HIST 187S Midterm

What rights did Minamoto Yoritomo acquire from the emperor to help him better reward his warriors with?

Received right through retired emperor Go-Shirakawa to appoint provincial military governors (shugo) and estate policement (jito). Yoritomo is called the Seiitashogun because he set up the patronage network among warriors which gave samurai better representation to receive rewards

In terms of imperial government history why was Eastern Japan a region where fierce warriors were raised?

Azuma (east) was the cradle of Japanese samurai and the frontier of civilization → natives of Azuma didn't want to be ruled by the imperial court so they had frequent skirmishes with the troops of the central government = armies were more active in that region → the east also bred the best horses and ironmaking tech developed there. Furthermore, Indigenous northeasterners were very good warriors; the samurai bow was developed there before continental peoples' arrivals

What was the battle of Dannoura about and when did it happen?

1185 - Minamoto Yoshitsune led a huge army to defeat the Taira clan. It was a major sea battle in the Genpei wars where the Taira were eliminated in a decisive victory for Minamoto. The Tale of Heike was written about it. The imperial court was eliminated in favor of a gov't that serves samurai and makes the imperial government a figurehead. Power was put into the hands of the Hojo regents.

What kinds of imperial and aristocratic conflicts were behind the Genpei Wars?

The reigning and retired emperor were fighting for power when the Minamoto clan led a coup against the ruling Taira, which both had claims to imperial rule. Court civility decreased hella as aristocrats on each side hired samurai from both clans. Takeaways: conflicts between reigning/retired emperor, reveals that family ties aren't actually as strong as Pop Japan claims, and that samurai aren't that loyal in the face of personal gain.

If a married samurai woman were raped, how did samurai government legally treat her in the case? Why?

If a woman was raped, the rapist owed compensation not to the woman, but to her father or husband. Their bodies were still considered the property of the head of household. They were not punished for it, but they were admonished at times for putting themselves in situations which allowed it. This was because their bodies were still considered the property of the head of household.

Why was the Tale of the Heike commissioned by the Hōjo clan?

It was commissioned to pay homage and respect to the Taira clan despite their defeat in battle and to ward off their evil spirits. This shows the difference in samurai warfare from western warfare in that they glorify the honor and courage it takes to fight a battle and lose rather than forgetting and destroying the memory of the enemies.

Why did the Jokyu (also called Shokyu) War happen and why is it important to the trend of history?

Turn of 13th cen. This was a war between the ruling Kamakura shogunate and the retired emperor Gotoba, who unsuccessfully sought his power back. As a result, the dual government system of the figurehead imperial court and the ruling shogunate was cemented, and the shogunate asserted its power over the imperial court. It is significant because this would reduce the emperor's influence in favor of the shogunate.

What is a shoen and what is a jito?

The shoen were the plots of tax-exempt land which regional military governors and high-ranking samurai owned. The jito were the police of these estates granted by retired emperor Go-Shirakawa to Minamoto Yoritomo. This essentially allowed non-aristocratic samurai to still be pseudo-lords of their own lands, acting as regional governors.

Which family had the most power throughout most of the Kamakura period, and what was their official role?

The Hojo family had the most power in the Kamakura period. At first they were "prisoner keepers" in charge of remaining heirs of the Minamoto clan. However, after toppling the Taira clan in the Genpei wars, the Hojo became the shogun regents. This meant that they essentially ruled Japan as the shogunate had the real power over the figurehead emperor.

What are three standard coups of samurai on the battlefield for which they could request reward from their master?

Being the first to attack, entering the enemy camp first, showing the way across a river or barrier, getting wounded in battle, heads or noses. This meant that army formations as we know them today never worked.

Why did Japanese warriors fight more successfully in the second Mongol invasion attempt?

They were much more prepared as they spent downtime between the wars preparing themselves for a follow-up. They built a wall along the coast of Hakata Bay and assigned guards to anticipate attack against the Mongols. The Mongols landed on the beach, but the wall prevented them from getting into adequate formation and were stuck in the water or on the shore. The samurai switched from a defensive to offensive strategy, and were able to push out the Mongols with the assistance of a tropical storm (the second kamikaze.)

