What was the bakufu?
What was the Bakufu? Bakufu, literally: "tent office", refers to the military governments that ruled Japan from 1192 to 1867 with a few exceptions in the 14th century when the Emperor ruled. Under the Bakufu system of government the Emperor was the head of state but had little real power. A Shogun, or military commander, ruled Japan.
Was the Kamakura Bakufu the first warrior government?
The Historian, Vol. 76, Issue. 2, p. 217. The establishment of Japan's first warrior government, the Kamakura bakufu, represented both a culmination and a beginning.
How did the bakufu system of government work in Japan?
Under the Bakufu system of government the Emperor was the head of state but had little real power. A Shogun, or military commander, ruled Japan. © 2002-2020 Japan Talk.
What happened to the Bakufu after the Meiji Restoration?
As a result, in 1868, the Meiji Restoration extinguished the bakufu's authority and returned political power to the emperor. And, nearly 700 years of Japanese rule by the bakufu came to a sudden end.
Who or what was the bakufu?
Literally translated as “tent government”, bakufu were governments which ruled Japan from 1185 until 1868. Also called “shogunate”, a bakufu was technically limited in authority to the feudal overlord's domains and the men who owed close allegiance to him.
What is bakufu?
tent government(lit. " tent government"). Synonymous with "shogunate." Any of the three military governments ruling Japan during most of the period from 1192 to 1867, as opposed to the civil government under the emperor at Kyoto.
What is bakufu in Japanese history?
The bakufu was the military government of Japan between 1192 and 1868, headed by the shogun. Prior to 1192, the bakufu—also known as shogonate—was responsible only for warfare and policing and was firmly subordinate to the imperial court.
Who made up the bakufu?
leader Minamoto YoritomoThe samurai leader Minamoto Yoritomo gained military hegemony over Japan in 1185. Seven years later he assumed the title of shogun and established the first shogunate, or bakufu (literally, “tent government”), at his Kamakura headquarters.
Who are the bakufu in gintama?
Bakufu, or Shogunate (将軍職, Shougunshoku, The General's Post), is the central government in Japan. Originally the national military force under the control of the Japanese Emperor, they, lead by the Shogun, ended up gradually ruling the entire country starting from the late 12th century.
Is bakufu same as shogunate?
“Shogunate" or "bakufu" (幕府:ばくふ) is a term used for a shogun's office or government. The term “bakufu” (meaning "an office in the tent," or “field headquarters”), referred to the headquarters, or administration, of a general on the battlefield, and implied that such an administration was meant to be temporary.
Who was the first shogun?
Minamoto YorimotoOn August 21, 1192, Minamoto Yorimoto was appointed a shogun, or Japanese military leader. He established the first shogunate, a system of military government that would last until the 19th century.
What was Tokyo's old name?
EdoThe history of the city of Tokyo stretches back some 400 years. Originally named Edo, the city started to flourish after Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate here in 1603.
Who were the shoguns and samurai?
As servants of the daimyos, or great lords, the samurai backed up the authority of the shogun and gave him power over the mikado (emperor). The samurai would dominate Japanese government and society until the Meiji Restoration of 1868 led to the abolition of the feudal system.
How did the bakufu control the daimyo?
The bakufu also revised the Laws for the Military Houses and established a system called sankin kōtai (alternative attendance), by which the daimyo were required to pay ceremonial visits to Edo every other year, while their wives and children resided permanently in Edo as hostages.
Who founded Japan?
Emperor JimmuIndependence: 660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu, held as official dogma until 1945.)
Who was the last shogun in Japan?
Tokugawa YoshinobuTokugawa Yoshinobu, original name Tokugawa Keiki, (born Oct. 28, 1837, Edo, Japan—died Jan. 22, 1913, Tokyo), the last Tokugawa shogun of Japan, who helped make the Meiji Restoration (1868)—the overthrow of the shogunate and restoration of power to the emperor—a relatively peaceful transition.
What is a bakufu?
The term “bakufu” (meaning "an office in the tent," or “field headquarters”), referred to the headquarters, or administration, of a general on the battlefield, and implied that such an administration was meant to be temporary. Shogun (将軍:しょうぐん, shōgun ), was a military rank and the historical title of the feudal administrator who served as ...
What is the meaning of Bakufu?
“ Shogunate " or " bakufu " (幕府:ばくふ) is a term used for a shogun's office or government. The term “bakufu” (meaning "an office in the tent," or “field headquarters”), referred to the headquarters, ...
How long did the Kamakura Bakufu reign last?
The fall of the Kamakura bakufu was followed by a three-year period from 1133- 1136, known as the Kemmu Restoration (建武の新政; Kemmu no shinsei), during which Emperor Go-Daigo attempted to re-establish Imperial control.
