Chinese influence on Postclassical Japan

Chapter 13 (1 of 3)

Japan Had 3 Major Regimes During Postclassical Era

Taika

(645-

710)

Nara

(710-

784)

Heian

(794-

857)

During these regimes, Chinese culture influenced Japan greatly

Taika ReformsTaika Reforms =

Reforms in 646 to make Japan like

China

Created Chinese-style emperor,

bureaucracy, and tried forming a peasant army

I want to be like him

Chinese Influence Takes Hold in Japan (especially amongst

the elites)

Japan studied Chinese writing and Confucianism,

and admired Chinese-styled Buddhist art

Peasants affected too – Buddhism spread and

temples built

Taika Reforms Face Opposition

Aristocracy in Japan rejected them b/c created a

bureaucracy that would mean

aristocrats would lose

power

Even peasants

grew tired of Chinese influence (ex: the

Buddhism they

practiced was

distinct from

Chinese form)

CHINA

Taika Reforms Fail

As reforms failed and the imperial

government (emperor and his

people) lost power

Aristocrats living near the capital as well as local lords in the countryside

gained power

Birth of the Heian Court

By 760, the Nara regime (which came after the Taika but

supported the Taika reforms) was driven out of the capital of Nara

The emperor and his followers set up a new regime at Heian (the 3rd

postclassical regime in Japan

we need to know)

Heian was later renamed Kyoto

Heian Emperor Stops the Taika Reforms

After setting up new capital at Heian, the emperor ended the

unpopular Taika reforms (stopped aristocrats from

opposing him)

Emperor was upset at Buddhist leaders, who played

a big role in opposing Taika reforms, so he banned

Buddhist monasteries in Heian

Aristocrats Regain Power

With Taika reforms a thing of the past, and Chinese-

style rule held off, aristocrats again rose to

power in Japan

The emperor had never built the peasant army

(that was part of the Taika reforms) and he had to rely

on provincial lords (lords living

in countryside) for military support,

meaning emperor was losing even

more power

Life in Heian (794-857)Even though emperor was losing power, and provincial lords in the

countryside were getting stronger, the

Heian period saw Japanese culture

flourish

Society became obsessed with the

pursuit of beauty and it was expected that

people would be extremely polite to

each other

Imperial family (emperor’s family) and aristocrats lived in palaces with beautiful gardens

Buildings in the city were made of unpainted wood with

matted floors, and wooden walkways connected the

different homes and buildings

Life in Heian (794-857)

Poetry Becomes Popular

The Japanese simplified the

Chinese alphabet they had

borrowed, and that led to writing of a lot of poetry

and literature

Poetry became the major form of art – poems were short but elegant

The Tale of Genji = 1st Japanese novel, it was

written by Lady Muraski

Women in Heian Japan

Women wrote poetry, played

musical instruments, and even participated

in schemes to snub or disgrace a

rival

Like in China and the Islamic world, women became involved in political

power struggles

Imperial (Emperor’s)

Power Declines

Fujiwara = powerful aristocratic family that gained power

over the emperor in the 800s

As emperor’s power declined, aristocratic families (and even Buddhist monks) began building large estates around Heian, and

they controlled the peasants who lived on their land

The Country v. The City and the Breakdown of Central Government

While aristocrats and Buddhists were gaining power in Heian, in the countryside, local lords built large estates (like kingdoms) and became

extremely powerful

These provincial lords refused to obey the

imperial government and aristocratic families that held power in the capital

(ex: stopped giving resources and taxes to central government)

Bushi and Their Samurai

Bushi was the name given to these local (also called provincial) lords who set up kingdoms in the

countrysideThese bushi hired samurai

warriors to fight on their behalf

Japan Becomes Chaotic, Violent Mess

By the year 1000 C.E., Imperial control broke

down in Japan, and bushi and their samurais were

constantly fighting

Aristocrats in the city (Heian) and even Buddhist monks hired these bushi

and their samurais to fight for them, leading to the bushi gaining even more

power

So, the Japanese Power Struggle c.1000 C.E.

