Kamakura shogunate and Muromachi shogunate named provincial lords by its authority. But it didn't mean Shogunate assure the provincial administration. Provincial lords had to rule the territory by own. If the lords couldn't rule the territory, they have become a titular leader.
Villages, a kind of nation state, could chose lord. There were several big authority in a province and if the lord named by shogunate was stupid, they could change lord.
As I said in part one, Villages sometimes had a war. And sometimes villages ask for help for lord. If the lord didn't help, the villages serve another lord which is enemy of the lord and pay tax to the new lord. I think I can say it was similar to current local election.
Shogunate had authority but didn't have own strong army. Kamakura Shogunate and Muromachi shogunate were a kind of union, were not a centralized government. Shogunate could define regular force. Provincial lord named by shogunate would be the regular force but often the regular force lost wars. It seems decisions by villages were important factor. Lords couldn't rule it without support by villages.
Provincial lords didn't rule the whole of the province. It was a bit of complex. For example, temples had own territory. In Kii province, two large temples had war in 15th century. A village was territory of (根来寺) Negoro temple. Another was territory of (高野山)Koya-san temple.
Contests over water happened in the region. A village asked help for Negoro. Another village asked for help for Koya-san. (san means mountain) Both temples dispatched troops and it has became a big war. This was resolved the war by discussion by Provincial lord. But and then, Negoro temple had a war between the provincial lord. Lords had to help villages because if the lords betrayed villages, they could not get tax. Maybe I can say it was an era of free competition of provincial governments.
After that turmoil of the 応仁の乱(Ounin war, 1467-1477) mainly happened in Kyoto and expanded to all over Japan except some regions, Muromachi shogunate lost the authority. Wars have come to constantly happened in Japan. Ounin war was a war over a successor of Shogunate. Provincial lords used to live in Kyoto but they couldn't stay in Kyoto because of civil wars. They moved to their own territory and became to rule in territory. It would be farther political provincialization. I suppose Samurais in Kyoto did lethal covert action in enemy's territory to win. And provincial lords were busy for the war in Kyoto, or couldn't live in Kyoto which was devastated land.
Well, eventually I can mention about age of provincial wars itself. Important points were that villages held the key of the era and lords were forced by the situation and Japan's upper structure and lower structure were ruined.
In medieval times, it is said the earth induced climate change. People suffered from lack of food, and epidemic. It affected society. As I said in part one, villages needed to ally with others. Villages gathered to protect themselves.
Weaker Lords were affiliated with a stronger lord. Although formerly there were several lords in a region and villages could serve several lords, villages ruled by weaker lords were unified by stronger lord.
I think Japanese people think Warring lords fight for superiority. But I think I should mention accurately. There were 2 kind of shape. One is 戦国大名(Sengoku daimyou, warring lord). The other was 国衆(Kuni-shuu).
Suppose warring lord was America, Kuni-shuu was Japan. Warring lord was a collective of warring lord and kuni-shuu. It was alliance with hierarchical relation. Warring lord ruled its own territory and couldn't rule Kuni-shuu's territory directly. Often Kunishuu betray warring lord and attack other kunishuu and sometimes become warring lord. Current the world might be a just globalized one of such era.
Kuni-shuu and warring load had to protect their people. They accepted responsibility for people's life and asset. Villages needed a lord to protect them and for peace life. Lords had to govern well. If a lord failed to govern, the clan vanished or led to changes of ruler.
As warring lords become stronger, they centralized the system. They banned private war and lord got discretion. Thanks to it, they realized restoration of public order to some extent. That is, villages and weaker lords delegated it to greater authority.
北条氏(Houjyou clan) was one of biggest warring lord. Once huge famine hit the territory. Houjyou address it in diverse ways but big problem happened that 上杉謙信(Uesugi Kenshin)'s troops invaded Houjyou's territory.
Uesugi Kenshin is one of popular warring lord and is known as lord of justice. But the reality was not. Uesugi invaded and foraged at the territory about ten times in the space of 10 year. During the wars, Houjyou's territory failed into chronically famine. Uesugi foraged rice , other foods, weapons, and people. Warring lords used to abduct people and sell them or demanded a ransom. It was practiced by Ashigaru(inferior soldier). Uesugi feeds soldiers by forage.
To overcome the massive depression, Houjyou clan undertook structural reform. For example, they decided to garner opinions from people and policed wrongdoing of government official. People lodged a protest directly and lord resolved their cases, lords got more centralized authority. Houjyou clan knew looking after farmers well leads reinforcing of the territory and it can realized to protect people.
Houjyou attack Uesugi and also foraged at Uesugi's territory. It was a defense measures. If Houjyou didn't, Uesugi would invade again. There was a limit, the clan couldn't resolve the massive depression by its domestic policy. As fall of national power, Kunishu might betray. If Houjyou didn't help people, farmers might move to other lord's territory. In this era, there were many wilderness where was farm land. Other lords seems needed farmers to till it.
Houjyou clan overcame the situation. But they had to fight with Takeda clan by collective effort. Then, an interesting word appeared. It was "お国のため", it means "for our country". It seems it was the first time Japanese used the expression, as far as researchers know. Houjyou clan needed many soldiers for the war and decided to conscript farmers. When Toyotomi clan invaded Houjyou, the word appeared again. A researcher says we can regard it as a country which is origin of our current concept that country.
Houjou clan knew that the relation between villages and lord was contractual relationship. So, they asked people in exchange of reduction tax.
Houjyou clan used to imposed people to fix castle. Communists may call such work as rip-off. But it seems it was not. Houjyou clan imposed fix a part of castle where people's refuge for war. When other warring lords invade, farmers need to refuge. Houjyou clan made refuges for people and just farmers fix the refuge for their own. If villages betray the lord, it became case of life and death for the lord. Lords couldn't do something make farmer to get angry. In fact, clans which lost support of people vanished. The relation between lords and people were give-and-take relationships. Villages needed a lord, the lord needed people.
It seems Houjyou clan's political system were succeeded by Tokugawa shogunate in Edo era. I can find many same system as Houjyou clan in Edo shogunate's policy. Those structures of society I mentioned would be a basis of Edo era too. Maybe I should have mention much more things but it would be too long to read.
Someone may imaged Bushido, reading my blog. But there was not Bushido in the era. It was established in Edo era which is premodern era.
Well, I wrote this 3 days ago. Now I think this topic might be a bit of maniac. I think you may gotton more information about history than common Japanese know. I should have simplified this topic but I don't have much time these days. Sorry. I hope you spend rest of this week in happy. Have a nice day with authentic sushi!
It is a photo of Koinobori and sunset at Niigata prefecture.
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