Why is the government of Japan during the Kamakura period best described as a dual government?

There were two ruling powers: the imperial court and the shogunate. After the Jokyu War, the shogunate gained the right to appoint the emperor - thus, they had real control over Japan.

In terms of why samurai fight, explain how the Mongol invasions badly affected the Kamakura government.

Samurai fought for personal reward over fealty. As the Mongol invasions resulted in no new land to (re)distribute, the Kamakura government was unable to grant ample rewards to the samurai in terms of land. This resulted in resentment leading to the downfall of the Kamakura regime at the hands of Emperor Go-Daigo.

Takezaki Suenaga was an ambitious samurai. Why did his disobedience on the battlefield and in Kamakura not hurt his reputation?

Takezaki Suenaga was disobedient and harassed the Kamakura government for his reward, but he was rewarded because his disobedience and actions on the battlefield were seen as bold and courageous. More importantly, he was able to find witnesses to back up his multiple claims to rewards, and as firsthand witnesses virtually guaranteed such claims, his rewards were honored.

One chronicle says 140,000 soldiers joined the second Mongol invasion. What do modern historians think on this issue?

Modern historians believe that this was largely exaggerated to make the Japanese sound more spectacular, both in terms of manpower and in the legitimacy of their fight (victory over lotta mongols sounds better than over a few.) The real figure is somewhere around a tenth of that, at approximately 14,000, as is evidenced by third parties such as monks.

What are the three eras into which historians often divide the Muromachi period?

Northern/Southern Courts: Both courts had claims to the imperial line, and would regularly ut out proclamations sayin gthat samurai should attack supporters of the other emperor; this became an excuse for regional conflict for personal gain (my neighbor owns land and supports the other guy so imma swear fealty to my guy to attack him). Ashikaga Supremacy: After the N/S dispute was revolved through S tricking N emperor into coming and then arresting him, Ashikaga proclaimed himself "the authority" and sought to rule in a dictatorship (unsuccessfully.) This led to Warring States Period, which began as a result of daimyo citing military necessity as reason to withhold imperial taxes; this eventually led to them saying **** the emperor - hence the WS Period.

What is the Kenmu Restoration?

Upon overthrowing the Kamakura government, Emperor Go-Daigo sought to restore the civilian Heian court to power through rebellion against the Kamakura. However, he rewarded aristocrats over samurai in an effort to return to the Heian way of doing things, which obviously pissed off his subordinate samurai which won the whole thing for him. Ashikaga Takauji set up a parallel emperor and chases Godaigo out of Tokyo, so it fails.

When a samurai general betrays his master, what do his own retainers usually do?

The retainers will usually also betray the master, as they pledged fealty to their direct superior rather than to the master. However, the master could promise rewards to the retainers for betrayal, revealing the incredibly selfish nature of samurai.

How does the reward system encourage samurai insubordination on the battlefield?

Samurai were selfish, so they'd violate rules of warfare when it suited them such as in the case of Takezaki Suenaga.

What is meant by the "dual way" in regards to samurai?

This referred to the ideal that samurai should be as skilled culturally as militarily. Art/action, scholar/warrior, letters/war. Thus, many samurai were incredibly good at calligraphy and traditional Japanese art.

What was Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's title in foreign relations?

Kubo domestically, but when dealing with Japan he referred to himself as the king rather than the emperor, placing himself below the emperor of China.

According to Ikegami, generally why did medieval samurai commit seppuku?

Preservation of honor - it was typically a better idea to commit suicide than to be captured. They would also commit suicide with their masters. In later periods it was forced upon insubordinate samurai as a method of honorable capital punishment.

With all of the power in warrior hands by the mid-Ashikaga period why do they let the imperial court survivi? Was this a common patter in Japanese history? and if so give a similar example.

