Transcript Japan’s Warrior Society - Thurgood Marshall Middle School

Japan’s Warrior Society
By the 1100s, central government was
losing control of the empire
• Local clans fighting for power and
land, no law and order
• Bandits (ronin)roamed countryside,
landowners hired armies of samurai,
trained professional warriors
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Feudalism and Samurai
• Use of samurai, trained professional
warriors, developed into feudal warrior
society in Japan
• Similar to feudal system in Europe
• In exchange for allegiance, military
service, noble landowners gave property,
payment to samurai
Payment for Samurai
• Unlike in Europe, where knights were
usually paid with land grants, only most
powerful samurai received land
• Most paid with food, usually rice
Payment for Samurai
• Those samurai who were given land did
not work or live on the land.
• The samurai’s lands were worked by
peasants, who gave the samurai food for
payment each year.
Warrior Role
• Main role of samurai, that of a highly
skilled warrior
• Wore armor, were skilled with many
weapons, often fought on horseback
• Expected to be in fighting form all the time,
ready to do battle should need arise
Societal Privileges
• As time passed, samurai rose in status in
society, enjoyed many privileges
• Crowds parted to let them pass when
samurai walked down street
• People dropped eyes out of respect—and
fear!
• Samurai had right to kill anyone who
showed disrespect
Samurai Code of Ethics
• Samurai followed strict code of ethics,
known as Bushido, “the way of the
warrior”
• Bushido required samurai to be
courageous, honorable, obedient and
loyal.
Samurai Code of Ethics
• Word samurai means “those who serve;”
each had to serve, obey his lord without
hesitation, even if samurai, family suffered
as result.
• Samurai who failed to obey, protect his
lord was expected to commit seppuku—
suicide by ritual disembowelment
Discipline
• Strove to live disciplined lives
• Pursued activities requiring great focus,
like writing poetry, arranging flowers,
performing tea ceremonies
Zen Buddhism
• Many samurai accepted Zen Buddhism
• Spread from China to Japan in 1100s
• Zen stressed discipline, meditation as
ways to focus mind, gain wisdom
Role of Women
Both men, women of samurai families
learned to fight
• Usually only men went to war.
• Female samurai had to follow Bushido.
• Were prepared to die to protect home,
family honor.
Role of Women
Both men, women of samurai families
learned to fight
• Samurai women honored in Japanese
society
– Could inherit property
– Allowed to participate in business
Rise of the Shoguns
• For most of the 1100s, Japan had
no strong central government.
• Local nobles, the heads of
powerful clans, fought for power.
Yorimoto
• Minamoto family defeated rival clan to
become Japan’s most powerful clan
• 1192, clan leader Minamoto Yoritomo
forced emperor to name him shogun,
“general,” Japan’s supreme military leader
• Shogun ruled in emperor’s name
Shogun Rule
• Emperor remained at top of society, but
became mere figurehead
• For nearly 700 years shoguns ruled Japan
• Yoritomo allowed emperor to hold court at
Heian, later known as Kyoto
• Shogun formed military government at
Kamakura
Kamakura Shogunate
• Kamakura Shogunate, military dynasty,
ruled Japan until 1333.
• 1200s, Kamakura Shogunate faced major
threat—Mongols.
Kamakura Shogunate
• 1274, again in 1281, large Mongol fleets
attacked Japan.
• Each time Japanese defeated them, with
help of powerful storm that wiped out
enemy fleet.
Weakened Shogunate
• Japanese referred to storms as kamikaze,
“divine wind”; believed they showed that
the gods favored Japan.
• Mongol invasions weakened Kamakura
Shogunate.
Weakened Shogunate
• Many lords thought shogun had not
rewarded them enough; loyalties broke
down.
• 1338, Shogunate overthrown.
Rebellion and Order
• A new shogunate took power but
was too weak to gain control of
Japan.
• With the loss of centralized rule,
Japan splintered into many
competing factions.
Daimyo
• Numerous local daimyo, powerful
warlords with large estates, gained control
of territories, battled for power.
• Daimyo built large fortified castles to
defend lands.
Fortifications
• Castles often on hills, protected by walls,
surrounded by water.
• Towns often grew up around them.
• Daimyo began to use peasants as foot
soldiers, samurai on horseback.
Firepower
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1543, Portuguese introduced firearms.
Daimyo began to arm soldiers with guns.
Some samurai refused to use them.
Died wielding swords against superior
firepower.
Ambitious Men
Generals Take Control
• 1500s, three strong daimyo worked to
take control of Japan.
