Transcript 5.2 Chapter Lecture Notes

NOTES CHAPTER 5.2
SHOGUNS AND SAMURAI
I. Nara Japan
1. Nara became the capital city and the
Japanese emperors added to the reforms
made by Prince Shotoku. Government
jobs were given to nobles of powerful
families. Jobs could be passed on to
sons or another relative.
2. The emperor controlled all the land.

What is the problem with this system of
choosing officials?
Tōdai-ji – Great Buddha Hall in Nara
Golden Palace in Kyoto
4. Buddhism became
important in government
and society. Buddhist and
non-Buddhist struggled for
control of the government.
5. The emperor decided to
leave Nara to the Buddhist
monks and make a new
capital in Heian (Kyoto).
•Why would some nobles oppose Buddhism?
II. THE RISE OF THE SHOGUN
1. During the 800’s, regents from the
Fujiwara clan ruled for child
emperors, and the clan grew
powerful and wealthy.
2. The government gave the nobles
land to pay them for their work. The
Fujiwara put the nobles in charge of
governing the land and let them stop
paying taxes.
Who were the Samurai?
3. To protect their lands and
enforce the law, nobles
built armies of warriors
called samurai, which
means “those who serve.”
4. Samurai followed a code of
conduct called Bushido,
which means “way of the
warrior.” Bushido
demanded that a samurai be
loyal to his master,
courageous, and honorable.
5. After the Minamoto clan defeated the
Taira clan in the Gempei War (1185), the
emperor decided to reward the leader,
Minamoto Yoritomo, to keep him happy
and loyal. The emperor gave him the title of
shogun, or “commander of all of the
emperor’s military forces.”
6. The shogun put his government (shogunate)
at Kamakura while the emperor stayed in
(Heian) Kyoto. Shoguns would run Japan
for 700 years.
7. The shoguns appointed loyal samurai to run
the provinces and gather taxes.
The Mongols Attack
8. Twice, Mongols invaded Japan but
were defeated by typhoons called
Kamikaze (“divine winds”).
III. THE DAIMYO DIVIDE JAPAN
1. As samurai divided their land among their
sons, pieces of land got smaller, making
samurai angry.
2. The emperor rebelled against the shogun
and many samurai joined him. Although
he won, the emperor was not able to keep
power. He did not give out more land.
3. A general, Askikaga Takauji became
shogun. His government was called the
Ashikaga shogunate.
4. The country divided into small
independent lands ruled by military
lords called daimyo.
5. Samurai became vassals (servants) of a
daimyo. A samurai gave an oath of
loyalty to his daimyo in exchange for
land. This exchange of loyalty and
land is called feudalism. This was the
breakdown of centralized government.
REVIEW: Why did the samurai resent the shoguns?
Why were so many wars fought between the daimyo?
What two things are exchanged in a feudal system?
Women Samurai
 Women had more rights
under feudalism
 Had to protect their
families while their
husbands were serving
the daimyo
 Learned to use weapons
for protection and some
even became samurai or
owned property