Feudal Age of Feudal Age of Medieval Medieval

JapanJapan1185-18681185-1868

Local Lords Began to raise and

train armies of samurai.

Collected taxes from people who lived on their lands.

Land called shoen, similar to a European fief.

Japan became feudal after the civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans.

Shogun Victor in the civil war

was Minamoto Yoritomo, who ruled Japan and made himself a shogun (military leader).

Not an emperor, as the Japanese believed that the emperor descended from the Sun God.

Yoritomo was called the shogun and had real power.

Next 600 years Japan would be ruled by shogunates.

Bakufu

Three parts: Military, Justice, and Day-to-day affairs

Military governors and stewards were appointed. These governors would become great feudal lords called daimyos. The samurai owed allegiance to the daimyo.

Power- The shogun, daimyos, and samurai had the power in feudal Japan

- Daimyos had much more power than the government, just like feudal Europe. They fought one another and ruled their own lands

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In Summary Land called a shoen.

The shogun is a military leader (not an emperor).

Bakufu is the government.

Feudal lords called daimyos ruled over their land and trained and built armies of samurai. These samurai owed allegiance to the daimyo.

Feudal SocietyFeudal Society

Social Structure There were complicated social relationships. Respect is and was

very important.

Every person knew their rank in society; women were always considered inferior to men.

Respect was given in bows, or prostration (lying on ground with face downward)

There are eight to nine levels in feudal society. Royal family and higher nobles at the top, shogun, daimyos, samurai, and finally commoners were ranked according to their occupation.

No social mobility (cannot move up in class).

Royal Family & Higher Nobles

Had very little power.

Lived apart from the rest of the people.

Performed at ceremonies, studied art, and participated in the Emperor’s court.

Samurai Class Shogun, Daimyos

and Samurai belong to this class.

Similar to knights and barons.

Focused on military arts, bravery, and self-control.

Had tremendous pride in their family history and their role in society.

They had the right to kill any commoner who offended them.

Commoners Ranked according to their occupation.

Children were required to do the same job as their parents.

Rank: Farmers/Peasants

Artisans

Merchants

Burakumin – butchers, executioners, tanners

Hinin – entertainers, beggars, vagrants

Outcasts – Ainu, descendants of slaves, courtesans