Why did the Kamakura Bakufu revolt fail?
In 1221, the imperial court led an uprising against the bakufu, in an attempt to regain control of the government but failed, largely because the shogunate had been organized in such a way as to retain the loyalty of the samurai lords. The greatest threat to the Kamakura bakufu was the invasion of Japan by the Mongols.
What happened to the Ashikaga family in 1467?
The shogun was no longer able to decide imperial succession, and the daimyo backed their own candidates. In time, the Ashikaga family had its own succession problems, resulting finally in the Onin War (1467-1477), which left Kyoto devastated and effectively ended the national authority of the bakufu.
What was the Emperor's position in the Bakufu system?
The emperor's position in the bakufu system was unique . He was isolated from the outside world by several layers of advisers, but could still issue imperial orders to members of the bakufu, orders they were obliged to follow.
When was the Shogun first used?
The title of “shogun” was first used during the Heian period, when it was occasionally bestowed on a general after a successful campaign. Its earliest known use was in 794. The term sei-i taishōgun means "great general who subdues the eastern barbarians." "Eastern barbarian" is one of several ancient terms for various groups who lived in eastern area and had not yet become subject to the central government. Among them were the aboriginal Ainu people who once inhabited Honshū in addition to Hokkaidō.
What does Bakufu mean?
Bakufu (幕府) means “tent office”, referring to the headquarter of a field commander in battle. It later denoted the “house of a general”, or the government of a shōgun. There were three periods of shogunal rule in Japanese history.
When did the Bakumatsu end?
Bakumatsu (幕末, lit. “end of the curtain”) describes the final period of the Tokugawa bakufu, between 1853 , when Commodore Matthew C. Perry forcefully opened Japan to Western powers, and 1867, when the last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu surrendered his powers, transferring the rule to the Meiji emperor.
Who was the shogunate after the Battle of Sekigahara?
After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu, claiming descendance from the powerful Minamoto (源) clan, seized power and installed a shogunate in Edo ( Tokugawa bakufu 徳川幕府 or Edo bakufu 江戸幕府). The Tokugawa bakufu lasted until the Meiji Restoration in 1867. The Tokugawa shoguns, not the emperor in Kyoto, held the effective power, controlling foreign policy, the military, and feudal patronage. They established a han (feudal domain) system and implemented a policy of isolation (鎖国 sakoku, “locked country).
Who was the leader of the Minamoto clan?
The Muromachi bakufu, also known as Ashikaga bakufu, was established in Kyoto by Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏) in 1336. Ashikaga, the de-facto leader of the Minamoto clan, was sent by the Kamakura bakufu to suppress the revolt of the Hōjō vassals hailing from the rival Taira clan. However, Ashikaga turned against the Kamakura bakufu and supported the Imperial court. As Ashikaga sided with the court, he had to share more powers, leading to a weakened shogunate. His rule started the Nanboku-chō period (1336-1392, 南北朝時代 nanboku-chō jidai) when a Northern and a Southern Court competed for power.
Who invaded Kyoto during the Genpei Wars?
In the late Heian period, the House of Minamoto (源) invaded Kyoto during the so-called Genpei Wars (1180–1185, 源平合戦 genpei kassen) between the Minamoto and the Taira (平) clan, resulting in the fall of the latter and the establishment of the Kamakura bakufu under Minamoto no Yoritomo, who seized the power from the central government and the court aristocracy and strengthened the role of the military.
Who was the first military leader in Japan?
On August 21, 1192, Minamoto Yorimoto was appoint ed as a shogun, or military leader, in Kamakura, Japan. Yorimoto establish ed Japan’s first military government, or bakufu, called the Kamakura shogunate. Shoguns were hereditary military leaders who were technically appointed by the emperor. However, real power rested with ...
What did Shoguns do?
Shoguns worked with civil servant s, who would administer programs such as tax es and trade. They also worked with the daimyo, or wealthy landowners. Finally, shoguns worked with samurai, a warrior class who were usually employ ed by the daimyo.
What is a samurai?
samurai. Noun. member of a powerful warrior class in historic Japan. shogun. Noun. top military and government leader in historic Japan. shogunate. Noun. system of government led by shoguns, or Japanese military leaders.
When did Bakufu start?
According to an old popular theory, the Kamakura Bakufu was thought to have started in 1192, when MINAMOTO no Yoritomo was appointed to seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians") (hereinafter, shogun ), but the power and governing system of Yoritomo had existed before that and now this theory is not believed. Also, it was regarded as "the first samurai government in Japan," but now it is seen as the one following Taira clan government.
Who was the Bakufu?
