FX\u2019s samurai civil war series Sh\u014dguntakes us deep into feudal Japan, where warlords vie to be named ‘sh\u014dgun’ \u2013 but what does that title mean, and what was a sh\u014dgunate? <\/p>
Through Japan feudal history, samurai warlords have fought one another to claim the ultimate badge of supremacy \u2013 the title of sh\u014dgun.<\/p>\n
That title is the same one given to FX\u2019s samurai civil war drama Sh\u014dgun<\/em><\/a>, streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK.<\/p>\n The story begins in 1600 when Englishman John Blackthorne<\/a> (whose life is very loosely based on that of Western samurai William Adams) washes up on the shores of Japan.<\/p>\n His fate is forever changed when he is brought before Yoshii Toranaga, who is based on the real-life sh\u014dgun Tokugawa Ieyasu.<\/p>\n The title sh\u014dgun is derived from the term Seii-taish\u014dgun<\/em>, meaning \u2018barbarian-subduing generalissimo\u2019 in feudal Japan.<\/p>\n Essentially, a sh\u014dgun was a military leader appointed to lead punitive campaigns against criminals or to suppress rebellions.<\/p>\n Though initially a temporary title, the role evolved over time, gaining more permanence and power, eventually becoming a central figure in Japanese politics, especially by the 17th century, which is when FX\u2019s Sh\u014dgun is set.<\/p>\n It becomes a title that is seen as the pre-eminent title for a warrior in Japan, and it is a title that is always bestowed by the emperor. Despite this, the emperor had no power over the sh\u014dgun.<\/p>\n \u201cThe emperor still ruled the country in name, but the real government was performed by the warlords,\u201d explains Frederik Cryns, historical consultant for FX\u2019s Sh\u014dgun<\/em> TV series, who was speaking on a soon-to-be-released episode of the HistoryExtra<\/em> podcast.<\/p>\n \u201cThe sh\u014dgun was, you might say, the military leader of the samurai caste. The samurai were once aristocrats, but they didn\u2019t have any place in the bureaucratic system. So they had to leave the imperial capital, and went to live in remote areas, where they fulfilled a sort of military service for the court.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they had the military power, they eventually usurped the power of the emperor and became the rulers themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n A sh\u014dgunate refers to a governmental system in ancient Japan that emerged in the 12th century.<\/p>\n \u201cEssentially, it was a small bureaucracy of samurai for samurai,\u201d says Michael Wert, who was speaking on our \u2018Everything You Wanted to Know about the Samurai<\/a>\u2019 HistoryExtra<\/em> podcast episode.<\/p>\n The sh\u014dgunate\u2019s role was to manage the affairs and behaviour of the warrior class in Japan.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the 12th century, it\u2019s a very weak bureaucracy. It is unable to have a say over what all the warriors of Japan are doing,\u201d says Wert.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are ruling partners with the aristocracy and the emperor in Kyoto, but once we get into the 13th and 14th century, the sh\u014dgunate begins to become more powerful. They have much more of a say of what goes on even in Kyoto itself. They become more of a warrior regime and gradually eclipse the power of the aristocracy.\u201d<\/p>\n By the 17th century, the samurai had replaced the aristocracy in overseeing Japan\u2019s administrative functions, a transformation that saw them adopting roles such as scribes, accountants and managers.<\/p>\n \u201cThese warriors, as one scholar put it, go from being sword-wielding warriors to sword-wearing bureaucrats,\u201d says Wert.<\/p>\n There have been three major sh\u014dgunates in Japanese history \u2013 the first being the Kamakura Sh\u014dgunate, established in 1192.<\/p>\n It was established in the eastern Japanese city of Kamakura by Minamoto no Yorimoto following his victory over the Taira clan in the Genpei War. It was overthrown by Emperor Go-Daigo in the Kenmu Restoration, which briefly restored imperial rule.<\/p>\n This was followed by the Ashikaga Sh\u014dgunate, established in 1336 when Ashikaga Takauji overthrew Emperor Go-Daigo and brought an end to the Kenmu Restoration. He based his sh\u014dgunate in Heian-ky\u00f6, the city today known as Kyoto.<\/p>\n The Tokugawa Sh\u014dgunate was formed by Tokugawa Ieyasu towards the end of the warring states period (Sengoku), which was brought about by the collapse of the Ashikaga Sh\u014dgunate in 1573.<\/p>\n It was Ieyasu who befriended Englishman William Adams \u2013 who loosely inspires the character of John Blackthorne of FX\u2019s Sh\u014dgun<\/em>.<\/p>\n Based in his stronghold of Edo (now Tokyo), the Tokugawa Sh\u014dgunate would persist for some 25o year and culminated with the end of the samurai themselves during the Meiji Restoration.<\/p>\n Japan\u2019s emperors initially possessed significant influence and exerted direct rule over their subjects, while the sh\u014dguns were limited to affairs of war.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very weak in the beginning, but the sh\u014dgunate starts to be seen as one of the three major institutions ruling people and property in Japan,\u201d says Wert. \u201cBut it is a very junior partner in this ruling structure in Japan.\u201d<\/p>\n This gradually changes, and by the 17th century it is evident that the sh\u014dgunate is the de facto political authority in Japan.<\/p>\n While the emperor remains a symbolic figurehead, the sh\u014dgunate holds the real political power.<\/p>\n The reason why the sh\u014dgun doesn\u2019t simply abolish the imperial institution and become the sole ruler lies in the intricate cultural and power dynamics of feudal Japan.<\/p>\n Despite the sh\u014dgun\u2019s military authority, the emperor \u2013 and the aristocracy centred in the imperial court in Kyoto \u2013 held significant cultural sway.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you ever see an official portrait of a sh\u014dgun, they\u2019ll often be portrayed in robes rather than armour,\u201d says Wert.<\/p>\n \u201cThese robes are indicative of the rank that the warrior or sh\u014dgun has in the bureaucratic structure in Kyoto. Warriors looked up to the aristocracy as their social betters and tried to imitate their culture.\u201d<\/p>\n This extended to participating in aristocratic activities, including kemari<\/a> (a ball game) and the tea ceremony.<\/p>\n So while the sh\u014dgun holds military power, it\u2019s the aristocracy and the emperor that hold the symbolic authority that shapes the social fabric of feudal Japan.<\/p>\nWhat was a sh\u014dgun?<\/h2>\n
What is a sh\u014dgunate?<\/h2>\n
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What was the first sh\u014dgunate?<\/h2>\n
What was the Tokugawa Sh\u014dgunate?<\/h2>\n
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What was the relationship between the sh\u014dgun and the emperor of Japan?<\/h2>\n
Why didn\u2019t the sh\u014dgun get rid of the emperor?<\/h2>\n