Changes

The period is generally said to begin in [[1185]] with the [[Minamoto clan]] victory in the [[Genpei War]], marking the end of the [[Taira clan|Taira clan's]] political control; others cite [[1192]] as marking the beginning of the Kamakura period, as this was the year in which the Kamakura shogunate was officially established, ending the period of [[Kyoto]] (aka [[Heian period|Heian]]) being the sole center of authority. The period ends in [[1333]], with the fall of the Kamakura shogunate.

The period is generally said to begin in [[1185]] with the [[Minamoto clan]] victory in the [[Genpei War]], marking the end of the [[Taira clan|Taira clan's]] political control; others cite [[1192]] as marking the beginning of the Kamakura period, as this was the year in which the Kamakura shogunate was officially established, ending the period of [[Kyoto]] (aka [[Heian period|Heian]]) being the sole center of authority. The period ends in [[1333]], with the fall of the Kamakura shogunate.

The Kamakura period marks a significant stage in the development of samurai rule. While the Taira clan held considerable power from the 1150s-1180s, they did so from within the Imperial court; the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate marks the first time that samurai rule, operating quite separately from the Imperial court, is asserted as a significant authority in itself. The Kamakura shogunate was never as strong as the [[Ashikaga shogunate|Ashikaga]] or [[Tokugawa shogunate]]s which succeeded it, however; it largely ruled over only the samurai, while the Court continued to govern the aristocracy, temples & shrines, and the common people. While the shogunate appointed ''[[shugo]]'' (military governors) to oversee each [[provinces|province]], the court still continued to appoint ''[[kokushi]]'' (civil governors). Further, the shogunate's authority did not extend over the entire archipelago, and there were many regions where shogunal authority was weak or non-existent. As a result, there were a number of areas in western Japan, particularly in Kyushu, but also even around Kyoto, where local groups claimed considerable power, or vied with one another for power, absent any effective control by either the Court or the shogunate. Some of these local groups came to be described as ''[[akuto|akutô]]'' (lit. "bad parties"), though this term was applied to a wide range of types of actors, from brigands, thieves, and those who sought to seize land & power by force, to those who wielded some rightful claim and simply sought to exercise or enforce that authority.<ref>Lorraine F. Harrington. "Social Control and the Significance of Akutô." in [[Jeffrey Mass]] (ed.). ''Court and Bakufu in Japan: Essays in Kamakura History''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1982. pp221-250. </ref>

The Kamakura period marks a significant stage in the development of samurai rule. While the Taira clan held considerable power from the 1150s-1180s, they did so from within the Imperial court; the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate marks the first time that samurai rule, operating quite separately from the Imperial court, is asserted as a significant authority in itself. The Kamakura shogunate was never as strong as the [[Ashikaga shogunate|Ashikaga]] or [[Tokugawa shogunate]]s which succeeded it, however; it largely ruled over only the samurai, while the Court continued to govern the aristocracy, temples & shrines, and the common people. While the shogunate appointed ''[[shugo]]'' (military governors) to oversee each [[provinces|province]], the court still continued to appoint ''[[kokushi]]'' (civil governors). Further, the shogunate's authority did not extend over the entire archipelago, and there were many regions where shogunal authority was weak or non-existent. As a result, there were a number of areas in western Japan, particularly in Kyushu, but also even around Kyoto, where local groups claimed considerable power, or vied with one another for power, absent any effective control by either the Court or the shogunate. Some of these local groups came to be described as ''[[akuto|akutô]]'' (lit. "bad parties"), though this term was applied to a wide range of types of actors, from brigands, thieves, and those who sought to seize land & power by force, to those who wielded some rightful claim and simply sought to exercise or enforce that authority.<ref>Lorraine F. Harrington. "Social Control and the Significance of Akutô." in [[Jeffrey Mass]] (ed.). ''Court and Bakufu in Japan: Essays in Kamakura History''. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1982. pp221-250. </ref>

Though the Minamoto clan founded the Kamakura shogunate, and the city, its control of the shogunate lasted only very briefly. After the first shogun, [[Minamoto no Yoritomo]], died in [[1199]], his widow [[Hojo Masako|Hôjô Masako]] named her father [[Hojo Tokimasa|Hôjô Tokimasa]] regent (''[[shikken]]''), and seized control over the shogunate. For the remainder of the period, the shoguns were largely pawns, or puppets, of the Hôjô, who exercised true political power. After the third Kamakura shogun, [[Minamoto no Sanetomo]], was assassinated in [[1219]], the Minamoto line of shoguns ended. The shogunate survived an attempted coup [[1221|two years later]], known as the [[Jokyu War|Jôkyû War]], but for the remainder of the period, Imperial princes and members of the court aristocratic [[Kujo family|Kujô family]] served as shogun.