Samurai wished not to burn bridges as they may prove advantageous in the future (samurai were very side-switchy.) They were also incredibly practical and civility was not their hting - violence was a tool to dominate but also legitimize their place in society. This was a common pattern in Japanese history from Kamakura to Meiji, just look at GoDaigo.

In the Muromachi period inheritance patters shifted from many heirs to a single heir, usually the eldest son. Why did this not end intra-house strife over inheritance?

The soryo system led to fighting between brothers about inheritance. Once only the ablest/eldest son was allowed to inherit, younger brothers would fight, and promises of inheritance would be used as a political tool.

In the Kamakura period, give two reasons why samurai would prefer to fight in small groups rather than alone?

They needed witnesses to prove that they were justified in a) material rewards for military valor and b) honor/battle valor. This was seen in the case of Suenaga when he went into the cave.

What does Conlan say about Japanese horses in his article on the warrior Nomoto Tomoyuki?

Short, sturdy, but slow. [did this contribute to "the way of the bow and arrow?"

According to Conlan in this same article, why did generals sometimes discourage headhunting by samurai?

Head-hunting was dangerous and samurai more concerned with hunting heads would often disobey their superiors seeking heads. They were more likely to be killed collecting heads (one reason why that one guy took noses instead.)

In the same article Conlan says that it was a common belief that death in battle deserved what kind of a reward specifically?

Economic rewards for family members by those doling out rewards, specifically land.

Name three arts that samurai patronized from the Ashikaga period.

Noh theatre, the tea ceremony, calligraphy, swordsmanship, and rock gardens.

What happens to the legal and economic status of samurai women in the Ashikaga period? Why?

The soryo system shifted inheritance rights away from samurai women as they had during the Heian. They were more limited in their public life and stopped serving as interim heads-of-household, especially as the shift to patrilocal marriage meant women became part of their husband's families and not the other way around. They also ceased to become retainers.

What is the most common cause of war in the Ashikaga period? Why?

Disputes over succession or inheritance as a result of the soryo system. Thus, almost every emperor during the Ashikaga period was killed by a retainer.

What event starts the Warring States era?

The Onin War of 1476-1477 broke down the central authority which Kyoto had. A succession dispute between the ruling emperor and his brother (emperor had a son after promising brother inheritance) grew from a small rebellion against the Ashikaga to a fight to exhaustion. ("The disorder leads to 1 breakdown of soryo, 2 breakdown of shoen, 3 reemergence of single heir system, 4 small "countries" being formed)

According to Ikegami, some warring states daimyo evolved out of the provincial governor role, but most became daimyo by other means. What was that?

Gekokujo, "The lower dominating the upper". Vassals or local deputies of the shugo would expel their master, taking control of the region. They would then expand their regional dominance through military and political maneuvering.

Name three common problems that most Sengoku daimyo faced.

Enemy warlords always invading them. Independent retainers, risking gekokujo. Ikki political leagues: villagers and lesser samurai organizing against their rulers, some even kicking them out to start ikki governments. Villagers resisting in rebellion and founding souson (self-governed villages).

According to Ikegami why did many daimyo lords issue the kenka ryōseibai (both parties in a quarrel will be

punished) law?

Prior to the Warring States Period, samurai would often resolve conflicts themselves. However, the flux of sengoku jidai meant that such conflicts could a) violate solidarity/mutual trust between lords and b) decrease troop efficiency. The kenka ryouseibai system was one of the first legal methods of conflict resolution between samurai.

Many Warring States (Sengoku) daimyo carried out land surveys of villages in their realms. In terms of getting the right amount of service out of their samurai, how was this used?

These surveys allowed daimyo to assess how much value they could get out of individual fiefs in terms of a numerical cash unit (kan). The amount of kan levied on each parcel of land allowed daimyo to calculate how much each samurai owed their daimyo in terms of military service -- in essence, how large an army they could afford to levy.

Birt argues that daimyo armies were quickly getting much larger in the sixteenth century. Who supplied the

new members of the army?