The Kamakura Bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) was a samurai government ( bakufu) established in Kamakura (currently, Kanagawa City, Kamakura Prefecture) by MINAMOTO no Yoritomo.
How was the Kamakura Bakufu formed?
As described above, the Kamakura bakufu was originally derived from the private government of MINAMOTO no Yoritomo.
What is the name of the samurai government in Azuma Kagami?
In " Azuma Kagami " (The Mirror of the East), there are instances in which the residence of the shogun is referred to as " bakufu " but samurai government was not called " bakufu " at the time. They were called 'Kanto' by the Imperial Court and kuge (court nobles), 'Kamakura-dono' (lord of Kamakura) by samurai and 'Buke' ( samurai family) ...
Why was Kamakura Bakufu established?
This was why Kamakura Bakufu came to be established as a samurai government both in name and reality throughout the Kamakura period. The regions over which the Kamakura Bakufu could exert a political influence were at first only the ningoku (place of appointment) ...
What is the character of the Kamakura Bakufu?
For these reasons, the character of the Kamakura Bakufu as a system of government or the time of its founding are both issues relating to the perceptions of subsequent generations, particularly within the field of modern history.
When did Yoritomo rise?
1180 - Yoritomo rose an army in Izu Province, to which he had been exiled, in order to seek and destroy the Taira clan (the master-servant relationship between Yoritomo and local samurai was established). The same year - Yoritomo established Samurai-dokoro (the establishment of samurai governing system).
Who was the Mon of the Tokugawa clan?
The Mon of the Tokugawa clan, Shogunate (1600-1868) having preserved 250 years of peace. Following the Sengoku period ("warring states period"), the central government had been largely re-established by Oda Nobunaga during the Azuchi–Momoyama period. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, central authority fell to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
How many koku did the Tokugawa clan have?
Towards the end of the shogunate, the Tokugawa clan held around 7 million koku of land (天領 tenryō), including 2.6-2.7 million koku held by direct vassals, out of 30 million in the country. The other 23 million koku were held by other daimyos. The number of han (roughly 270) fluctuated throughout the Edo period.
What is a roju?
The rōjū ( 老中) were normally the most senior members of the shogunate. Normally, four or five men held the office, and one was on duty for a month at a time on a rotating basis. They supervised the ōmetsuke (who checked on the daimyos), machi - bugyō (commissioners of administrative and judicial functions in major cities, especially Edo), ongoku bugyō [ ja] (遠国奉行, the commissioners of other major cities and shogunate domains) and other officials, oversaw relations with the Imperial Court in Kyoto, kuge (members of the nobility), daimyō, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, and attended to matters like divisions of fiefs. Other bugyō (commissioners) in charge of finances, monasteries and shrines also reported to the rōjū. The roju conferred on especially important matters. In the administrative reforms of 1867 ( Keiō Reforms ), the office was eliminated in favor of a bureaucratic system with ministers for the interior, finance, foreign relations, army, and navy.
What was the name of the Japanese government during the Edo period?
v. t. e. The Tokugawa shogunate ( / ˌtɒkuːˈɡɑːwə /, Japanese 徳川幕府 Tokugawa bakufu ), also known as the Edo shogunate (江戸幕府, Edo bakufu), was the feudal military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
How many Daimyos were there in 1615?
The number of daimyos varied but stabilized at around 270.
What is the Tokugawa coinage system?
The tri-metallic Tokugawa coinage system based on copper Mon, silver Bu and Shu, as well as gold Ryō. The Tokugawa shogunate ( / ˌtɒkuːˈɡɑːwə /, Japanese 徳川幕府 Tokugawa bakufu ), also known as the Edo shogunate (江戸幕府, Edo bakufu), was the feudal military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
How many clans were there in Tokugawa?
Daimyos were classified into three main categories: Shinpan ("relatives" 親藩) were six clans established by sons of Ieyasu, as well as certain sons of the 8th and 9th shoguns, who were made daimyos.
Who was the first shogun in Japan?
The samurai leader Minamoto Yoritomo gained military hegemony over Japan in 1185. Seven years later he assumed the title of shogun and established the first shogunate, or bakufu (literally, “tent government”), at his Kamakura headquarters.
Who was the virtual warlord that undermined the Ashikaga Shogunate?
But the increasingly independent shugo, virtual warlords, who by the 16th century were known as daimyo, eventually undermined the power of the Ashikaga shogunate. In 1600 Tokugawa Ieyasu gained hegemony over the daimyo and thus was able to establish in 1603 the third shogunate, headquartered in Edo (now Tokyo ).
What was the first capital of the Shogunate?
The first capital of the shogunate was Kamakura, the stronghold of the Minamoto clan. The decline of Minamoto led to the rise of the Ashikaga (or Muromachi) clan, who moved their capital to the imperial city of Kyōto. In 1603 Ieyasu Tokugawa moved the capital a final time, to Edo (modern Tokyo ).
What was the Shogunate?
The shogunate was the hereditary military dictatorship of Japan (1192–1867). Legally, the shogun answered to the emperor, but, as Japan evolved into a feudal society, control of the military became tantamount to control of the country. The emperor remained in his palace in Kyōto chiefly as a symbol of power behind the shogun.
Who was the last Shogun of Tokugawa?
After 1862 the Tokugawa shogunate underwent drastic changes in its efforts to maintain control, but in 1867 the last shogun, Yoshinobu, was forced to yield the administration of civil and military affairs to the emperor.
How long did the Shogunate last?
The era of the shogunate spanned nearly 700 years. The warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu seized control of the shogunate in 1600 and unified Japan with a combination of organizational genius and military aptitude. The Tokugawa clan would preside over a period of peace and internal stability for more than 250 years.
Kamakura Period
Tokugawa Shoguns
- Toward the end of the Ashikaga bakufu, and for years thereafter, Japan suffered through nearly 100 years of civil war, fueled mainly by the increasing power of the daimyo. Indeed, the civil war was sparked by the ruling bakufu's struggle to bring the warring daimyo back under central control. In 1603, however, Tokugawa Ieyasu completed this task and established the Tokugawa …
Fall of The Bakufu
- When U.S. Commodore Matthew Perrysteamed into Edo Bay (Tokyo Bay) in 1853 and demanded that Tokugawa Japan allow foreign powers access to trade, he unwittingly sparked a chain of events that led to Japan's rise as a modern imperial power and the fall of the bakufu. Japan's political elites realized that the U.S. and other countries were ahead of Japan in terms of militar…
Meiji Restoration
- Rather than suffer a similar fate, some of Japan's elites sought to close the doors even tighter against foreign influence, but the more foresighted began to plan a modernization drive. They felt that it was important to have a strong emperor at the center of Japan's political organization to project Japanese power and fend off Western imperialism. As a result, in 1868, the Meiji Restora…
Sei-I Taishōgun of Heian Period
- Conquest of the Emishi
The title of “shogun” was first used during the Heian period, when it was occasionally bestowed on a general after a successful campaign. Its earliest known use was in 794. The term sei-i taishōgun means "great general who subdues the eastern barbarians." "Eastern barbarian" is on…
Sei-I Taishogun of Feudal Japan
- Genpei Wars
In the late Heian Period, Minamoto no Yoshinaka was named sei-i taishōgun after he marched into Kyoto during the Genpei Wars, only to be killed soon afterward by his cousin, Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Yositsune then helped his half-brother, Minamoto Yoritomo, subdue his rivals befor… - Kamakura Shogunate
The shogunate did not remain in the hands of the Minamoto clan for long. When Yoritomo died in 1199, his widow, from the Hojo clan, tokk religious vows and became a Buddhist nun. Known as the "Nun Shogun," she displaced the Minamoto heir and installed another son, who was soon as…
The Tokugawa Bakufu
- After almost a century of civil war as the various daimyo vied for power, a series of powerful warlords including Takeda Shingen, Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi Toyotomi and Tokugawa Ieyasu succeeded and defeating and unifying most of the clans under one leadership. In October of 1600, at the Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原の戦い), the biggest and perhaps the most...
End of Bakufu
- The Edo Period ended with the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, when power was restored to the emperor and the last Tokugawa shogun was reduced to the ranks of the common daimyo and the title sei-i taishōgun was abolished. During the Boshin War (1868-1869), when the Tokugawa shogunate was defeated by samurai seeking to return power to the imperial court, the title was c…
See Also
References
- Edström, Bert. 2002. Turning points in Japanese history. Richmond: Japan Library. ISBN 19033500509781903350058
- Hall, John Whitney, Takeshi Toyoda, and H. Paul Varley. 1977. Japan in the Muromachi age. Cornell East Asia series, 109. Ithaca, NY: East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 1885445091 ISBN 9781...
- Edström, Bert. 2002. Turning points in Japanese history. Richmond: Japan Library. ISBN 19033500509781903350058
- Hall, John Whitney, Takeshi Toyoda, and H. Paul Varley. 1977. Japan in the Muromachi age. Cornell East Asia series, 109. Ithaca, NY: East Asia Program, Cornell University. ISBN 1885445091 ISBN 9781...
- Hall, John Whitney, Jeffrey P. Mass, and David L. Davis. 1974. Medieval Japan; essays in institutional history. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 03000167789780300016772
- Mass, Jeffrey P., and William B. Hauser. 1985. The Bakufu in Japanese history. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804712781
