Essay Sample on Yoshinori and the Bakufu System

Introduction

Imagine that Yoshinori had survived the assassination attempt. Where do you think he was heading?The Bakufu also was known as the Shogunate was a military system of government that was headed by a Shogun, but before 1192 the Bakufu was responsible for the defense and policing of Japan under the imperial court (Hall, Toyoda, & Social Science Research Council (U.S.). 1977). In the late twelfth and early thirteenth century, the Shogunate grew in power and assumed greater administrative responsibilities. The Japan imperial power tried to eliminate the Shogunate to no avail and with time they garnered greater power with Kamakura as their headquarters whereas the imperial power was based in Kyoto (Szczepanski, 2019). The two competing powers in Japan at the time demarcated their areas of influence which led to the development of new institutions such as the Shogunate legal system and the board of councilors which was a step towards increasing the warrior's representation in the government. Yoshinori was the 6th shogun who was previously a Buddhist priest (Kitagawa, 1990).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

During Yoshinori's time, there was significant cultural development in the Shogun area of influence such as the growth of Buddhism influence (Hall et al., 1977). If Yoshinori had survived his assassination by Akamatsu, he would have continued to expand his power and promote cross border business with China which could have increased his strength. Akamatsu came from a family of military governors after he learned that his favorite provinces were about to be bestowed to a youthful male working as a courter for Akamatsu (Hall et al., 1977). Increased trade could have provided the Shogunate great influence on Japanese governance by being able to compete with the imperial government directly. Yoshinori was ending to be an influential leader in Japan especially based on his gesture to accept the trade with China which could have provided necessary resources to compete with the imperial establishment.

Yoshinori Ultimate Goals for the Bakufu

The ultimate Yoshinori goal was to increase the Shogunate political representation and influence in Japanese politics (Szczepanski, 2019). The formation of the Shogunate justice system and the board of counsellors which was made by warriors indicated the continuous evolution of the Shogunate to practice more direct control of their areas of influence and cement their authority which was conflicted by the imperial authority and the governors which were still loyal to the imperial system due to the powers they still had which was bestowed by the imperial government (Hall et al., 1977). Therefore, the ultimate Yoshinori goals for the Shogunate was to increase the overall influence and power in Japan by being able to appoint subordinate for the governance of provinces which could have improved the Shogunate influence and resources to be able to confront the existing imperial power directly.

Perhaps he didn't survive the attack, but you've found a letter in which he details his plans for the future.

If Yoshinori details in a letter could have been found regarding his plans for the Bakufu things could have ended differently for the military government. For instance, if the letter was found with Yoshinori goals on the future of the Bakufu, it could have saved it from decline after being passed to his young son (Hall et al., 1977). Yoshinori plans could have ensured that the Shogunate grows in power and influence by giving young people greater influence such as the courter who was to head the three provinces. Besides, the plans could also have instituted a more powerful board of councilors who would have provided creative counsel to the young Ashikaga who could have followed the footsteps of Yoshinori to become an influential and powerful Shogun (Szczepanski, 2019). Besides, the letter could have helped to prevent rifts between the warriors who influenced the leadership of the Shogunate which would have promoted unity and strength towards supporting the young Ashikaga who was very young at the time of Yoshinori assassination.

How Muromachi History Might Have Been Different If Yoshinori Had Survived

During his reign, Yoshinori had played a very crucial role in strengthening the position of the Shogunate by defeating a rebellion by Ashikaga Mochiuji in 1438 and establishing contacts with the Chinese leader in promoting trade between the Muromachi Shogun, the temples and the Shugo daumyo (Hall et al., 1977). As such, Yoshimori knew how to share opportunities amongst the people of influence in the Shogunate which promoted unity and growth during his reign compared to previous Shoguns. In this case, if Yoshinori had survived he would have been able to strengthen the influence and position of the Shogunate parallel to that of the emperor through trade and to appoint more competent young leaders into strategic positions such as province governorship (Hall et al., 1977). In the reign of Yoshinori, the Shogunate would have dominated the sea trade with China which could have brought significant success especially in the coastal areas and Kamakura which was the Shogunate administrative center. Yoshinori intention to increase the warrior's inclusion through the board of councilors indicates that the warriors could have taken a central role in the Shogunate matters and division of power. If Yoshinori had survived the assassination, the Shogunate could have become more powerful instead of declining like it did when his young son took over.

References

Hall, J. W., Toyoda, T., & Social Science Research Council (U.S.). (1977). Japan in the Muromachi age. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Kitagawa, J. M. (1990). Some reflections on Japanese religion and its relationship to the imperial system. Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 129-178. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.691.8712&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Szczepanski, K. (2019, January 28). What Does Bakufu Mean? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-was-the-bakufu-195322