THE AGE OF MILITARY DICTATORSHIP.
.1. The Kamalcura Epoch.—After a deci sive battle at Dan-no-ura, Yoritomo was created Grand General of Expedition (Seii-Taishogun), founded the Shogun's government at Kamakura, and the Age of Military Dictatorship of about 700 years begins. Under a pretext of arresting fugitives of the Taira clan, or stray followers of Yoshitsune — his able brother with whom he was on bad terms — and of preventing disturbance in the future, Yoritomo had his relatives and partisans appointed as High Constables in each province and as superintendents of both public land and of nobles' estates, and applied a certain system of taxation on all land property (1185 A.D.). Thus Yoritomo, acting on the sagacious advice of Oye-no-Hiromoto, a man of great statesmanship, succeeded in becoming the mas ter of the state administration, and while the power of the former provincial governors ap pointed by the Imperial court and the headmen of nobles estates gradually lost their authority, these newly appointed military officials steadily grew into what were called or feu dal lords.
Profiting by the unfortunate precedents of the Fujiwara and Taira families, the mode of life, laid down by Yoritomo was simple and frugal. Bravery, honor and loyalty were pro claimed the highest virtues, and if one were found guilty of any serious fault he must atone by suicide. Thus at this period the rules of the Japanese chivalry were clearly prescribed, though the spirit was not new. This soldierly spirit prevailed in literature and amusements, and this warlike age also witnessed the rise of the Zen sect of Buddhism.
The line of Yoritomo came to an end in the third Shogun, and after that the govern ment fell into the hands of the Hojo family to which the Yoritomo's consort belonged, although the nominal Shogun was brought from Kioto.
In 1221 A.D. the Emperor Gotoba attempted the destruction of the Hojo family, which at tempt, however, utterly failed, and the property of those who espoused the Imperial cause was confiscated and divided among the Hojo's fol lowers. Some of the Hojo's family were sta tioned in Kioto to restore order, and to act as overseers, and, by the judicious and generous administration of such excellent statesmen as Yasutoki and Tokiyori, that family enjoyed the widest popularity. Yasutoki left a knightly
code of 51 articles, which was respected as the basis of laws throughout the military dictator ship up to the Meiji Restoration.
In the reign of the 90th emperor, Kame yama, when Tokimune, the son of 'tokiyori, held regency in Kamalcura, Kublai Khan, the Mongolian conqueror, sent envoys to Japan seeking her submission, but his proposals were rejected. In 1281 A.D., the Chinese and the Mon golian forces, above 130,000, together with the Koreans, made an invasion into Kyushu, and were defeated. The period of war and anxiety extended over 30 years, but perseverance and final success made manifest the national spirit of Japan.
Troubles about the succession of emperors served as an excellent occasion for the Hojo family to obtain paramount power. The 96th emperor, Godaigo, a daring and wise monarch, lamenting the decay of the Imperial authority, realizing the imbecility of Hojo Takatoki, and relying on the never failing loyalty of Kusunoki Masashige, Nitta Y..shisada and others, at last succeeded in the restoration of administrative authority to the Imperial House (1333 A.D.).
2. Revival of the Imperial Power in the Kemmu Era. The Northern and Southern Courts.—Ashikaga Takauji, a member of the Minamoto clan, and a man of distinction in the late war, knowing the dissatisfaction of the military classes in the partial distribution of re wards, and the court nobles' prejudice against men of arms, saw an opportunity to raise an independent army. Addressing himself to the newly created Emperor Komyo, of the line of the Emperor Gofukakusa, he began a revolt against the Emperor Godaigo, and forced him to seek refuge in the Yoshino-Yama, the cele brated place of cherry-blossoms in the province of Yamato. For a period of 57 years, dating from 1336 A.D., two lines of emperors reigned simultaneously, one in Kioto and the other in Yoshino, and this is therefore termed the age of Northern and Southern Courts. On the death of Kusunoki and Nitta, able defenders of the South, the Ashikaga family rose into su preme Owen In 1392 A.D., the two Imperial houses were reconciled and united.