Establishment and Structure of the Kamakura Shogunate
– Feudal military government of Japan from 1185 to 1333
– Established by Minamoto no Yoritomo after victory in the Genpei War
– Yoritomo appointed himself as shōgun
– Governed Japan from Kamakura, with the emperor and Imperial Court in Kyoto as figureheads
– Shōguns were members of the Minamoto clan until 1226, the Fujiwara clan until 1252, and the last six were minor princes of the imperial family
– The Kamakura shogunate operated within the Heian system of Imperial rule
– Yoritomo established a chancellery called mandokoro as the principal organ of government
– Under the Hōjō, a separate institution called hyōjōshū became the focus of government
– The shogunate appointed new military governors (shugo) over the provinces
– Kamakura also appointed stewards called jitō to positions in the manors
– The government promulgated a legal code called Goseibai Shikimoku in 1232
– A court of appeals called the Moncho-jo was set up during this period
– The legal code was continuously used until the Muromachi period
– The Kamakura government had a dual governmental system that reached to the manor level
– The manor stewards and gesu delivered dues from the manor to the proprietor in Kyoto
Hōjō Regency and Stability of the Shogunate
– Hōjō Tokimasa claimed the title of regent to Yoritomo’s son, Minamoto no Yoriie
– Power struggle between Yoriie and the Hōjō clan
– Tokimasa deposed Yoriie and backed his younger brother, Minamoto no Sanetomo, as shōgun
– Hōjō Masako, Yoritomo’s widow, held informal power and was known as the nun shogun
– Hōjō clan remained in control, with regents and shōguns chosen from Fujiwara or imperial lineage
– Kamakura shogunate lasted for 135 years, with 9 shōguns and 16 regents
– Hōjō Masako remained the real center of power throughout
– Regimes of Hōjō regents, shōguns, and emperors existed alongside each other
– Hōjō family had usurped power from the Minamoto, who had usurped it from the Emperor
– Kamakura shogunate rested on a pyramid of regents and de facto usurpation
Jōkyū War and Mongol Invasions
– Emperor Go-Toba attempted to regain power in the Jōkyū War
– War ended in failure for the emperor
– Hōjō remained unchallenged until 1324, when Emperor Go-Daigo plotted to overthrow them
– Plot was discovered and foiled
– Hōjō continued to maintain control until the Kenmu Restoration in 1333
– Mongols under Kublai Khan attempted invasions in 1274 and 1281
– Shogunate had rejected Kublai’s demands to submit
– First invasion met with some success, but a typhoon destroyed one-third of the Mongol force
– Second invasion involved a larger force, but the defenders held and another typhoon destroyed a significant portion of the Mongol force
– Mongol invasions were ultimately unsuccessful in bringing Japan under Mongol control
Decline and Fall of the Kamakura Shogunate
– Emperor Go-Daigo was defeated by Kamakura’s Ashikaga Takauji and exiled to Oki Island
– A warlord came to the exiled emperor’s rescue
– Hōjō sent forces commanded by Takauji to attack Kyoto, but Takauji switched sides
– Another warlord loyal to the emperor, Nitta Yoshisada, attacked Kamakura and took it
– About 870 Hōjō clan members committed suicide at their family temple
Key Figures and Families during the Kamakura Period
– Minamoto no Yoritomo established the Kamakura shogunate
– Emperor Go-Saga was a key figure during the Kamakura period
– Kujō Yoritsugu served as a shōgun during this time
– Hōjō Masako played an important role in the Hōjō family
– Various members of the Minamoto, Fujiwara, and Hōjō families were influential during the Kamakura period Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura_shogunate
