Background and Kenmu Restoration (1331-1336)
– Growing conflict between the Hōjō clan and other warrior groups
– Resentment caused by the Hōjō’s increasing influence over other warrior families
– Mongol invasions led to centralization of power under Hōjō family
– Coalition against the Hōjō emerged in 1331 and toppled the regime
– Discontent among warrior class due to lack of land grants after victory against Mongol invasions
– Emperor Go-Daigo planned to restore imperial power
– Prince Morinaga and Kitabatake Chikafusa advocated for the restoration
– Chikafusa wrote influential work on the legitimacy of the imperial system
– Go-Daigo’s desire to restore culture hindered the restoration
– Takauji rebelled against the imperial court and started the Nanboku-chō War
Internal conflicts (1350s) and Reasons for conflict
– Tadayoshi governed in place of Takauji
– Relations soured between the brothers during the Kannō disturbance
– Tadayoshi fled and joined the supporters of the Southern Court
– Takauji defeated Tadayoshi at Sattayama
– Tadayoshi died suddenly, possibly poisoned, in 1352
– Kannō disturbance divided and nearly destroyed the regime
– Personal struggle between Tadayoshi and the Kō brothers
– Temporary hold on integration of the regime
– Differences in opinion regarding the estate system
– Conflict between loyalists and supporters of a new military regime
Institutional changes
– Changes in the estate system affected the status of social groups
– Ashikaga shogunate broadened the economic base of warriors
– Noble proprietors were undercut by the shogunate
– Trend of economic changes started with the Kamakura bakufu
– Kamakura bakufu’s destruction opened up a legitimacy crisis for the new shogunate
Administration during the Nanboku-chō period
– Takauji controlled the Board of Retainers, which prosecuted crimes of house vassals
– Takauji also led the Office of Rewards, enrolling new warriors who could potentially challenge the regime
– Tadayoshi led the Board of Inquiry, responsible for judicial functions
– The Board of Coadjutors decided land dispute cases and inheritance quarrels
– Bureaucrats for the new regime were recruited from those who served the Hōjō regime
Rise of the Southern Court and Shugo lords
– Turncoats from the Muromachi regime supported the Southern Court’s renewed offensive
– Nitta Yoshimune, a former adherent of Tadayoshi, led an imperialist offensive against Takauji in Kamakura
– Yamana Tokiuji, a shugo lord, defected and supported the imperialist offensive against Kyoto
– Ashikaga Tadafuyu, Tadayoshi’s adopted son, led the western armies of the Southern Court during the imperialist offensives
– Ashikaga Takauji appointed branch family members as shugo lords in different provinces
– Successful generals who supported Takauji’s rebellion were often rewarded with shugo posts
– The shugo lords acted as governors and represented the regime’s authority in the provinces
– They had greater power than the samurai housemen of the Kamakura period
– Shugo lords were responsible for collecting taxes and had the authority to issue hanzei (a half-tax)
– The shugo gradually usurped the office of civil governor
– They made their provincial power effective through vassalage ties with samurai who took over estate lands
– Samurai stewards illegally converted noble lands into private holdings during the Nanboku-chō War
– Shugo lords participated in this land grab by enfeoffing samurai on former estates
– This encroachment on land caused security problems for all landed interests
Challenges to the regime’s authority
– Deep divisions between members of the Ashikaga family strengthened opposition to the regime
– Both Tadayoshi and Takauji made token submissions to the Southern Court to push their own agendas
– The regime lost support due to conflicts between Takauji and Tadayoshi
– Some shugo lords rebelled against the regime, while others maintained their links to it
– The coercive institutions of the regime were lacking vis-a-vis the shugo lords during this time period Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanboku-ch%C5%8D_period
