Kamakura shogunate

From 1180 to 1185, the Genpei War was fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans as part of a longstanding violent rivalry for influence over the Emperor and his court. Minamoto no Yoritomo defeated the Taira clan, but in his victory seized power from the civil aristocracy, politically relegating the Emperor and his court to symbolic figureheads. In 1192, Yoritomo and the Minamoto clan established a military government in Kamakura.^[7]

The Hōjō Regency

Yoritomo unexpectedly died in an accident in 1199, leaving the Minamoto clan weakened. Hōjō Tokimasa, the father of Yoritomo's widow, Hōjō Masako, and former guardian and protector of Yoritomo, claimed the title of regent (shikken) to Yoritomo's son Minamoto no Yoriie, eventually making that claim hereditary to the Hōjō clan. At the same time, Hōjō Masako maneuvered herself into such a powerful, albeit informal, position that people began calling her the "nun shogun" in the place of her son Yoriie. As Minamoto no Yoriie grew older, however, he attempted to exert real power, resulting in a power struggle with the Hōjō clan of his own mother. These conflicts caused considerable tensions within the shogunate.^[15] In 1201, the Jo clan unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow the Minamoto clan in the Kennin Rebellion.^[16] Eventually, Tokimasa deposed Yoriie, backed up his younger brother, Minamoto no Sanetomo, as a new shōgun, and assumed the post of shikken. Sanetomo was only twelve at this point, and accordingly power factually rested with his mother Hōjō Masako. The Minamoto remained the titular shōguns, with the Hōjō holding the real power. In 1204, loyalists of Yoriie attempted an uprising to topple the Hōjō domination, but the latter defeated the rebels and assassinated Yoriie.^[15]

In 1205, Hōjō Tokimasa attempted to depose Sanetomo, hoping to install his son-in-law as new shogun. However, his daughter Hōjō Masako saw this as threat to her own status; she arranged the pretender's murder and banished her father to a monastery.

As a result, the Kamakura shogunate rested on an unusual pyramid of regents and de facto usurpation: The true rulers, namely the Hōjō regents, had usurped power from the Minamoto, who had usurped it from the Emperor, descending from Emperor Kōkō, who usurped it from the children of Emperor Seiwa. At the same time, the regents, shoguns, and emperors all still maintained their nominal positions and existed alongside each other. The regime nonetheless proved to be stable enough to last a total of 135 years, 9 shōguns and 16 regents.^[18]

In 1221, Emperor Go-Toba tried to regain power in what would be called the Jōkyū War (承久の乱, Jōkyū no Ran), but the attempt failed.^[20] The power of the Hōjō remained unchallenged until 1324, when Emperor Go-Daigo orchestrated a plot to overthrow them, but the plot was discovered almost immediately and foiled.^[18]

Mongol invasions

The Mongols under Kublai Khan attempted sea-borne invasions in 1274 and 1281.^[21]

Fifty years before, the shogunate had agreed to Korean demands that the Wokou be dealt with to stop their raids, and this bit of good diplomacy had created a cooperative relationship between the two states, such that the Koreans, helpless with a Mongol occupation army garrisoning their country, had sent much intelligence information to Japan, so that along with messages from Japanese spies in the Korean peninsula, the shogunate had a good picture of the situation of the pending Mongol invasion.^[22] The shogunate had rejected Kublai's demands to submit with contempt. The Mongol landings of 1274 met with some success, however there was no rout of the Japanese defenders, who in any case greatly outnumbered the 40,000 combined invasion force of Mongols and Korean conscripts. Noting an impending storm, the Korean admirals advised the Mongols to re-embark so that the fleet could be protected away from shore; however, the typhoon was so destructive that one-third of the Mongol force was destroyed.^[23]

After the surviving forces returned to Mongol territory, Kublai was not dissuaded from his intentions of bringing Japan under Mongol control, and once again sent a message demanding submission, which infuriated the Hōjō leadership, who had the messengers executed. They responded with decisive action for defense—a wall was built to protect the hinterland of Hakata Bay, defensive posts were established, garrison lists were drawn up, regular manning of the home provinces was redirected to the western defenses, and ships were constructed to harass the invaders' fleet when they appeared.

The Mongols returned in 1281 with a force of some 50,000 Mongol-Korean-Chinese along with some 100,000 conscripts from the defeated

For two further decades the Kamakura shogunate maintained a watch in case the Mongols attempted another invasion. However, the strain on the military and the financial expenditures weakened the regime considerably. Additionally, the defensive war left no gains to distribute to the warriors who had fought it, leading to discontent. Construction of defensive walls added further expenses to the strained regime.[25]

Decline and fall

In 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo took arms against Kamakura, but was defeated by Kamakura's Ashikaga Takauji and exiled to Oki Island, in today's Shimane Prefecture.^[20] A warlord then went to the exiled emperor's rescue, and in response the Hōjō sent forces again commanded by Takauji to attack Kyoto.^[20] Once there, however, Takauji decided to switch sides and support Go-Daigo.^[20] At the same time another warlord loyal to the emperor, Nitta Yoshisada, attacked Kamakura and took it.^[18] About 870 Hōjō clan, including the last three Regents, committed suicide at their family temple, Tōshō-ji, whose ruins were found in today's Ōmachi.^[18]

In 1336, Ashikaga Takauji assumed the position of shōgun himself, establishing the Ashikaga shogunate.

