Fix the mistake: Kamakura period

The Establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate

At the end of the Heian period, the power of the warriors surpassed that of the aristocrats, and a warrior government was finally born. Minamoto no Yoritomo, who won the Genpei War, established Japan's first full-scale warrior government, the "Kamakura Shogunate," based in the Kanto region.

Basic Knowledge

In 1180, Minamoto no Yoritomo raised an army in Izu against the tyranny of the Taira clan, and the Minamoto clan rose in various regions. Minamoto no Yoshitsune destroyed the Taira clan at the Battle of Dannoura (1185), and in 1185 Yoritomo obtained from the imperial court the right to appoint military governors and estate stewards throughout the country. In 1192, he was appointed Sei-i Taishogun, and the shogunate was established in both name and reality.
The shogunate established the Samurai-dokoro, Mandokoro, and Monchujo in the central government, and military governors (military and police officials for each province) and estate stewards (officials who collected land taxes from estates and public lands) in the regions. Gokenin (warriors who formed a lord-vassal relationship with the shogun) were bound by the relationship of "lord's favor and vassal service." In return for the shogun's guarantee of their estates, gokenin were required to serve in the army during wartime.

Further Study (Background and Effects)

Why was the shogunate established in Kamakura? Kamakura was surrounded by mountains on three sides and faced the sea on one side, making it a natural fortress ideal for a military base. Also, by being far from Kyoto, where the imperial court was located, it was possible to build an independent warrior government without being influenced by aristocratic culture.
The mnemonic "Let's build a good country (1192), Kamakura Shogunate" is famous, but in recent years the theory that 1185 (the establishment of military governors and estate stewards) was the founding year has become influential. This is because Yoritomo obtained the institutional foundation for extending his control throughout the country at that point.

Points to Note (Easily Confused)

① Do not confuse military governors and estate stewards. A military governor was responsible for military and police affairs by province, while an estate steward collected land taxes from estates and public lands.
② Minamoto no Yoritomo and Minamoto no Yoshitsune were brothers, but Yoritomo established the shogunate, while Yoshitsune was a hero of the Battle of Dannoura who was eventually pursued by his brother.
③ "Let's build a good box (1185), Kamakura Shogunate" is the currently common mnemonic. 1192 was the year of Yoritomo's appointment as Sei-i Taishogun.
④ The Oshu Fujiwara clan was a powerful family based in Hiraizumi (Iwate Prefecture). It was destroyed by Yoritomo for sheltering Yoshitsune. It was a different line from the Fujiwara clan of the regent family.

Practice

1. In what year was Minamoto no Yoritomo appointed Sei-i Taishogun?
2. Explain the difference between the roles of military governors and estate stewards.
3. What term described the lord-vassal relationship between the shogun and the gokenin?