Spread of Chinese Civilization: Japan, Korea, Vietnam The relationships that Vietnam, Korea, and Japan have with China today developed out of this time period (beginnings of feudalism) The Imperial Age of Japan 564-857: the period of Chinese imported culture at its peak in 646, the Taika reforms are aimed at revamping the Japanese imperial administration recreate the Japanese monarch into an absolutist emperor. Also creates a conscript army like in Han China from the aristocracy to peasantry, the Japanese people meshed Buddhist deities with their traditional “kami” (SYNCRETISM) Crisis at Nara and the Shift to the Heian in 794, the emperor Kammu creates a new capital city at Heian in 760’s a clever Buddhist monk intends to marry the empress Kokea and reach the throne himself; his plan gets exposed in the new city (Heian), emperor Kammu doesn’t allow Buddhist monasteries or monks so they ‘re forced to set up outside the city’s boundaries break away from Chinese precedent by establishing social class at birth Ultracivilized: Court Life in the Heian Era for centuries, Japanese culture switches toward aesthetic and luxurious delights “social status was everything, love affairs were common, and so was gossip” Writing was the most popular form of art in Japan Japanese begin simplifying Chinese script to make it more compatible with Japanese spoken language As seen in the Tale of Genji, women were expected to be poised, cultured, and educated similarly to men As in the Islamic world and in China, Japanese women have an important role as a “cajoler” Decline of Imperial Power By mid-9th century, the Fujiwara family is in imperial control The Fujiwara pack the upper-administration with their relatives, and they marry them off to other members of the imperial government Rise of the Provincial Warrior Elites Elite families begin competing for mini-states The “bushi” (military leaders) administering the law, supervising public works projects, and collecting tax revenue The samurai (mounted troops) are loyal to their local lord, but are periodically called into battle to protect the emperor In the 11th and 12th centuries Buddhist monasteries hire their own armies imperial officials request help from provincial lords and their samurai Until the 12th century, samurai typically used the longbow but after switched to the “curved” sword War was based on honor; “seppuku”- the practice in which a samurai commits suicide after being humiliated in battle Honor and death before retreat and defeat Battles in Japan rarely ended in death Japanese peasants become tied to their piece of land Era of Warrior Dominance As the feudal lord’s power grows, the aristocracy’s power declines By the mid-12th century, two feudal families compete for control (Taira and the Minamoto) Initially the Taira have the upper hand in this struggle for power, but over time the Minamoto gain the support of provincial landlords Declining Influence of China As the imperial house weakens, so does Chinese influence Buddhism was transformed into a distinctly Japanese religion In 838, Japanese officials stop journeying to mainland China to the Tang embassies The Gempei Wars in Honshu brought much harm to the peasantry by destroying their arable farmlands By 1185, the Taira family was being replaced by the Minamoto family as the power in power Minamoto establish the “bakufu” military government The emperor and his court survive the transition to bakufu, but the power actually rests with the Minamoto at this time( START OF JAPANESE FEUDALISM) Breakdown of Bakufu Dominance: Age of Warlords Yoritomo, leader of the Minamoto, weakens the Kamakura regime because he’s scared of being overturned by one of his own family members Scrambling for a successor, the Hojo family takes over authority 3 Tiered System: 1. Emperor at (Kyoto) 2. Minamoto family 3. Hojo family In the 14th century, Ashikaga Takuaji leads a revolt overthrowing the Kamakura regime and establishing the Ashikaga Shogunate (1336-1573) After the Ashikaga Shogunate takes over, the Kamakura emperor refuses to acknowledge their legitimacy; the Kamakura emperor is driven out of Kyoto into Yoshino where they build support to continue fighting the new shogunate Although the Ashikaga were successful in fending off the imperial center of Yoshino, the authorities of both parties are greatly hindered “bushi” vassals began seizing the lands of the peasantry; they then parcel up the land to their samurai retainers, who promise allegiance and military support from 1467-1477, rival heirs to the Ashikaga shogunate feud against one another in civil war. While the shogunate was deteriorating, Japan was being recarved into 300 smaller kingdoms who are ruled by the daimyo (warlord rulers) Military Division and Social Change Pattern of warfare was transformed when large numbers of peasants became a critical component of daimyo armies Poorly fed and badly trained, the peasant forces loot and pillage; this led to the idea that the Japanese peasants were barbarians Japanese women in commercial and handicraft industries were able to avoid the sharp drop in status that common women experienced Movement toward “primogeniture”, women given away to cement military alliances are examples of women’s roles being restricted Artistic Solace for a Troubled Age Zen Buddhism gains popularity among warrior class because it stressed discipline and created a place for art in Japanese culture Screen and scroll paintings became popular for capturing natural beauty of Japan Zen architectural style is seen in the Golden and Silver Pavilion (palaces*)