• Oda Nobunaga, first to arm soldiers
with guns, defeated opponents easily.
Ambitious Men
Generals Take Control
By death in 1582, controlled half of
Japan.
• Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Oda’s greatest
general, continued efforts.
• By 1590, he controlled most of Japan
Ambitious Men
Tokugawa Ieyasu
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1600, Tokugawa won decisive battle.
Gained complete control of all Japan.
1603, emperor made Tokugawa shogun.
Event began the Tokugawa Shogunate.
The Tokugawa Shogunate
• Strong Central Government
• Tokugawa established capital at quiet
fishing village, Edo, now Tokyo.
• Established strong central government.
• Tokugawa shoguns brought about period
of relative unity, peace, stability.
The Tokugawa Shogunate
• Tokugawa shoguns closely controlled
daimyo, who still held local level power.
• To keep loyal, shoguns required daimyo to
live in Edo periodically.
• Leave families there year-round as
“hostages.”
• Forced daimyo to maintain two
residences.
• Attempt to prevent rebellion.
The Tokugawa Shogunate
• Prosperity
• Stability, peace of Tokugawa rule brought
prosperity to Japan.
• Agricultural production rose, population
and cities grew.
• Economic activity increased.
• New roads linked main cities, castle
towns, improving trade.
Rigid Feudal System
• Top of Society:
1. Under Tokugawa rule, Japan’s strict
feudal system became more rigid.
2. At top of society, emperor - only a
figurehead.
3. Next was shogun, held real power as
military ruler.
4. Below shogun, daimyo—owed shogun
loyalty.
Rigid Feudal System
• Ruling Warrior Class:
• Under daimyo, samurai who served them.
• Emperor, shogun, daimyo, samurai made
up ruling warrior class.
• Three Lower Classes:
• Below ruling warrior class were three
classes.
• Peasants, artisans, merchants.
Lower Classes
• Rules
• Members of lower classes could not rise in
social status.
• Could not serve in military or government.
• Could not hold government positions that
might challenge power of warrior class.
Lower Classes
• Peasants
• Peasants made up vast majority—about
80 percent—of Japan’s population.
• Forbidden to do anything but farming.
• Supported selves by growing rice, other
crops on daimyo, samurai estates.
Lower Classes
• Honor and Some Status
• In Japan, farming considered honorable
trade.
• Peasants enjoyed relatively high status,
just below samurai.
• However, peasants paid most of taxes, led
hard lives.
Artisans and Merchants
• Below peasants were artisans.
• Artisans often lived in castle towns; made
goods like armor, swords.
• Merchants at bottom of society.
Artisans and Merchants
• Not honored because did not produce
anything.
• Merchants often grew wealthy.
• Could use wealth to improve social
position.
Women
• During Tokugawa period, women’s status
gradually declined
• Many led restricted lives
• Had to obey male head of household
absolutely
• Even samurai class women lost many
rights, freedoms
Male Samurai
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Role of male samurai changed
Peace put many out of work
Not allowed to engage in trade.
Many ronin — masterless samurai — fell
on hard times.
• Some became farmers, others warriors for
hire, still others bandits.
Relations with the West
• The prosperity of the Tokugawa Period
went hand in hand with Japan’s increasing
contact with Europeans.
• Initially the Japanese welcomed European
traders and missionaries and the new
ideas, products and technologies that they
brought.
Changes
• Trade with Europe boosted Japan’s
economy
• Christian missionaries changed Japanese
society
• Many Japanese became Christian; soon
samurai could be heard chanting Christian
prayers in battle
Period of Isolation
• Over time Tokugawa shoguns grew
concerned with spread of Christianity.
• Began to persecute Christians, kill
missionaries
• Also began to restrict foreign trade, travel.
Period of Isolation
• Banned building large ships.
• By 1650, Japan had shut its doors to all
Europeans except the Dutch.
• Japan continued this policy for more than
200 years.
Feudal Culture
• Japan’s growing cities became centers of
culture during the feudal period.
Art and Literature
• In art, colorful woodblock prints called
Ukiyo-e, “pictures of the floating world,”
became popular
• In literature, realistic stories became
popular, as well as form of poetry called
haiku
• Three lines with 17 syllables; many haiku
deal with themes of nature, harmony
Theater
• In theater, Noh drama developed, 1300s
• Slow-moving Noh plays told stories
through use of masks, stylized dance,
music
• 1600s, new type of theatre with more
action, plot, humor—kabuki
• Women initially performed kabuki, but later
banned and replaced by men