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''Seiitaishôgun'' (征夷大将軍), "Supreme Commander Against the Barbarians", often shortened simply as ''shôgun'' (将軍), was originally a temporary Court commission assigned to courtier military commanders in the 8th century frontier campaigns against the [[Emishi]] in northern [[Honshu]]. It later became a hereditary distinction acknowledging the recipient as the ''[[buke no toryo|buke no tôryô]]'', "Head of the Warrior Houses", and titular head of the three [[Bakufu|bakufu]] warrior governments.
==[[Heian Period]] ''Seiitaishôgun''==
In the late 8th century the [[Yamato]] court embarked on a series of military campaigns into northern [[Honshu]], in an attempt to bring the region and its [[Emishi]] population under its sphere of influence. The title ''seiitaishôgun'' was first awarded to [[Sakanoue no Tamuramaro]] in [[797]] as commander of one such campaign, and was also reappointed in [[804]] due to his successes. A friend and protégé of Tamuramaro's, one [[Fumiya no Watamaro]], succeeded him as ''seiitaishôgun'' in [[811]].
During the 12th century [[Gempei War]], [[Minamoto Yoshinaka]] rebelled against [[Minamoto Yoritomo]], and in [[1183]] persuaded [[Emperor Go-Shirakawa|Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa]] to appoint him ''seiitaishôgun'', with an ill-fated commission to punish Yoritomo, who would himself be awarded the title less than a decade later.
==[[Kamakura Period]] ''Shôgun''==
In 1192 the Court invested Minamoto Yoritomo, head of the newly-established [[Kamakura Bakufu]], with the ''seiitaishôgun'' title. Yoritomo returned the title in [[1193]], prefering the more prestigious title of ''[[utaisho|utaishô]]'', "Commander of the Inner Palace Guards".
Following his death in [[1199]], the bakufu had the Court appoint Yoritomo's son [[Minamoto Yoriie|Yoriie]] as ''shôgun'', beginning the link of the title with the titular head of the bakufu. Neither Yoriie (r. [[1199]]-[[1203]]) nor his brother [[Minamoto Sanetomo|Sanetomo]] (r. [[1203]]-[[1219]]) held any real power as ''shôgun'', with actual authority alternating between members of the [[Hojo clan|Hôjô family]] and the various bakufu judicial organs. Both brothers became involved in schemes involving bakufu officials and were assassinated, Yoriie in [[1204]], and Sanetomo in [[1219]], ending Yoritomo's bloodline.
In need of an appropriate candidate for ''shôgun'' to follow the heir-less Sanetomo, the bakufu had arranged for [[Emperor Go-Toba|Retired Emperor Go-Toba's]] son to succeed, but following the assassination of Sanetomo, Go-Toba withdrew his offer. After a show of force in the capital, the bakufu secured an infant from the prestigious [[Fujiwara clan|Fujiwara family]] and brought him to [[Kamakura]]. By this time the Hôjô family were dominant within the bakufu as regents, or ''shikken'', to the successive noble-born ''shôgun'', who were head of the bakufu in name only.
==References==
*''A History of Japan: To 1333'', by George Sansom, Stanford University Press, reprinted 1991.
*''Warrior Rule in Japan'', edited by Marius Jansen, Cambridge University Press, 1995.
*''Heavenly Warriors'', by William Wayne Farris, Harvard University Asia Center, reprint edition 1996.
*''"Pushing beyond the Pale: The Yamato Conquest of the Emish and Northern Japan"'', by Karl F. Friday. ''Monumenta Nipponica'', vol. 23, No. 1. (Winter, 1997), pp. 1-24.
[[Category:Political Institutions]]
[[Category:Ranks and Titles]]
[[Category:Terminology]]
==[[Heian Period]] ''Seiitaishôgun''==
In the late 8th century the [[Yamato]] court embarked on a series of military campaigns into northern [[Honshu]], in an attempt to bring the region and its [[Emishi]] population under its sphere of influence. The title ''seiitaishôgun'' was first awarded to [[Sakanoue no Tamuramaro]] in [[797]] as commander of one such campaign, and was also reappointed in [[804]] due to his successes. A friend and protégé of Tamuramaro's, one [[Fumiya no Watamaro]], succeeded him as ''seiitaishôgun'' in [[811]].
During the 12th century [[Gempei War]], [[Minamoto Yoshinaka]] rebelled against [[Minamoto Yoritomo]], and in [[1183]] persuaded [[Emperor Go-Shirakawa|Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa]] to appoint him ''seiitaishôgun'', with an ill-fated commission to punish Yoritomo, who would himself be awarded the title less than a decade later.
==[[Kamakura Period]] ''Shôgun''==
In 1192 the Court invested Minamoto Yoritomo, head of the newly-established [[Kamakura Bakufu]], with the ''seiitaishôgun'' title. Yoritomo returned the title in [[1193]], prefering the more prestigious title of ''[[utaisho|utaishô]]'', "Commander of the Inner Palace Guards".
Following his death in [[1199]], the bakufu had the Court appoint Yoritomo's son [[Minamoto Yoriie|Yoriie]] as ''shôgun'', beginning the link of the title with the titular head of the bakufu. Neither Yoriie (r. [[1199]]-[[1203]]) nor his brother [[Minamoto Sanetomo|Sanetomo]] (r. [[1203]]-[[1219]]) held any real power as ''shôgun'', with actual authority alternating between members of the [[Hojo clan|Hôjô family]] and the various bakufu judicial organs. Both brothers became involved in schemes involving bakufu officials and were assassinated, Yoriie in [[1204]], and Sanetomo in [[1219]], ending Yoritomo's bloodline.
In need of an appropriate candidate for ''shôgun'' to follow the heir-less Sanetomo, the bakufu had arranged for [[Emperor Go-Toba|Retired Emperor Go-Toba's]] son to succeed, but following the assassination of Sanetomo, Go-Toba withdrew his offer. After a show of force in the capital, the bakufu secured an infant from the prestigious [[Fujiwara clan|Fujiwara family]] and brought him to [[Kamakura]]. By this time the Hôjô family were dominant within the bakufu as regents, or ''shikken'', to the successive noble-born ''shôgun'', who were head of the bakufu in name only.
==References==
*''A History of Japan: To 1333'', by George Sansom, Stanford University Press, reprinted 1991.
*''Warrior Rule in Japan'', edited by Marius Jansen, Cambridge University Press, 1995.
*''Heavenly Warriors'', by William Wayne Farris, Harvard University Asia Center, reprint edition 1996.
*''"Pushing beyond the Pale: The Yamato Conquest of the Emish and Northern Japan"'', by Karl F. Friday. ''Monumenta Nipponica'', vol. 23, No. 1. (Winter, 1997), pp. 1-24.
[[Category:Political Institutions]]
[[Category:Ranks and Titles]]
[[Category:Terminology]]