They became larger because, with everything in flux, political distinctions between samurai and villagers grew blurry. They were equally subject to the daimyo in the daimyo's eyes, and so villagers and retainers were levied in addition to samurai. However, this also meant that they were reduced from a landed gentry to an urban class, losing their traditional landed rights and privileges.

According to Birt, how could the Hojo of Odawara calculate how many men they could have their samurai mobilize and bring for battle?

It was based on the kan system of land surveys, where subservient retainers were expected to mobilize a certain number of men based on the worth of their land in kan. Initially, this was simply a mass mobilization, [but by mid-century daimyo began to issue more specific mobilizations exemplifying more refined military tactic as well as daimyo's increasing influence over their retainers.]

Birt argues that pressure from above and from below led to greater daimyo control over samurai. Who was below and what did they want?

This pressure from "below" came from villages and their inhabitants, who became more independent from their daimyo than in earlier eras. They resisted samurai domination and threatened samurai influence over village affairs, pressing the daimyo to reign them in.

The latter Hojo clan lasts for five generations. How does this dynasty end?

It ends when Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three great unifiers of Japan, finally topples them (they're the last ones to resist at the end of sengoku jidai) in 1590. This would end Edo's and Toyotomi's campaigns to reunite Japan, finally bringing Japan back under one rule for the first time since the Onin War.

Give three reasons why many Warring States daimyo wanted their samurai to live in the castle town rather than in villages.

Army always ready to go, attacked daimyo would be able to count on em, easier to control/collect profit.

When did Europeans first come to Japan and what were some key things they brought?

They first came in 1543 when a Chinese shipwreck dumped two Portuguese missionaries on Tanegashima. They brought arquebuses, a type of gun, as well as Christianity. This would lead to direct Japanese interaction with the West for the first time, and shifted war by making the "way of the sword" dominant and changing armor styles. It'd also lead to a whole lotta Christians who saw Christian fealty to God as appealing.

What about samurai character and values made Christianity attractive in the late 16th century?

It exemplified samurai ethics, which valued fealty to their lord to the death. This led to a high rate of conversion among Japanese samurai, and the Jesuits would report to the pope that for every Catholic lost in Europe due to the reformation two would be gained in Japan.

Name two policies of retainer control used by both the Chōsokabe and the latter Hōjō.

x

How do articles 33 to 36 of the Chōsokabe law code relate to the main point of the Tonomura article?

Articles 33 and 36 described the punishment for adultery (villages could exact revenge if the couple doesn't commit suicide/priests can't enter or exit w/o man present). This relates to the article as it exemplifies the diminishing sexual cultural rights of women over time, and how semantics of justice impacted individuals - 36 was passed after a woman was raped by a priest when the man wasn't there/men whose wives were raped could kill the rapist only if the woman was killed also to make it justified.

Identify two articles of the Chōsokabe law code that relate to issues raised in lecture about methods of daimyo control of their realms.

25 (all parties in a dispute are punished) relates to kenka ryoseibai; 49 (do the work that the land survey says is manageable) relates to kan system; 87 and 44 (see yenni's)

At the Battle of Nagashino Nobunaga defeated the Takeda clan. Why is this battle important to general military history?

This Battle in 1575 marked the first usage of volley fire, where three ranks of footsoldier musketeers would rotate and fire upon charging mounted samurai. This completely altered paradigms of warfare, as warriors no longer had to be intricately trained for battle - a gun was enough.

What did Hideyoshi do to try to restrain violence in the villages?

Late 1500s, He passed the sword hunt edict, banning non-samurai from carrying swords (ending the era of civilian soldiers), and banned piracy. He also built a bigass Buddha in Kyoto which served as a religious reminder for people to follow orders, behave properly, so u can make it to the afterlife

Why did Hideyoshi order national cadastral surveys?

A legacy of the kan system, it allowed for better administration/taxation by knowing true measures of land. This would mean that only one proprietor would have to collect taxes from a given parcel of land, and allowed him to yield militaries based on their fiefs across the nation.

