Before the shogun: court and warriors
For centuries Japan was ruled by the emperor and nobles at the court in Kyoto. In the provinces, local landowners trained as warriors (samurai) to protect their land. Two big warrior families, the Taira and the Minamoto, became powerful. The Taira won first and ruled through the court. Then the Minamoto defeated them in the Genpei War (1180-1185).
Yoritomo sets up the Kamakura shogunate
Minamoto no Yoritomo did not stay in Kyoto. He built his base at Kamakura, far from the court, and created offices for warriors, for law, and for guarding provinces. In 1185 he was allowed to appoint shugo (military governors) and jito (estate stewards). In 1192 the emperor gave him the title shogun (great general). The government of the shogun is called the bakufu (tent government).
The bond was simple. The shogun gave warriors land, or confirmed their land (go-on, "kindness"). In return they served in his army and guarded Kamakura (hoko, "service"). Warriors in this bond are the gokenin (honourable retainers). Land for loyalty is a form of feudalism.
Hojo regents and the 1232 law
After Yoritomo died in 1199, his wife's family, the Hojo, took real power as shikken (regents). In 1221 the retired emperor Go-Toba tried to take power back and lost the Jokyu War. After this, Kamakura controlled Kyoto too. In 1232 the Hojo issued the Goseibai Shikimoku, a short written law code. It said who owns land and how quarrels are settled. Written rules were fair and the same for all warriors.
The Mongol Empire grows
In 1206 Genghis Khan united the nomad tribes of the Mongolian steppe. The Mongols were fast riders and archers. They conquered land from East Asia to eastern Europe, the largest land empire in history. Roads and trade became safer, so people, goods and ideas travelled across Eurasia (the "Mongol peace"). Kublai Khan, his grandson, ruled China, moved the capital to Dadu (Beijing) and in 1271 named his dynasty Yuan. He wanted Japan to pay tribute. The Kamakura government refused.
The invasions of 1274 and 1281
In 1274 about 30,000 Mongol and Korean soldiers landed near Hakata in Kyushu. They fought in groups, used gunpowder bombs and poisoned arrows, which surprised Japanese warriors used to one-to-one duels. Fierce fighting and a storm made them sail back. Japan built a long stone wall along the Hakata shore. In 1281 a much bigger fleet came (about 140,000 men in two forces). Warriors held the wall for weeks, and a great typhoon wrecked many ships. Later people called it kamikaze, "divine wind".
Why Kamakura fell
The wars were costly. Gokenin paid for their own weapons, ships and men. But this was a defence, so there was no enemy land to give as reward. Many gokenin became poor and sold or pawned land to money lenders. Anger grew against the Hojo, who kept power for their own family. In 1333 Emperor Go-Daigo, helped by Ashikaga Takauji and others, ended the Kamakura shogunate. Next came the Muromachi shogunate.
Key formulas and definitions
- Shogun = top general; bakufu = shogun's government
- Land for loyalty: go-on (land from shogun) + hoko (service from gokenin)
- Shikken = Hojo regent who ruled for the shogun
- Key dates: 1185 shugo and jito; 1192 Yoritomo shogun; 1221 Jokyu War; 1232 law code; 1274 and 1281 Mongol attacks; 1333 fall
- Yuan = Mongol dynasty of China, founded by Kublai Khan in 1271
Worked examples
1. Explain how a gokenin and the shogun depended on each other.
The shogun gave land or confirmed land (go-on). The gokenin served in his army and guarded Kamakura (hoko). Without land the gokenin had no reason to serve; without gokenin the shogun had no army.
2. Why did the Mongols find it hard to conquer Japan, even with a huge fleet?
They had to cross the sea. Japan built a stone wall at Hakata, warriors defended the shore, and typhoons wrecked ships in 1281. Their strength was land cavalry, which they could not use well from ships.
3. Why did the Kamakura shogunate become weak after the Mongol invasions?
Gokenin spent money on defence but got no new land as reward. They became poor, borrowed from money lenders and grew angry at the Hojo. Loyalty weakened and rebels joined Emperor Go-Daigo in 1333.
4. How many years did the Kamakura shogunate last if counted from 1185 to 1333?
1333 - 1185 = 148 years.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the shogun replaced the emperor. The emperor stayed in Kyoto; the shogun held real power.
- Calling the Hojo "shoguns". They were regents (shikken) who ruled behind the shogun.
- Saying the storm alone beat the Mongols. Brave defenders and the shore wall mattered too.
- Thinking the Mongols won land in Japan. They failed twice, so the victory brought no reward land.