After Minamoto no Yoritomo's death, the Minamoto line of shoguns ended after only three generations, and the Hojo clan, the family of Yoritomo's wife, Hojo Masako, took actual control of the shogunate. A system called "regent government," in which the position of regent was inherited and used to run the shogunate, began.
Basic Knowledge
When Minamoto no Yoritomo died in 1199, his sons Minamoto no Yoriie, the second shogun, and Minamoto no Sanetomo, the third shogun, followed him. Yoriie was assassinated at Shuzenji in Izu, and Sanetomo was assassinated by his nephew Kugyo at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu in 1219, ending the Minamoto line. The Hojo clan inherited the position of regent (the highest office assisting the shogun) for generations.
In 1221, the Jokyu War occurred when Retired Emperor Go-Toba raised an army to overthrow the shogunate. However, the shogunate army, united by Hojo Masako's speech, defeated the imperial army, and the retired emperor was exiled to Oki. After this, the shogunate became superior to the imperial court and established the Rokuhara Tandai in Kyoto to monitor the court.
The third regent, Hojo Yasutoki, established Japan's first warrior law, the Goseibai Shikimoku (Joei Shikimoku), in 1232. It consisted of 51 articles and provided standards for inheritance of gokenin estates and the resolution of disputes.
1203 Hojo Tokimasa becomes the first regent
1219 Minamoto no Sanetomo is assassinated; the Minamoto line of shoguns ends
1221 Jokyu War (Retired Emperor Go-Toba vs. Hojo Yoshitoki)
1221 Rokuhara Tandai established
1232 Goseibai Shikimoku established (by Hojo Yasutoki)
Further Study (Background and Effects)
The Jokyu War was highly significant because it brought about the historical change in which the warrior government became superior to the imperial court. The court faction's lands at 3,000 locations were confiscated, and warriors from eastern Japan were sent to western Japan as estate stewards, extending shogunate rule throughout the country.
The Goseibai Shikimoku codified the principles (warrior customs) and precedents since Yoritomo, becoming a model for later warrior laws. The Kenmu Code of the Muromachi Shogunate, the laws of the Sengoku lords, and the warrior codes of the Edo Shogunate all followed this tradition.
- First regent = Hojo Tokimasa; second = Hojo Yoshitoki; third = Hojo Yasutoki
- 1221 = Jokyu War, Retired Emperor Go-Toba vs. Hojo Yoshitoki
- After the Jokyu War, the Rokuhara Tandai was established in Kyoto
- 1232 = Goseibai Shikimoku (Joei Shikimoku), 51 articles, Hojo Yasutoki
- Goseibai Shikimoku = Japan's first warrior law and a model for later warrior laws
- Hojo Masako = Yoritomo's wife, called the "Nun Shogun"
- Minamoto no Sanetomo = Third shogun and poet who left the Kinkai Wakashu
Points to Note (Easily Confused)
① Do not confuse Hojo Masako (Yoritomo's wife) with Hojo Tokimasa (Masako's father and the first regent).
② The Jokyu War (1221) and the later Onin War (1467) occurred in different periods and had completely different characteristics. The Jokyu War was between the imperial court and the shogunate, while the Onin War was a power struggle within the Muromachi Shogunate.
③ The Rokuhara Tandai was in Kyoto, while Kamakura was the shogunate's main base. Both were institutions of the shogunate.
④ The Goseibai Shikimoku was a law for warriors and did not apply to the imperial court or court nobles. It was separate from the laws for court nobles.
Practice
- In what year did the Jokyu War occur, and what was the name of the retired emperor who led it?
- Which regent established the Goseibai Shikimoku?
- What was the name of the shogunate institution established in Kyoto after the Jokyu War?