Definition and Origin of Shogun
– Shogun was the title of military dictators in Japan from 1185 to 1868.
– Shoguns were de facto rulers of Japan, appointed by the Emperor.
– The title was hereditary, held by different clans throughout history.
– The term ‘shogun’ originally referred to military commanders in the Heian period.
– The official title of shogun was ‘Sei-i Taishōgun,’ meaning Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians.
Shogunate Governments
– The administration of a shogun is called ‘bakufu’ in Japanese.
– Bakufu means government from the curtain, symbolizing the shogun’s role as the military’s field commander.
– The bakufu carried out the actual duties of administration, while the Imperial court had nominal authority.
– The shogunate, or shogun government, lasted for nearly 700 years.
– The Meiji Restoration in 1867 marked the end of the shogunate.
Historical Periods of Shogunate Rule
– Heian Period (794–1185): The rise of powerful families and the dominance of samurai in Japanese politics.
– Kamakura Shogunate (1192–1333): Minamoto no Yoritomo established a feudal system and granted political powers to the samurai.
– Ashikaga (Muromachi) Shogunate (1336/1338–1573): Ashikaga Takauji established the shogunate, which lasted until 1573.
– Azuchi–Momoyama Period (1573–1600): Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi rose to power, bringing political and social changes.
– Tokugawa Shogunate (1600–1868): Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power and established the shogunate government, which lasted until 1867.
Relationship with the Emperor
– The shogun became the true power behind the throne.
– The shoguns did not try to usurp the throne due to the symbolic authority of the emperor.
– The imperial house retained the power to control time through the designation of eras and calendars.
– Emperors attempted to recover their power but were defeated.
– The shogunate was eventually overthrown, and imperial power was restored in 1868.
Legacy
– The term shogun is still used in colloquialisms.
– Retired Prime Ministers who still wield power are referred to as shadow shoguns.
– The head of the Japanese government is now the Prime Minister.
– The shogunate era left a lasting impact on Japanese history and culture. Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogun
