The Tokugawa clan sought to eradicate any potential opposition across Japanese society from top-to-bottom to consolidate their rule. However, Ieyasu was especially wary of social mobility given that Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of his peers and a Kampaku (Imperial Regent) whom he replaced, was born into a low caste and rose to become Japan's most powerful political figure of the time. Ieyasu founded the Tokugawa Shogunate as a new feudal government of Japan with himself as the Shōgun. Tokugawa Ieyasu of the Tokugawa clan and his Eastern Army emerged victorious after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, defeating the Western Army of Toyotomi Hideyori, ending the Sengoku civil wars. The final collapse of the Ashikaga worsened the effects of the Sengoku period (or "Age of Warring States"), the state of social upheaval and near-constant civil war in Japan since 1467. The Ashikaga Shogunate established a loose class system when it ruled Japan as a feudal shogunate during the Muromachi period from 1338 to 1573. Confucian ideas from China also provided the foundation for a system of strict social prescriptions, along with political twists and turns of the day. Even the ranks themselves, especially military ranks, became more respected if only out of necessity. Nevertheless, frequent warfare and political instability plagued Japan in following centuries, providing countless opportunities to usurp, bend, and mobilize positions within social ranks. The Taika Reforms were the "legal glue" deemed necessary to thwart future coup d'etat attempts, and the Ritsuryō system led to the formation of castes in Japan. The reforms were following a major and devastating coup d'etat attempt by Soga no Emishi, with the events not only exterminating entire clans, but tearing apart a gaping hole in the Japanese indigenous religion, Ko-Shintō, paving the way for a Buddhist-Shinto syncretism of religion. Go here to watch a video about the Feudal System.Feudalism, social stratification, and explicit fine-grained ranking of people existed in Japan long before the Edo period, beginning with attempts as far back as the Taika Reforms in 645 A.D., initiating the Ritsuryō legal system that was modeled from Chinese Tang dynasty legal code. Your browser does not support the audio element.
They owned nothing and were pledged to their local lord. Some peasants were considered free and could own their own businesses like carpenters, bakers, and blacksmiths. Most of the people living in the Middle Ages were peasants. The lords owned everything on their land including the peasants, crops, and village. They also were the king's knights and could be called into battle at any moment by their Baron. Lords and Knights - The lords ran the local manors. If they did not have an army, sometimes they would pay the king a tax instead. Their job was to maintain an army that was at the king's service. They divided up their land among Lords who ran individual manors. They reported directly to the king and were very powerful. This made some Bishops very rich.īarons and Nobles- The Barons and high ranking nobles ruled large areas of land called fiefs. Not only that, but the church received a tithe of 10 percent from all the people. The Catholic Church was very powerful in most parts of Medieval Europe and this made the Bishop powerful as well. When one family stayed in power for a long time, this was called a dynasty.īishop - The Bishop was the top church leader in the kingdom and managed an area called a diocese.
When a king died, his firstborn son would inherit the throne. In return, the Barons pledged their loyalty and soldiers to the king. The king could not control all of the land by himself, so he divided it up among the Barons. King - The top leader in the land was the king. Farms would then spread out from there which would be worked by the peasants. A small village would form around the castle which would include the local church. He lived in a large house or castle where people would gather for celebrations or for protection if they were attacked. The center of life in the Middle Ages was the manor. It started at the top with the king granting his land to a baron for soldiers all the way down to a peasant getting land to grow crops. Under the feudal system land was granted to people for service.
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