The Shogunates

The Periods of Medieval Japanese History

Emperors Fujiwara Regency

Minamoto Shogunate

Ashikaga Shogunate

Tokugawa

Shogunate

600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600

858-1185

1185-1868

593-858

Shoguns

the military class ruled Japan for

almost 700 years

The Shogunates

• by the middle of the 1100s whole armies battled for power in the countryside• Yoritomo Minamoto of the Minamoto Clan became the sole controller of Japan• the emperor called Yoritomo “Shogun” (Great General) and let him become the real ruler• to keep his samurai away from the influences of the Kyoto court, Yoritomo made Kamakura the Shogunate capital

Yoritomo Minamoto created a very strict hierarchy.

After taking over China, the Mongols under Kublai Khan tried to

invade Japan.

The first invasion was stopped by a storm (Kamikaze).

The second invasion was stopped by samurai meeting the Mongols on the

beaches and fighting.

The Mongol invasions failed, but led to the collapse of the Minamoto

Shogunate because the Shoguns could not pay the samurai who

fought against the invaders.

Fighting broke out among the daimyo (clan leaders) again.

Eventually the Ashikaga family took control and made themselves

the Shoguns.

1. Who was at the top of Japanese feudal society?

a) Emperor

b) Shogun

c) Daimyo

d) Samurai

2. Who was the real ruler of feudal Japan?

e) Emperor

f) Shogun

g) Daimyo

h) Samurai

3. Whom did the samurai serve in feudal Japan?

a) Emperor

b) Shogun

c) Daimyo

d) Merchants

4. Who was at the bottom of Japan’s feudal society?

e) Peasants who were the poorest people

f) Merchants who were rich

g) Emperor

h) Daimyo