Minamoto no Yoritomo The first Shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. What the significance of Yoritomo in Japan? ? Growing up Minamoto no Yoritomo wasborn in 1147 and died in 1199 at the age of 51. He ruled from 1192 untill 1199. At his last mission he tried to destroy 50 boats but he only destroyed half and was outnumbered. At the age of 14 Minamoto no Yoritomo was sent away to the care of guardian Ito Sukechicka. While he was there he developed his skills in practicing the arts of war. ? Politics and or people of influence.
Yoritomo was ecstatic about the victory over the Taira clan, but his joy was short when he was soon to know that the retired Emperor’s Go- Shirakawa and Yoshitune were conspiring together to limit his power. They did this because Yoritomo had created two new posts Shugo (military provincial administrator) and jito (estate manager) and had forced Emperor Go – Toba to accept them. Yoritomo went on to rule Japan from Kamakura and kept a lot of relation between Feudal Lords, Imperial Courtiers, and Buddhist sects. ? Individual Significance
Yoritomo was important because he lead the Minamoto clan from near – ruin to control of Japan. He lead the Minamoto against Taira clan in a war that gave him the title of Shogun, a title and position later lords would fight for over centuries. At the end of the Genpei war and beginning of the Kamakura Shogunate marked the rise of military (samurai) power and the suppress, on the power of the emperor, who was compelled to reprised without effective political or military power, untill the Meiji restoration over 650 years later. ?
Impact they had on the period of time Minamoto no Yoritomo established the Kamakura Shogunate, which ruled much of Japan until 1333. The Kamakura were powerful, but they never conquered northern and western areas of the country. The shoguns also faced periodic resistance from other samurai clans. Yoritomo controlled Japan with his military power to keep Japan balanced and win the wars. ? Impact on society and religion The war between Minamoto and the Taira clan caused the palace of Cloistered Emperor Go – Shirakara was burned down.
Emperor Antoku made a national call to the arms of the Minamoto clan all over Japan to rebel against Taira, Yoritomo decided to take part in this because things escalated between Minamoto and Taira and after the death of Minamoto no Yorimasa and Prince Mochihito. This caused a lot of things to conspire against him. ? Influences he had The Chinese had influences in Japan during the kamakura period. The Buddhist Zen sect was established in 1191 and was very poplar through the samurai. The government influenced people by making many rules about clothes, houses, behaviour, work and marriages.
There were five classes; ruling class or Nobility, Samurai, Farmers, Crafts people and merchants ? Bibliography Samurai Archives – www. samurai-archives. com/mny. html Kamakura Period – www. japan-guide. com/e/e2133. html Wikipedia – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Minamoto_no_Yoritomo More info – www. ninpo. org/picturearchive/historicalportraits/minamotoyoritomo. html New world Encyclopedia – www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Minamoto_no_Yoritomo Image Attributions Photo 1 – http://en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/File: Minamoto_no_Yoritomo. jpg Photo 2 – http://classicaljapanesetranslations. blogspot. com. au/2012/11/minamoto-no-sanetomo-samurai-with-pathos. html Photo 3 – http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File: Minamoto_no_Yoshitomo. jpg Photo 4 – http://becomingicha. blogspot. com. au/2012/11/review-of-yoshikawa-eiji-s-minamoto-no. html Photo 5 – http://jyuluck-do. com/SS30016. html Photo 6 – http://kyudojo. altervista. org/blog/tag/minamoto-no-yoritomo/ Photo 7 – http://commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: MinamotoYoritomo. jpg