Though the Minamoto clan founded the Kamakura shogunate, and the city, its control of the shogunate lasted only very briefly. After the first shogun, [[Minamoto no Yoritomo]], died in [[1199]], his widow [[Hojo Masako|Hôjô Masako]] named her father [[Hojo Tokimasa|Hôjô Tokimasa]] regent (''[[shikken]]''), and seized control over the shogunate. For the remainder of the period, the shoguns were largely pawns, or puppets, of the Hôjô, who exercised true political power. After the third Kamakura shogun, [[Minamoto no Sanetomo]], was assassinated in [[1219]], the Minamoto line of shoguns ended. The shogunate survived an attempted coup [[1221|two years later]], known as the [[Jokyu War|Jôkyû War]], but for the remainder of the period, Imperial princes and members of the court aristocratic [[Kujo family|Kujô family]] served as shogun.

Numerous significant religious developments took place in the period. The monk [[Nichiren]] established and spread his [[Lotus Sect]] school of Buddhism in the 13th century; figures such as [[Ippen]] and [[Kuya|Kûya]] spread their teachings during this time, too, with a variety of popular and millenarian Buddhist movements, including the [[Ji sect]], emerging as well. Much of these developments were tied into a widespread belief that the decline and eventual fall of the Heian period marked the entry into the period of ''[[mappo|mappô]]'' (lit. "end of the law"), a period in the grand cosmic cycle during which the religious laws governing the universe begin to fall out of order, and the ability to achieve salvation wanes. Worship in [[Amida]] Buddha, including especially belief in the practice of ''[[nenbutsu]]'', grew considerably in popularity at this time, as popular movements grew asserting that one needed not devote oneself fully to a proper Buddhist/monastic life of meditation, restraint, prayer, and ritual practice in order to achieve salvation, but rather that one could be saved by Amida, simply for chanting his name and expressing true faith. [[Zen]] was also introduced in this period - specifically, by the monk [[Eisai]], who returned from China in [[1191]], introducing [[Rinzai]] Zen along with powdered [[tea]] and other [[Song Dynasty]] cultural practices. [[Dogen|Dôgen]] then introduced [[Soto Zen|Sôtô]] Zen a few decades later, in [[1227]]. Zen received patronage from the [[Hojo clan (Hojo Regents)|Hôjô clan]], regents to the shoguns, and quickly became well-established, with Kamakura becoming a major center of Zen practice.

Numerous significant religious developments took place in the period. The monk [[Nichiren]] established and spread his [[Lotus Sect]] school of Buddhism in the 13th century; figures such as [[Ippen]] and [[Kuya|Kûya]] spread their teachings during this time, too, with a variety of popular and millenarian Buddhist movements, including the [[Ji sect]], emerging as well. Much of these developments were tied into a widespread belief that the decline and eventual fall of the Heian period marked the entry into the period of ''[[mappo|mappô]]'' (lit. "end of the law"), a period in the grand cosmic cycle during which the religious laws governing the universe begin to fall out of order, and the ability to achieve salvation wanes. Worship in [[Amida]] Buddha, including especially belief in the practice of ''[[nenbutsu]]'', grew considerably in popularity at this time, as popular movements grew asserting that one needed not devote oneself fully to a proper Buddhist/monastic life of meditation, restraint, prayer, and ritual practice in order to achieve salvation, but rather that one could be saved by Amida, simply for chanting his name and expressing true faith. [[Zen]] was also introduced in this period - specifically, by the monk [[Eisai]], who returned from China in [[1191]], introducing [[Rinzai]] Zen along with powdered [[tea]] and other [[Song Dynasty]] cultural practices. [[Dogen|Dôgen]] then introduced [[Soto Zen|Sôtô]] Zen a few decades later, in [[1227]]. Zen received patronage from the [[Hojo clan (Hojo Regents)|Hôjô clan]], regents to the shoguns, and quickly became well-established, with Kamakura becoming a major center of Zen practice.