the Minamoto family.  Minamoto Yoritomo is victorious and is now the most powerful Samurai in Japan. 

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Minamoto Yoritomo stays back home in Kamakura instead of going back to the Capital (Kyoto), builds his political base here. Kamakura Period (1185-1333) o Kyoto and Kamakura – two capitals, two spheres of authority o In Kamakura, the new government is the Kamakura Bakufu  “Warrior government”  Sends his own soldiers and is sending them out to be Shugo (military constables) and Jito (land stewards)  Allows his men to take some of the tax money to pay themselves. 

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  PARALLEL GOVERNMENT  “Shogun” becomes a permanent title like “Emperor”  This becomes complicated. o Depending on where you live, you may be subject to the Emperor’s government, or you may be subject to the Shogun’s government. o Shogun government is also taking money away from the emperor’s government Minamoto and Hōjō Clans o Minamoto Yoritomo dies fairly early. His sons take over after him but are not as strong as he was. Who is in charge now? o The family of Yorimoto’s wife (Hōjō Masako) holds the military government together very well. Emperor Go-Toba & Hōjō Masako o Comes to power in Kyoto next. Does not like the existence of the Kamakura Bakufu. Orders Samurai across the state to destroy the Hōjō family, get rid of the Kamakura Bakufu, and report back for direct rewards. o Tries to change the system back to the way it was before the Kamakura Bakufu (rewards after the job was done) Very strong threat against the Kamakura Bakufu. o Hōjō Masako is still alive. When she hears the emperor has declared war against the Samurai, she knew they needed to act quickly. The longer they waited, the more soldiers they will lose to the emperor. She gives a rousing speech to all of the Samurai in Kamakura: “The late Shogun Yorimoto took care of the Eastern Warriors” reminding them of obligation they have to Yorimoto, demands loyalty

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to Kamakura Bakufu. Criticizes the officials serving under Emperor Go-Toba (disloyal and incorrect “edict” (mandate of heaven)). “Those who understand their obligations and treasure your names, Capture Hideyasu and Toneyoshi, to preserve your families and to make names for yourselves” commands the Samurai to protect the Bakufu and attack the imperial government. o Charisma convinced them to agree. She has political power and political intelligence in a patriarchal culture. Jōkyū War (1221) o Kamakura Bafuku forces attack imperial forces and win. o They capture Kyoto and exile the emperor and his sons. o They put a new emperor on the thone. Samurai Power o Beginning of the long process of Samurai gaining more control over Japan against the Imperial family. Eventually leads to a completely militant society....