Namboku-cho

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Map view of the two capitals during the Namboku-chō period:
North courtyard: Kyōto
South courtyard: Yoshino

The Namboku-chō time ( Japanese 南北朝 時代 , Nambokuchō-jidai , dt. "Time of the north and south courts") was a period in Japanese history at the beginning of the Muromachi period from 1336 to 1392 . It describes a war that lasted almost half a century between the northern and southern courts of the Tenno dynasty for the rightful succession to the throne. The theaters of war ranged from the southern Japanese island of Kyushu to the northeast of the main Japanese island . In 1392 an agreement could be reached on the basis of the alternating sequence of the Tennō from the younger and older dynasties at the court in Kyoto between the north and south courtyards.

Kemmu restoration (1333–1336) and the split into the north and south dynasties

The Kemmu restoration was initiated due to an uprising in 1331 under the leadership of Go-Daigo tennō from the younger dynasty ( Daikakuji ). His concern was the restoration of imperial power, which after the Heian period was only in the hands of the Kamakura shogunate and the military leaders. After his unsuccessful uprising, he was exiled to the Oki Islands . In 1332, after he managed to escape from his place of exile, he could a great rebellion against the Kamakura bakufu at the side of the came to great power military leaders Ashikaga Takauji and Nitta Yoshisada to lead the way. The result of this turmoil was the conquest of Kyōto by Ashikaga Takauji and the destruction of Kamakura and the elimination of the Hōjō family by Nitta Yoshisada. From 1333 to 1336 Go-Daigo tried to revive the imperial supremacy and even to expand his sphere of influence to the military institutions by appointing his son, Prince Morinaga , to the shogun and military governors from the ranks of court society. In 1335 Ashikaga Takauji turned against him - dissatisfied with Go-Daigo's plans - and in 1336 conquered the then imperial capital of Kyoto. Then he appointed Prince Toyohito from the older dynasty (Jimyōin dynasty) under the name of Kōmyō to Tennō. In 1338 Ashikaga Takauji obtained the title of Shogun.

However, Go-Daigo and parts of courtly society managed to flee from Kyōto to the hills of Yoshino , from where he and his successors continued to assert their claim to the imperial throne. The following period is known as Nanbokuchō-jidai, which is characterized by battles between the Northern Dynasty in Kyoto and the Southern Dynasty in Yoshino.

The Ashikaga shogunate

The strengthening of military rulers

Kamakura had been the seat of Bakufu since 1185. By relocating the military seat of government to Kyoto, the political and economic independence of the imperial family was severely weakened. For their income from their lands, the court families were now entirely dependent on the military land administrators, the military governors, who had been given increased powers since the Kemmu restoration through the amalgamation of military and civil administration. The majority of the Shugo consisted of close or distant relatives of the Ashikaga family . They were given important administrative tasks at the time of the Ashikaga shogunate and they formed the basis on which the shogunate was based. Through the powers given to the Shugo by the Shogunate and the right to recruit their own military units, a new layer of regional independent military leaders grew up.

Thus the families at court were increasingly dependent on the benevolence of the military rulers. The court families therefore took only a symbolic form at the time of the Ashikaga shogunate. Real power was in the hands of the shogun and his military allies.

Political structure in the Ashikaga shogunate

Even if the Shogun had real power to govern, he could only maintain control in the country with the help of alliances with his vassals . The core positions within the Bakufu were distributed among the most important vassals. The highest of all offices was the office of governor general ( kanrei ), which was transferred to a member of the three most powerful vassals of the shogun, the Shiba , Hatakeyama and Hosokawa . Together, the three sexes had immense influence and thus formed the political and military pillars of the shogun.

Another office of outstanding importance was the office of head of the samurai authority ( soshi ). Usually appointed from the Yamana , Isshiki , Akamatsu and Kyogoku clans , this had military and police duties. He was also responsible for the Shogun's personal guard.

Other authorities and institutions under the Ashikaga shogunate were the administrative authority ( Mandokoro ), the document office ( Monchūjo ), a judicial body ( Hitsuke-shū ) and an advisory committee ( Hyōjō-shū ). The position of regional governor was given to vassals who acted as Shugo in the respective areas.

Little is known about the administrative administration of the Southern Dynasty, except for rule by direct ordinances.

Armed conflicts between 1336 and 1392

Ashikaga Takauji was determined to shape the newly founded shogunate under him on the basis of the former Kamakura shogunate . However, the widely scattered fighting and the lurking threat to the southern courtyard and its supporters in some provinces prevented this project. However, by 1338 Ashikaga Takauji and his military allies were able to considerably weaken the power of the South Court. Great military leaders, including Kitabatake Akiie , Nawa Nagatoshi , and Nitta Yoshisada , died fighting to regain power in the South Court. Army leader Kitabatake Chikafusa set sail with Prince Morinaga and other military commanders with the aim of gaining further allies for the fight against the northern court . However, a strong storm thwarted the plan and sent the ship back to Ise . A year later, in 1339, Go-Daigo died and handed over the imperial regalia to his son Morinaga . Morinaga ascended the throne as the second Tennō of the Southern Dynasty, Go-Murakami .

While Kitabatake Chikafusa was trying to win military support in other provinces for the south court, he was attacked by the troops of the shogunate led by Ko no Morofuyu . He was able to counter the attack until 1343. Since the military leader Yūki Chikatomo joined the Shogunate, Chikafusa returned to Yoshino.

After his return, the successes of the Südhof subsided. In 1347 Kusunoki Masatsura , the son of Kusunoki Masashige , achieved a short-term victory with the troops of the southern court in Kawachi . Many commanders of the north court found their deaths in Kawachi. In 1348 Masatsura was killed by Kō no Moronao in Kawachi. In 1349 a difference of opinion arose between Ashikaga Tadayoshi , Takauji's brother, and Kō no Moronao and Moroyasu . The reason for the hostility were personal ideas about a distribution of power. When Takauji sided with the Kō brothers, Tadayoshi joined the South Court in Yoshino. After he was able to organize an army there, he had the Kō brothers killed and wanted to reconcile with his brother Takauji, but he was rejected. In 1352 Takauji had him executed in Kamakura. While Takauji was in Kamakura, his son Yoshiakira took care of the negotiations with the South Court. The Südhof took a strict stance. He not only demanded the cancellation of all appointments at court, but also the return of the wrong regalia.

However, when the south courtyard recognized the weak position of the north courtyard, it attacked the capital in 1352. After a few weeks, the troops withdrew from the capital Kyōto and took the wrong regalia and the abdicated Tennō Kōgon , Kōmyō , Sukō and the crown prince Naohito back with them Yoshino. In 1357 the three abdicated Tennō and Crown Prince Naohito were released again. In the meantime, Go-Kōgon was crowned as the next Tennō of the north court in the absence of the imperial regalia.

In 1352 the Südhof received reinforcements from Army Commander Ashikaga Tadafuyu , Takauji's son. After the death of his adoptive father, Ashikaga Tadayoshi, he moved to the side of the south courtyard. The strengthening of the south courtyard made it possible for him and his followers to take the capital Kyoto for the second and third time. Between these years Tadafuyu was awarded the title of Sōtsuibushi for his military achievements . In April 1358 Takauji died and his son, Yoshiakira, took over his title as Shogun.

His plan of attack on the southern courtyard was thwarted by the displeasure of his commanders. Army leaders of the Yūki and Hosokawa clans even joined the South Court during the fourth conquest of Kyoto in 1361. In 1368, Yoshiakira died and attempts to reconcile were made by both sides. In 1392 an agreement was reached under the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu , Yoshiakira's son, and the Go-Kameyama -tennō of the South Court. The conditions included, among other things, that the southern court handed over the imperial regalia to the northern court and that the younger and older imperial dynasties were allowed to alternately occupy the throne. The southern court handed over the imperial regalia to the northern court, but the claim of the southern court to the imperial throne, contrary to the agreement, was not observed by the northern court.

Economic growth and cultural prosperity

Economic expansion and cultural development took place in Japan since the 14th century. The Mongol invasions in the 13th century and the contacts of Japanese priests to China have led to an expansion of Japanese sea power. Shipbuilding was promoted, and the economic centers and cultural centers concentrated at the ports. Lively, if unofficial, trade between Japan, China and Korea began. Above all, however, on the part of Japan, international trade was strongly promoted. China was completely ousted as the strongest sea power in East Asia.

Japan's economic expansion progressed not only abroad but also at home. The decentralization of government under the Ashikaga shogunate , the influences of China and the influence of the Zen monasteries were the causes for the emergence of new economic and cultural centers.

Foreign trade was hoped to generate profits that would benefit the construction of huge Zen temples. The Zen monasteries around the capital Kyoto and their priests had gained more and more importance at the time of the Ashikaga Shogunate. The priests of the Rinzai-shū especially enjoyed special attention and encouragement of the shoguns. These were used as spiritual counselors and scribes of the shoguns.

Tennō of the Southern Court

Go-Daigo - Go-Murakami - Chōkei - Go-Kameyama

Tennō of the Northern Court

Kōgon - Kōmyō - Sukō - (Interregnum from November 26, 1351 to September 25, 1352 ) - Go-Kōgon - Go-En'yū

Butcher

Battle of Tatarahama - Battle of Minatogawa - Siege of Kanagasaki - 1st Siege of Kuromaru - 2nd Siege of Kuromaru - Battle of Shijōnawate - Battle of Yawata

See also

literature

  • Kenneth Alan Grossberg: Japan's Renaissance. The Politics of the Muromachi Bakufu . Harvard University Press, Massachusetts 1981
  • John Whitney Hall: The Japanese Empire . Fischer World History, Frankfurt am Main 2003
  • Pierre Francois Souyri: The World Turned Upside Down . Columbia University Press, New York 2001
  • H. Paul Varley: Imperial Restoration in Medieval Japan . Columbia University Press, New York 1971

Web links

Commons : Namboku-chō  - collection of images, videos and audio files