contributor
26,977
edits
Changes
→History: some expansion
Kyushu remained a site of great political and economic importance into the [[Yamato period]], as the center on Honshu solidified and a unified [[Yamato]] state emerged.
Kyushu remained a site of great political and economic importance into the [[Yamato period]], as the center on Honshu solidified and a unified [[Yamato]] state emerged.
The Yamato state engaged in active trade and diplomatic relations with the various kingdoms of the Korean peninsula, primarily through locations on Kyushu, and through the islands of [[Tsushima]] and [[Iki Island|Iki]]. In the 660s, plans were made to invade the Korean kingdom of Silla, which was hostile to Paekche and the Gaya Confederacy (Mimana), Yamato allies. These plans were scrapped, the invasion never undertaken, but as a result of Yamato fears of Chinese or Korean attacks, a more organized defense was established for Kyushu, centrally managed by an administrative headquarters at [[Dazaifu]], just outside what is today the city of [[Fukuoka]].
Dazaifu would remain the central headquarters for the defense and administration of Kyushu for centuries. At the beginning of the [[Kamakura period]] (1185-1333), the position of ''[[Chinzei bugyo|Chinzei bugyô]]''<ref>"Chinzei" (鎮西) is an alternate name for Kyushu. The position was also referred to as ''Chinzei Shugo'' and in later times ''Chinzei Tandai'' or ''Kyûshû Tandai''.</ref> was established. The first ''Chinzei bugyô'' was a samurai of the [[Amano clan]], appointed in 1186 to oversee the pursuit and elimination of support for the shogun's brother [[Minamoto no Yoshitsune]]. However, the position soon came to be that of the chief officer of Dazaifu; all orders from the shogunate in [[Kamakura]] regarding Kyushu would pass through this headquarters. It is believed that this system came about in part because the shogunate could not rely upon the local lords of Kyushu to follow orders directly without the intermediation of a more direct local presence and authority, in the form of the Dazaifu government.
Around this time, the Dazaifu government, along with a parallel headquarters in [[Tohoku|Tôhoku]] (northeastern Honshû), came to reproduce the organizational structure of the shogunate, albeit on a smaller scale. Thus, various offices and structures, such as a ''[[samurai-dokoro]]'', a separate office dedicated specifically to military affairs, came to be established.
The Dazaifu headquarters would play a crucial role in the Japanese defense against the [[Mongol invasions]] of 1272 and 1281.
*Dazaifu, local/regional command headquarters
*Dazaifu, local/regional command headquarters
{{stub}}
{{stub}}
==References==
*Sansom, George (1958). 'A History of Japan to 1334'. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
*Sansom, George (1961). "A History of Japan: 1334-1615." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
*Sansom, George (1963). "A History of Japan: 1615-1867." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
[[Category:Geographic Locations]]
[[Category:Geographic Locations]]