Institutions

The Kamakura shogunate functioned within the framework of the Heian system of Imperial rule.^[26]

Yoritomo established a chancellery, or mandokoro, as his principal organ of government. Later, under the Hōjō, a separate institution, the hyōjōshū became the focus of government.

The shogunate appointed new military governors (shugo) over the provinces/states. These were selected mostly from powerful families in the different provinces, or the title was bestowed upon a general and his family after a successful campaign. Although they managed their own affairs, in theory they were still obliged to the central government through their allegiance to the shōgun. The military governors paralleled the existing system of governors and vice-governors (kokushi) appointed by the civil government in Kyoto.^{[citation needed]}

Kamakura also appointed stewards, or jitō, to positions in the manors (shōen). These stewards received revenues from the manors in return for their military service. They served along with the holders of similar office, gesu, who delivered dues from the manor to the proprietor in Kyoto. Thus the dual governmental system reached to the manor level.^{[citation needed]}

In legal matters, the government promulgated a legal code called Goseibai Shikimoku in 1232^[27] which would continuously be used until the Muromachi period. A court of appeals was also set up during this period, called the Moncho-jo.^[28]

List of Kamakura shōguns

1. Minamoto no Yoritomo, r. 1192–1199^[29]
2. Minamoto no Yoriie, r. 1202–1203^[30]
3. Minamoto no Sanetomo, r. 1203–1219^[31]
4. Fujiwara no Yoritsune, r. 1226–1244^[32]
5. Fujiwara no Yoritsugu, r. 1244–1252^[33]
6. Prince Munetaka, r. 1252–1266^[34]
7. Prince Koreyasu, r. 1266–1289^[35]
8. Prince Hisaaki, r. 1289–1308^[36]
9. Prince Morikuni, r. 1308–1333^[37]

List of Kamakura shikken

1. Hōjō Tokimasa, r. 1203–1205^[38]
2. Hōjō Yoshitoki, r. 1205–1224^[39]
3. Hōjō Yasutoki, r. 1224–1242^[40]
4. Hōjō Tsunetoki, r. 1242–1246^[41]
5. Hōjō Tokiyori, r. 1246–1256^[42]
6. Hōjō Tokimune, r. 1268–1284^[43]
7. Hōjō Sadatoki, r. 1284–1301^[44]
8. Hōjō Morotoki, r. 1301–1311^[45]
9. Hōjō Takatoki, r. 1316–1326^[46]

Genealogy

Patrilineal descent

Family Tree

(1147–1199) Minamoto no Yoritomo(1) r. 1192–1199

(d. 1190) Bōmon Hime [ja]

(1147-1197) Ichijō Yoshiyasu [ja]

(1182–1204) Minamoto no Yoriie(2) r. 1202–1203

(1192–1219) Minamoto no Sanetomo(3) r. 1203–1219

(1169–1206) Kujō Yoshitsune

(1167-1200) Daughter of Ichijō Yoshiyasu

(d. 1227) Ichijō Zenshi

(1171-1244) Saionji Kintsune

(1198–1203) Minamoto no Ichiman

(1200–1219) Kugyō

(1193–1252) Kujō Michiie

(1192–1253) Saionji Rinshi [ja]

(1194-1269) Saionji Saneuji

(1202–1234) Minamoto no Yoshiko [ja]

(1218–1256) Kujō Yoritsune(4) r. 1226–1244

Omiya no Tsubone daughter of Fujiwara no Chikayoshi [ja]

(b. 1211) Kujō Jinshi

(1210-1259) Konoe Kanetsune

(d. 1308) Taira no Muneko [ja]

(1220–1272) Emperor Go-Saga

(1225-1292) Saionji Kisshi

(1239–1256) Kujō Yoritsugu(5) r. 1244–1252

(b. 1241) Konoe Saishi [ja]

(1242–1274) Prince Munetaka(6) r. 1252–1266

(1243-1304) Emperor Go-Fukakusa

(1264–1326) Prince Koreyasu(7) r. 1266–1289

Daughter of Prince Koreyasu

(1276–1328) Prince Hisaaki(8) r. 1289–1308

(1301–1333) Prince Morikuni(9) r. 1308–1333

Source:^[47][48]

See also

• Rensho
• Rokuhara Tandai
• History of Japan
• Lists of incumbents
• Azuma Kagami
• Mongol invasions of Japan
• Goryeo military regime

Notes

References