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Chinese influence on Postclassical Japan
Chapter 13 (1 of 3)
Japan Had 3 Major Regimes During Postclassical Era
Taika
(645-
710)
Nara
(710-
784)
Heian
(794-
857)
During these regimes, Chinese culture influenced Japan greatly
Taika ReformsTaika Reforms =
Reforms in 646 to make Japan like
China
Created Chinese-style emperor,
bureaucracy, and tried forming a peasant army
I want to be like him
Chinese Influence Takes Hold in Japan (especially amongst
the elites)
Japan studied Chinese writing and Confucianism,
and admired Chinese-styled Buddhist art
Peasants affected too – Buddhism spread and
temples built
Taika Reforms Face Opposition
Aristocracy in Japan rejected them b/c created a
bureaucracy that would mean
aristocrats would lose
power
Even peasants
grew tired of Chinese influence (ex: the
Buddhism they
practiced was
distinct from
Chinese form)
CHINA
Taika Reforms Fail
As reforms failed and the imperial
government (emperor and his
people) lost power
Aristocrats living near the capital as well as local lords in the countryside
gained power
Birth of the Heian Court
By 760, the Nara regime (which came after the Taika but
supported the Taika reforms) was driven out of the capital of Nara
The emperor and his followers set up a new regime at Heian (the 3rd
postclassical regime in Japan
we need to know)
Heian was later renamed Kyoto
Heian Emperor Stops the Taika Reforms
After setting up new capital at Heian, the emperor ended the
unpopular Taika reforms (stopped aristocrats from
opposing him)
Emperor was upset at Buddhist leaders, who played
a big role in opposing Taika reforms, so he banned
Buddhist monasteries in Heian
Aristocrats Regain Power
With Taika reforms a thing of the past, and Chinese-
style rule held off, aristocrats again rose to
power in Japan
The emperor had never built the peasant army
(that was part of the Taika reforms) and he had to rely
on provincial lords (lords living
in countryside) for military support,
meaning emperor was losing even
more power
Life in Heian (794-857)Even though emperor was losing power, and provincial lords in the
countryside were getting stronger, the
Heian period saw Japanese culture
flourish
Society became obsessed with the
pursuit of beauty and it was expected that
people would be extremely polite to
each other
Imperial family (emperor’s family) and aristocrats lived in palaces with beautiful gardens
Buildings in the city were made of unpainted wood with
matted floors, and wooden walkways connected the
different homes and buildings
Life in Heian (794-857)
Poetry Becomes Popular
The Japanese simplified the
Chinese alphabet they had
borrowed, and that led to writing of a lot of poetry
and literature
Poetry became the major form of art – poems were short but elegant
The Tale of Genji = 1st Japanese novel, it was
written by Lady Muraski
Women in Heian Japan
Women wrote poetry, played
musical instruments, and even participated
in schemes to snub or disgrace a
rival
Like in China and the Islamic world, women became involved in political
power struggles
Imperial (Emperor’s)
Power Declines
Fujiwara = powerful aristocratic family that gained power
over the emperor in the 800s
As emperor’s power declined, aristocratic families (and even Buddhist monks) began building large estates around Heian, and
they controlled the peasants who lived on their land
The Country v. The City and the Breakdown of Central Government
While aristocrats and Buddhists were gaining power in Heian, in the countryside, local lords built large estates (like kingdoms) and became
extremely powerful
These provincial lords refused to obey the
imperial government and aristocratic families that held power in the capital
(ex: stopped giving resources and taxes to central government)
Bushi and Their Samurai
Bushi was the name given to these local (also called provincial) lords who set up kingdoms in the
countrysideThese bushi hired samurai
warriors to fight on their behalf
Japan Becomes Chaotic, Violent Mess
By the year 1000 C.E., Imperial control broke
down in Japan, and bushi and their samurais were
constantly fighting
Aristocrats in the city (Heian) and even Buddhist monks hired these bushi
and their samurais to fight for them, leading to the bushi gaining even more
power
So, the Japanese Power Struggle c.1000 C.E.
