Minamoto No Yoritomo The First Shogun
Preston Holley
October 21, 2014
6th Period
Juror – Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo: The First Shogun
In ancient japan, political struggles for power between the Taira Clan and the Minamoto Clan caused many conflicts. Minamoto no Yoritomo responded to call of arms against the Taira clan, eventually triggering a five-year long conflict known as the Gempei War. Minamoto no Yoritomo created the shogunate by defeating the Taira clan in the Gempei war and seizing powers from the aristocracy to earn the title of the first shogun of Japan. Two of the greatest authoritative clans of ancient Japan, the Taira and Minamoto, brawled for control over the imperial court. The front-runner of the Taira clan, Taira no Kiyomori was appointed to help resolve these conflicts. However, this leader mistreated his authority and attempted to make his grandson the ruler. This enraged the emperor and his son Prince Michihito, who issued a call to arms as a counter to the Taira clan. This led to Taira's long time enemy Minamoto no Yoritomo to answer, thus triggering the 5-year conflict, also known as the War of Gempei.
After defeating the Taira clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo apprehended specific powers from the central government and nobility and created a feudal structure in which the military, the samurai, increased some political powers whereas the Emperors and the upper classes in Japan continued the major rulers. In 1192 C.E., Minamoto was granted the title of Shogun by the emperor and the political structure he established with a succession of shogun at the top came to be identified as the shogunate. The new Shogun ruler served as a military commander-in-chief for a new feudal Japan. Although there were still emperors that “ruled” Japan, the real power remained in the hands of the Shogun, for they controlled the military.
The shoguns that ruled created a new feudal Japan that greatly resembled that of Medieval Europe. The only major difference being that the Japanese feudal
October 21, 2014
6th Period
Juror – Minamoto no Yoritomo
Minamoto no Yoritomo: The First Shogun
In ancient japan, political struggles for power between the Taira Clan and the Minamoto Clan caused many conflicts. Minamoto no Yoritomo responded to call of arms against the Taira clan, eventually triggering a five-year long conflict known as the Gempei War. Minamoto no Yoritomo created the shogunate by defeating the Taira clan in the Gempei war and seizing powers from the aristocracy to earn the title of the first shogun of Japan. Two of the greatest authoritative clans of ancient Japan, the Taira and Minamoto, brawled for control over the imperial court. The front-runner of the Taira clan, Taira no Kiyomori was appointed to help resolve these conflicts. However, this leader mistreated his authority and attempted to make his grandson the ruler. This enraged the emperor and his son Prince Michihito, who issued a call to arms as a counter to the Taira clan. This led to Taira's long time enemy Minamoto no Yoritomo to answer, thus triggering the 5-year conflict, also known as the War of Gempei.
After defeating the Taira clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo apprehended specific powers from the central government and nobility and created a feudal structure in which the military, the samurai, increased some political powers whereas the Emperors and the upper classes in Japan continued the major rulers. In 1192 C.E., Minamoto was granted the title of Shogun by the emperor and the political structure he established with a succession of shogun at the top came to be identified as the shogunate. The new Shogun ruler served as a military commander-in-chief for a new feudal Japan. Although there were still emperors that “ruled” Japan, the real power remained in the hands of the Shogun, for they controlled the military.
The shoguns that ruled created a new feudal Japan that greatly resembled that of Medieval Europe. The only major difference being that the Japanese feudal