Daimyo

Everyone needed help, and feudal Japan's shogun, or military leader, was no different. The shogun utilized leaders called daimyo to help them maintain control and order. They granted the daimyo parcels of land in return for support and obedience. The daimyo then turned to the samurai for the same type of support. Keep reading to learn about these military leaders.

Fig. 1: Matsumae Takahiro in 1864.

Daimyo Definition

Daimyo were loyal followers of the shogunate or military dictatorship. They became mighty feudal lords who utilized the support of samurai to achieve and maintain power. They are sometimes referred to as warlords.

Daimyo Japanese Feudal System

A feudal system controlled medieval Japan.

• Beginning in the 12th century, Japanese feudalism was the primary source of government until the late 1800s.
• The Japanese feudal government was military based.
• There are four significant dynasties of Japanese feudalism, and they are typically named after the ruling family or the name of the capital city.
  • They are the Kamakura shogunate, the Ashikaga shogunate, the Azuchi-Momoyama shogunate, and the Tokugawa shogunate. The Tokugawa shogunate is also called the Edo period.
• The warrior class controlled the military-based government.

How did the daimyo function in feudal society? To answer that, let's review the Japanese feudal government. The feudal government was a hierarchy, with a smaller number of more powerful people at the top of the order and a more significant number of less powerful people at the bottom.

At the top of the pyramid was the emperor, who was generally just a figurehead. The emperor usually inherited his right to rule from a family member. The real power was in the hands of a shogun, a military leader who ran the shogunate.

The daimyo backed the shogun with the support of the samurai.

From the 10th century to the 19th, daimyo were some of the wealthiest and most influential people in feudal Japan. Daimyo controlled various areas of land, starting from the launch of the Kamakura period until the Edo period ended in 1868. Military values gained more importance as various Japanese clans fought one another for power. The leading noble family, the Fujiwara, fell, and the Kamaura Shogunate arose.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the daimyo functioned as military governors with the ability to collect taxes. They were able to grant chunks of land to their vassals. This created a division, and in time, the land controlled by the daimyo morphed into individual states.

In the 16th century, the daimyo began to fight each other for more land. The number of daimyos began to dwindle, and the areas of land they controlled were consolidated. By the Edo period, the Daimos ruled the portions of land not used to cultivate grain. They had to take an oath and promise their loyalty to the shogun in exchange for land. These daimyos had to maintain their granted land, otherwise known as fiefs, and spend time in Edo (modern-day Tokyo).

Fig. 2: Akechi Mitsuhide

Daimyo vs. Shogun

What's the difference between a daimyo and a shogun?

Daimyo Social Class

The Edo period brought many changes to Japan. The Daimyos were not immune to the changes.

• The Edo period ran from 1603-1867. It is sometimes called the Tokugawa period.
• It was the last traditional dynasty before the fall of Japanese feudalism.
• Tokugawa Ieyasu was the first leader of the Tokugawa shogunate. He obtained power after the Battle of Sekigahara. The peace in Japan had been destroyed by fighting daimyos.
• Ieyasu led from Edo, which is modern-day Tokyo.

During the Edo period, daimyos were separated based on their relationship with the shogun. Remember, the shogun was more potent than the daimyos.

At the same time that daimyos were restructured into different classes, they were also reorganized into different territories or estates. This was based on their rice production. Many of the shimpan, or relatives, had large estates, also called han.

The shimpan were not the only men to hold large han; some of the fudai did as well. This is generally the exception to the rule, as they managed smaller estates. The shogun used these daimyos strategically. Their han were placed in important places, like along trade routes.

Tomaz daimyos were not fortunate to have large han, nor did they have the luxury of being placed along trade routes. These outsiders were men who had not been allies of the shogun before the Edo period began. The shogun had been concerned that they had the potential to be rebellious, and their land grants reflected that uncertainty.

Fig. 3: Daimyo Konishi Yukinaga Ukiyo

Daimyo Significance

Despite being below the emperor, nobility, and shogun, the daimyos in feudal Japan still wielded a good deal of political power.

In a feudal hierarchy, the daimyo ranked above the samurai but below the shogun. Their power directly affected the shogun-weak daimyo meant a weak shogun.

What did the daimyo do that made them significant?

1. protected the shogun, or military leader
2. managed samurai
3. maintained order
4. collected taxes

End of the Daimyo

Daimyos were not robust and vital forever. The Tokugawa Shogunate, also known as the Edo period, ended in the middle of the 19th century.

How did this era end? Powerful clans came together to seize power from a weak government. They instigated the return of the emperor and imperial government. This is known as the Meiji Restoration, named for Emperor Meiji.

The Meiji Restoration brought the end of the Japanese feudal system. The imperial restoration began in 1867, with a constitution created in 1889. A government with a cabinet was created as feudalism was abandoned. The daimyo lost their land, which meant they also lost money and power.

Fig. 4: Daimyo Hotta Masayoshi

Daimyo Summary:

In Japan, feudalism was the primary government source from the 12th century to the 19th. This military-based government was a hierarchy. At the top was the emperor, who became a figurehead with little actual power over time. Below the emperor was the nobility and the shogun. The daimyos supported the shogun, who used samurai to help maintain order and protect the shogun.

There were four significant shogunates, all of which impacted the daimyo differently.

Throughout Japanese feudalism, daimyos had wealth, power, and influence. As different clans and groups fought, military values became more critical, and the Kamakura shogunate arose. In the 14th and 15th centuries, daimyos collected taxes and granted chunks of land to others, like samurai and other vassals. The 16th century found daimyos fighting amongst themselves, and the number of controlling daimyo dwindled. At the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, the Meiji Restoration began, and feudalism was abolished.

While the daimyo and shogun may sound similar, there were some critical differences between the two.

The daimyos were wealthy and influential. They controlled large areas of land, collected taxes, and employed samurai. In the Edo period, they were classified by their relationship with the shogun. These with better or stronger relationships received better parcels of land.

The shimpan received the most significant parcels of land, followed by the fudai and tozama. Fudai daimyos were able to work in the government.