Emperor (Imperial Government) and Aristocrats from
Heian losing power – this
meant centralized government in
Japan was breaking down
Bushi (lords from the countryside)
were gaining power and Japan was becoming a feudal society as these bushi had
manor-like estates that were similar
to western Europe
Samurai Warrior Code
Battles were planned ahead of time, and warriors
followed a strict code of honor and
etiquette
Seppuku = defeated warriors required to
disembowel (and thus kill)
themselves to avoid bringing shame to
their families
Peasants Lose Out
As bushi and their samurais gained
power, the peasants became like serfs, bound to the estate of the bushi they
lived under
Their was a strict class system, and
peasants were kept separated from warriors
(peasants couldn’t wear same style
of clothes as warriors, and not allowed to carry swords or ride
horses
As peasants lost power, they often
turned to pure land Buddhism for
salvation
Artisan Class Emerges in Japan
Artisans were poor and had very
little status in society
This was unlike China where
scholar-gentry often dabbled in
artisan work
Gempei Wars (1180s C.E.)
Fight between 2 powerful aristocratic families for
control of Japan (the Taira and the Minamoto)
Minamoto had strong alliances with the provincial lords (bushi) which helped
them beat the Taira
Minamoto in ControlAfter defeating the Taira, the
Minamoto established a new
capital city at Kamikura
The Minamoto set up a military government, known as the
bakufu (they kept the emperor as a figurehead, but real power lay
with the Minamoto family
and their samurais)
The military leaders of this
new bakufu government were
called shoguns
Yoritomo = Delusional
Yorimoto was leader of Mionamoto family (bakufu
government), but had relatives killed b/c he thought they would
try to kill him to take throne
Because Yorimoto killed so many potential heirs, weak leaders
emerged after Yorimoto’s death, and that allowed the bushi
(warrior lords in countryside) to gain even more power
Hojo Defeats Minamoto
The Hojo, a warrior family that had allied and helped the
Minamoto, overthrew them and took power
Minamoto Not Done Yet
Ashikaga Takuaji, a leading
Minamoto family member, led
revolt and defeated the
Hojo, though the Hojo continued to
resist for a long time, which
weakened Japan
Ashikaga established what
was called the Ashikaga
Shiogunate, which ruled Japan from
1336-1573
Bushi in, Aristocrats in Capital Out
For a while, the court aristocracy (that term means the aristocratic
families who had power in the central government in the
capital city) had been losing power as the
bushi (provincial warriors) were gaining
power
The civil war between the Hojo and the
Ashikaga Shogunate weakened Japan, and the bushi lords were able to gain so much
power, the aristocratic families in the capital were basically wiped
out
After Hojo v. Ashikaga Shogunate civil war
ended, more civil wars erupted, and the end result was that the capital city was destroyed and
central rule in Japan was over
So What Happened to Japan?
About 300 different kingdoms
emerged in Japan, each led by a
bushi
Bushi became known as daimyos (some differences,
but daimyos similar to bushi)
This was taking place around the
1400s and into the 1500s
One Big Change – The Death of Chivalry
The chivalric way of the bushi (honor in battle, etc.)
was gone, as daimyos didn’t have same etiquette
Sneak attacks and spying
became common, and peasants were armed to help fight (as they did this, they
looted and pillaged villages)
Sneak attacks and spying became common, and
peasants were armed to help fight (as they did this, they looted and
pillaged villages)
Surprisingly, Despite Chaos, Economy Grows and Culture Flourishes
Each daimyo built up their estates, so despite Japan
being divided into 300 kingdoms, each kingdom was
advancing
Farming improved as irrigation systems were built
and new tools and seeds (such as soybean) were
introduced
Daimyos even competed to attract merchants to their
growing castle towns, and a new merchant class arose
(they were important b/c got goods for the military)
These merchants even began forming guilds (similar to those in western Europe)
Women’s Status Rises Amongst Merchants and Artisans
Women had been losing status and power during bakufu period,
but during daimyo rule, their status improved
Women in merchant and artisan families had most freedom (ex: allowed to run businesses and
join guilds)
Not All Women Treated Well
When daimyos replaced bushi, women’s status
fell and they lost rights
Daimyos believed in primogeniture (inheritance goes to oldest son), so women lost right
to inherit land
The bushi had allowed women of the elite class
to have some rights and
freedoms: could ride horses, and
use bow and arrow
Daimyos made elite class women
kill themselves rather than
dishonor family by being raped,
and women couldn’t act in
theatrical performaces
Arts Were Flourishing
Zen Buddhism (combined with
Shintoism) played big role in the arts
flourishing, especially in architecture
Buddhists in Japan were the key and led
trade with China
Beautiful gardens built and tea
ceremonies became the rage in Japan
Japan Not United, But the Seeds Were Planted
Despite constant warfare of the warrior age, economic and cultural development still took
place in Japan
Though there were about 300 kingdoms across Japan,
if these kingdoms could work together, Japan would have a solid base for a unity