Emperor (Imperial Government) and Aristocrats from

Heian losing power – this

meant centralized government in

Japan was breaking down

Bushi (lords from the countryside)

were gaining power and Japan was becoming a feudal society as these bushi had

manor-like estates that were similar

to western Europe

Samurai Warrior Code

Battles were planned ahead of time, and warriors

followed a strict code of honor and

etiquette

Seppuku = defeated warriors required to

disembowel (and thus kill)

themselves to avoid bringing shame to

their families

Peasants Lose Out

As bushi and their samurais gained

power, the peasants became like serfs, bound to the estate of the bushi they

lived under

Their was a strict class system, and

peasants were kept separated from warriors

(peasants couldn’t wear same style

of clothes as warriors, and not allowed to carry swords or ride

horses

As peasants lost power, they often

turned to pure land Buddhism for

salvation

Artisan Class Emerges in Japan

Artisans were poor and had very

little status in society

This was unlike China where

scholar-gentry often dabbled in

artisan work

Gempei Wars (1180s C.E.)

Fight between 2 powerful aristocratic families for

control of Japan (the Taira and the Minamoto)

Minamoto had strong alliances with the provincial lords (bushi) which helped

them beat the Taira

Minamoto in ControlAfter defeating the Taira, the

Minamoto established a new

capital city at Kamikura

The Minamoto set up a military government, known as the

bakufu (they kept the emperor as a figurehead, but real power lay

with the Minamoto family

and their samurais)

The military leaders of this

new bakufu government were

called shoguns

Yoritomo = Delusional

Yorimoto was leader of Mionamoto family (bakufu

government), but had relatives killed b/c he thought they would

try to kill him to take throne

Because Yorimoto killed so many potential heirs, weak leaders

emerged after Yorimoto’s death, and that allowed the bushi

(warrior lords in countryside) to gain even more power

Hojo Defeats Minamoto

The Hojo, a warrior family that had allied and helped the

Minamoto, overthrew them and took power

Minamoto Not Done Yet

Ashikaga Takuaji, a leading

Minamoto family member, led

revolt and defeated the

Hojo, though the Hojo continued to

resist for a long time, which

weakened Japan

Ashikaga established what

was called the Ashikaga

Shiogunate, which ruled Japan from

1336-1573

Bushi in, Aristocrats in Capital Out

For a while, the court aristocracy (that term means the aristocratic

families who had power in the central government in the

capital city) had been losing power as the

bushi (provincial warriors) were gaining

power

The civil war between the Hojo and the

Ashikaga Shogunate weakened Japan, and the bushi lords were able to gain so much

power, the aristocratic families in the capital were basically wiped

out

After Hojo v. Ashikaga Shogunate civil war

ended, more civil wars erupted, and the end result was that the capital city was destroyed and

central rule in Japan was over

So What Happened to Japan?

About 300 different kingdoms

emerged in Japan, each led by a

bushi

Bushi became known as daimyos (some differences,

but daimyos similar to bushi)

This was taking place around the

1400s and into the 1500s

One Big Change – The Death of Chivalry

The chivalric way of the bushi (honor in battle, etc.)

was gone, as daimyos didn’t have same etiquette

Sneak attacks and spying

became common, and peasants were armed to help fight (as they did this, they

looted and pillaged villages)

Sneak attacks and spying became common, and

peasants were armed to help fight (as they did this, they looted and

pillaged villages)

Surprisingly, Despite Chaos, Economy Grows and Culture Flourishes

Each daimyo built up their estates, so despite Japan

being divided into 300 kingdoms, each kingdom was

advancing

Farming improved as irrigation systems were built

and new tools and seeds (such as soybean) were

introduced

Daimyos even competed to attract merchants to their

growing castle towns, and a new merchant class arose

(they were important b/c got goods for the military)

These merchants even began forming guilds (similar to those in western Europe)

Women’s Status Rises Amongst Merchants and Artisans

Women had been losing status and power during bakufu period,

but during daimyo rule, their status improved

Women in merchant and artisan families had most freedom (ex: allowed to run businesses and

join guilds)

Not All Women Treated Well

When daimyos replaced bushi, women’s status

fell and they lost rights

Daimyos believed in primogeniture (inheritance goes to oldest son), so women lost right

to inherit land

The bushi had allowed women of the elite class

to have some rights and

freedoms: could ride horses, and

use bow and arrow

Daimyos made elite class women

kill themselves rather than

dishonor family by being raped,

and women couldn’t act in

theatrical performaces

Arts Were Flourishing

Zen Buddhism (combined with

Shintoism) played big role in the arts

flourishing, especially in architecture

Buddhists in Japan were the key and led

trade with China

Beautiful gardens built and tea

ceremonies became the rage in Japan

Japan Not United, But the Seeds Were Planted

Despite constant warfare of the warrior age, economic and cultural development still took

place in Japan

Though there were about 300 kingdoms across Japan,

if these kingdoms could work together, Japan would have a solid base for a unity