The Rise of Feudalism and the Mongol Invasion

A.D. 1185-1333

Inside Japan…

•Battle for government control•Isolation of Kyoto court= lawlessness spread in provinces.•Gov’t depend on provincial nobles to stop rebellions.•Taira and Minamoto clans (strongest) fought for control•Yoritomo of Minamoto clans drove Taira from power•Yoritomo didn’t want distraction, so he moved to Kamakura; emperor stayed at Kyoto.

A New Era-Rise of Feudalism

• Yoritomo’s ascendency rule began an era in which the warrior class and not the court nobles dominated Japanese society.

Rise of Feudalism

• Under Yoritomo’s rule- Samurai warriors dominated society

• Samurai took control of gov’t• Created Bakufu (military gov’t)• Emperor was only a religious leader.

• Shogun: military and political leader of Japan

• Daimyo: high-ranking samurai lords who provided shogun with warriors in exchange for

land• Samurai: lower-ranking warriors who

served their daimyo in exchange for small manors

• Peasants: lowest class worked land for their lord

Hierarchy of Bakufu Government(A.D. 1185-1333)

Threat from Outside

• Mongols invade– Lead by Kublai Khan– wanted to control Korea and Japan– Sent 450 ships and 15,000 troops to Japan

• Destroyed in a typhoon– 7 years later, sent 150,000 troops, also destroyed

Aftermath of Invasions

– Sense of national unity developed– Japanese consider their culture to be superior to others – Japan did not gain any spoils of war, only debts– Unpaid samurai ended up terrorizing peasants to get money– Kamakura shogunate is then driven from power by dissatisfied

samurai