The shogunate is one of the important periods in the history of Japan of the Middle Ages and the New Age. In the second millennium, there were several shogunates in Japan, each of which contributed to the formation of the modern Land of the Rising Sun.
Reasons and Spiritual Basics of the Minamoto Shogunate
As you know, a society in which there is no stability longs for change. In the last decades of the reign of the emperor, the main characteristic of political events in the country was feudal fragmentation. Lack of centralization, unity led to dire economic consequences and frequent military riots, which only ruined the already unstable Japan. The main reasons for the change in the political system are:
- feudal fragmentation;
- lack of strong economic ties between regions;
- weakening the power of the emperor.
The first shogunate existed from 1192 to 1335. Changes in the life of the country with the increasing influence of the teachings of Zen Buddhism. This teaching was gradually spread among military circles. It was the combination of the religious foundation and military power of the samurai that led these circles to understand that it was they who should govern the country. Samurai had a significant impact on the development of Japan.
Shogunate is a period of significant change in Japan
Until the beginning of the XIII century, the level of development of the country remained extremely low. This stagnation would have continued even if there had not been a change in the thinking of some representatives of the military feudal aristocracy who came to power at the end of the 12th century.
What changes have occurred since the arrival of the shoguns? Note that instantly life has not improved, because it is simply impossible. At that time, as now, a lot depended on the activity of trade. With many islands and a small land area, successful trade could only be with a developed fleet. The most important achievement of the shoguns was the development of port cities, an increase in the merchant fleet. For example, in the XI century there were only 40 more or less large cities, and already in the XVI century the number of cities approached 300.
The era of the shogunate is the heyday of crafts. As you know, in medieval Europe there were craft workshops. The craftsmen who entered the workshop could work successfully. So here, associations of artisans gradually began to form. The same alliances were formed among representatives of trade. Obviously, it is more reliable to conduct business with partners, so the effect of the formation of such unions was obvious.
An absolute achievement of the era of the first shogunate was the overcoming of feudal fragmentation. The main type of land ownership in the state was the small samurai allotments that they received for military service.
Reasons for the revival of the shogunate in the XVII century
The Tokugawa Shogunate is a reaction of traditional Japanese society to events that took place in the state in the middle or second half of the 16th century. The second coming of samurai to power had its logical reasons:
- continuation of feudal fragmentation;
- slowdown of the country's economic development;
- the emergence of European ships and the gradual development of trade with Portugal and other European countries.
The most important and painful topic for the samurai was the appearance of alien elements (Europeans), who came into contact with the centuries-old traditional society, which until then had close contacts with culturally similar China and Korea. Historians believe that the establishment of contacts with Europe was a logical impetus to intensify the struggle for the creation of a centralized strong state.
Japan in the XVII-XIX centuries
The shogunate era is a manifestation of absolutism in Japan. Of course, do not forget about the existence of the imperial dynasty, but the power of these persons was more spiritual than secular. The shogunate regime created a “closed” state. European ships were prohibited from entering Japanese ports. If suddenly such a ship fell into port, its crew was subject to execution. Such isolation lasted 250 years, until the middle of the XIX century.
If we talk about the Tokugawa shogunate briefly, this is a period of total pressure on the peasantry. Formally, corvée was not in the state, but many peasant lands still belonged to large feudal lords. Various taxes, requisitions from peasants, which were officially introduced, accounted for approximately 60% of the crop.
Estate system
The shogunate is a political system that was supposed to preserve the old traditional system. The state system was introduced in the state. The population was divided into 4 groups: peasants, artisans, samurai, merchants. The main goal of this division is to preserve the existing social order at that time, when the power of the shogun and the privileged position of the samurai should have been perceived indisputably.
The merchants were considered the lowest class, but were actually more successful than the peasantry and artisans. Cities continued to develop. At this time in Japan there were already more than 300 cities and urban-type settlements. The basis for the development of cities was the active trade between the islands and with neighboring states (China, Korea), as well as a large number of artisan associations.