Oda Nobunaga especially hated certain types of organizations. What were these and why did he hate them so much?

He hated ikki leagues and religious orgs. He considered them an economic and political threat to his regime - since he sought to totally control Japan, both of these organizational structures served as threats to his way of rule.

Hideyoshi invaded Korea in the 1590's with early success and then slow failure. In what form of warfare were the Koreans superior?

Though the Japanese were more skilled on land, Koreans dominated the seas with superior naval power due to their turtle ships and the work of Admiral Yi. They also had a much better manufacturing base for shipbuilding, and the defensive nature of the war meant they could move ships to sea more quickly.

Fukutomi Han'emon served his lord in Hideyoshi's Korean invasion. What did warriors bring back from the battlefield to show they had killed an enemy?

Noses, because they did not have time to collect heads, and they were so quick at pursuing them that they wanted to be fast (Koreans were retreating.)

Why did Fukutomi Han'emon have to flee from his lord Katō Yoshiaki?

Han'emon had to flee Yoshiaki's castle once it came under siege and he accompanied a friend of his in escaping. Thus, he was on the lam from Yoshiaki's retainers. Reveals personal loyalties > fealty. (wait nah this is during the Iki bit where they try to bust out his friend's grandpa)

When and why did Fukutomi Han'emon fight against his lord Chōsogabe Morichika?

He fought against Morichika during the siege of Osaka castle while serving Ieyasu. He fought him because the Toyotomi clan was in arms against the Tokugawa shogunate, and Osaka castle was their last holdout against the otherwise ruling Tokugawa. Despite this, Morichika still had an audience with him during a ceasefire, and even honored him by acknowledging his father's and grandfather's military feats.

Fukutomi Han'emon kills a number of people in single fights. Why does he do this?

It is while he is escaping Yoshiaki's castle.

Based on Mistress An's narrative, describe two duties of samurai women when defending a castle in a seige.

Casting bullets, record-keeping of heads - reflected in changing gender roles to this period not letting them be retainers

What allowed Mistress An and her family to escape the castle siege?

Her father Yamada Kiyoreki agreed to defect to Ieyasu's side when the castle was under siege and about to fall.

Originally what did the word "samurai" or "saburai" mean?

Servant.

Name four common functions of samurai in the Heian period.

Tax collectors, "hunters" for their aristocratic masters, guards, police.

In most of the Heian period, how did the aristocrats treat elite samurai?

They were commoners, and though they would reward them with shit for feats they were never allowed equal footing with aristocrats.

With what phrase did Kamakura era samurai describe their "way"? To be a Kamakura era samurai was to practice the way of what?

The horse and bow. Swords were not prominent at the time (naginata and kumade were) and so armor was designed to deflect arrows.

Ikegami writes that the patriarchal tendencies of the samurai households progressively increased over time. How is this reflected in changing inheritance practices?

In the early period, women were able to inherit a portion of their parent's properties. It was common for women to become "housemen."

Over time, since the samurai households wanted to keep inheritance within the family, they limited the inheritance of women. The took on domestic roles as public roles became limited.

What in the early history of the imperial state led eastern Japan to be closely associated with samurai?

The Taira clan neglected the east agricultural region and focused in the west.

This led to a new samurai government by the Minamoto Clan.

This new government created strong frontier warriors.

How did the court deal with rebellious samurai in the Heian period?

They hired other samurai to put down the "rebellious" samurai. They would receive money and land.

This showed the flawed motivation of samurai which eventually led to mistrust in the Kamakura government.

Why did Taira no Kiyomori want to move the imperial capital, and why did he rebuild Itsukushima Shrine?

