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From Aristocrat to Warrior: 1200-1400. Where did the warriors come from? Drawn from lower-ranking families Initially served the Heian government as: Tax collectors ( film point ) Constables/police Militia Built up power in the provinces The control of land. Gradual shift in power. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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From Aristocrat to Warrior: 1200-1400
From Aristocrat to Warrior: 1200-1400
Where did the warriors come from?Drawn from lower-ranking families Initially served the Heian government
as:Tax collectors (film point)Constables/policeMilitia
Built up power in the provincesThe control of land
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Gradual shift in powerGradual shift in powerEnd of 1100s: aristocratic factions
struggle for powerPowerful warrior clans compete, too
The warrior clans have military power
Leads to the Gempei war 1180-1185A struggle between the Genji (Minamoto) and Heike (Taira)
Recounted in the Tale of the Heike
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Warrior cultureWarrior cultureA focus on military arts (bu 武 )
Swordsmanship– Swordmaking (film point)
Horsemanship– There were footsoldiers as well
But also the fine arts (bun 文 ) (film point)Flower arrangingCalligraphy and writing: Heike, “The Petition”
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Warrior culture and BuddhismWarrior culture and Buddhism Warrior fine arts
(bun 文 ) from Zen Buddhism
The above, plus gardening
Mental and physical discipline
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Warriors and Zen BuddhismWarriors and Zen BuddhismZen imported from China in the 1200sFor the warriors, a counterbalance to
aristocratic BuddhismHowever: (film point)
Though most Zen Buddhists were warriorsMost warriors were not Zen Buddhists– Many maintained older family traditions– For example, the Pure Land (Dan-no-ura)– The Takiguchi nyūdō (acolyte), “Yokobue”
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Warriors and Noh theatreWarriors and Noh theatre Develops 1300-
1400sSlow movingTypically a Buddhist theme
Another cultural counterbalance to aristocratic culture
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Warriors and honor (film point)Warriors and honor (film point)The death of Atsumori: classic example
To kill a youth is not honorableTo free an enemy is not honorable
Do you find examples of warriors fleeing?
What happens when they do?Honor was mostly for the leadership
The cement in the lord-vassal relationshipLow-ranking samurai fought to survive
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Women Warriors (film point)Women Warriors (film point)
Women warriors were rareTomoe is the exception that proves the
ruleSee “The Death of Kiso”Tomoe may be a fictional trope
In fact, women lost ground during the warrior age
Literacy: no great works by womenInheritance: no longer partible
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Ninja?Ninja?
We know little about ninja 忍者They may have been samurai spiesThey may have been warrior monks
Monks would fight battles to protect holdingsKilling was clearly not a big issue (film point)
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ConclusionsConclusions
The Tale of the Heike served warrior interests
It should be viewed with caution High-ranking warriors valued honor
New recruits tried to surviveWarriors were only one power group
Aristocrats still had authorityBuddhist institutions had great resources
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More ConclusionsMore Conclusions
The image of the Japanese warrior is mostly a myth, but an important one
As the film showed, it served, and serves a particular function– WWII– Japan’s image in the West
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