Samurai Shogun Nobles Rise to Power During the

Samurai & Shogun

Nobles Rise to Power • During the AD 800 s, emperors power began to weaken in Japan. Regents handled the city’s day-to-day government. Other nobles took control of out lying provinces. • Government gave these nobles land for their support.

Protecting their land • The nobles were responsible for governing the lands under their control. • Large land owners were known as daimyo (DY-meeoh). These nobles needed warriors to protect their land. • These warriors came to be known as samurai.

Feudalism • Many samurai became vassals of a daimyo. • Vassal: • a person receiving privileges (land, protection) from a lord to whom he has vowed loyalty. • In return for an oath to protect & serve the daimyo in battle, the samurai received land. • This bond of loyalty between a lord and a vassal is known as feudalism.

Rise of the Samurai • The word samurai comes from the Japanese word for servant. • Most samurai came from noble families and were required to be loyal to the emperor. • Only the most powerful samurai received land for their service.

Becoming a Samurai • Young men and even some young women trained to become samurai warriors in feudal Japan. • Their training included learning the art of warfare, and later, the way of peace. To become a samurai demanded strict training in the martial arts.

The Bushido Code Read “The Samurai Lives Honorably” & answer the following questions. 1. What were two things that samurai could not do? 2. What was Bushido, and who was expected to live by its rules? 3. List 4 things samurai were required or expected to do. 4. What samurai values are still admired in modern-day Japan?

Shoguns Assume Power • By the early 1100 s, noble families of Japan used their samurai armies to fight one another over land. This fighting lasted almost 30 years. • In the end, the Minamoto family won. The leader of the Minamoto’s received the title of the shogun, (commander of military forces) This military government was known as a shogunate. For about the next 700 years, shoguns ran Japan's government. • This created two governments in Japan: • The emperor at Heian-kyo • The shogun at Kamakura

Hunger Games? ? • Under the shoguns, Japan produced more goods and grew richer. However, only the emperor and his family, noble families of the emperor’s court, and leading military officials enjoyed this wealth. • Most Japanese remained poor.

Complete the Story Complete the following story using words from the Word Bank and your knowledge of Feudalistic Japan