He wanted to move the capital to Kobe, to gain control of ports, increase naval power, and engage in overseas trade.

change from land-based economy to a more trade-based

He rebuilt the shrine to appease the 3 goddesses of commerce, sailors, and fishermen. (Munaka sanjojin)

Taira no Kiyomori

late Heian Period (1159-1185), military leader, he established the first samurai dominated administrative government in the history of Japan, head of Taira clan, Grand

Minister

Minamoto no Yoritomo

End of Heian period,

First Kamakura Shogunate, led minamoto clan in Genpei war, married Hōjō Masako

1192-1333

Founder and first shogun of Kamakura Shogunate (bafuku)

dafeats Taira Clan

wins Genpei Wars

Minamoto no Yoshitsune

Late Heian and early Kamakura Period, general of the Minamoto

clan, after the Genpei War joined the cloister Go-Shirakawa against his brother Yoritomo, Tale

of Heike based off of

Hojo Masako

late Heian early Kamakura period, eldest child of Hojo Tokimasa, wife of the first

shikken (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate, sister of Hojo Yoshitoki, and was married to

Minamoto no Yoritomo, assumed great power after his death and is credited with most of his

success-->horse story

Hojo Yasutoki

late Heian early Kamkura period, ruled during Kamakura, yasutoki's letters to

Shigetoki(1232, 8th month, 1232 9th month)-->emphasizes the need to be fair to parties in a suit

and not to have the law work against them-->these innovations were responsible for

institutionalizing that office as the major ruling body in japan until 1868 and for stabilizing Hojo

rule for almost a century

Takezaki Suenaga

Kamakura period, Japanese warrior that participated in the Mongol

invasion-->creator of Mongol Invasion Scroll: created to serve as proof for his involvement in the

fighting with the Mongols when rewards were to be handed out, scroll was only real depiction of

fighting with the mongols, guide to japanese armor and equipment and head collecting

Godaigo

late kamakura early Muromachi period, ruled during the Muromachi, attempted to

reassert the prerogatives of the throne with Kenmu Restoration(tried to overthrow the shogunate

and restore the monarchy) divided imperial family into two rival factions, later dethroned after he

adopted a policy to merge military and civil power and put it in the hands of civil governors

Ashikaga Takauji

14th century general, Muromachi period (Ashikaga Shogunate lasted roughly

200 years), worked for the Hojo but then switched sides prompting the downfall of the imperial court, FIRST SHOGUN of ashikaga

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu

Muromachi period, smart military leader who is wealthy and flaunts his

wealth to get people to side with him, lives lavishly, political strategy uses soft power, golden

age of warrior culture with zen influence, tea ceremony, rock gardens, painting, then succession

disputes, achieve political stability for the Ashikaga shogunate

Hojo Soun

muromachi period, self made daimyo, conquered Izu province, Odawara Castle,

sagami province, believed in remaining vigilant, waiting for the right moment and then springing

into action, wrote his 21 Articles which was a code of conduct for all warrior

Chosokabe Motochika

was a Japanese samurai of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through early Edo period.

Once the ruler of Tosa Province, his fief was revoked by Tokugawa Ieyasu after the

Battle of Sekigahara.

● 1575 - 1615

Oda Nobunaga

late Muromachi early Azuchi Momoyama period, a man who was able to rise up

from a low position to daimyo, was known for completely destroying his enemies while forcing

his allies into submission, made use of western weapons, was given the choice to be

assassinated or commit suicide, he created a system to put tax collection in his control, allowed

people to remain independent as long as they followed his rules and paid their taxes on time,

disarmed most of society→ Unified half of provinces of Japan and ended feudal wars, rest of

country unified after his death

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

: late muromachi early Azuchi Momoyama period, second of three great

unifiers, had control of all of japan by 1590 but never gained shogun, all daimyo signed oaths of

allegiance to him, edict of 1591-->prohibited change in social status, imposed sword

hunting,kenchi(land surveys),

Tokugawa Ieyasu

: Edo Period, founder of Tokugawa Japan(last shogunate in history), 3rd

unifier under shogunate, shogun in 1603, responsible for project of biggest castle in Japan paid

by Daimyo while he reaped all benefits(Edo Castle) transformation into castle towns, closes

Japan off from europe except dutch whom he gives trading rights, build manmade canal called

Deshima in the bay of Nagasaki to connect japan to dutch trading posts during Edo period