Early Japan Flashcards
Kofun period (c. 250 – c.552)
542 CE = interratction of buddhism
*First half of Yamato period
*Distinctive keyhole shaped tombs
*Japan shows up in Chinese records: History of the Three Kingsoms section on “Records of the Wa”
*Later Japanese sources – Kojiki (“Records of Ancient Matters”) and Nihon shoki (“Chronicles of Japan”) date to 8th century
Yayoi = influence of korea culture (pottery) = material culture + complex social and political institition (stratification, cities)
Followed by kofun = old tomb = type of tomb (keyhole shape, mounts) = ends with buddhism in 552 = approx date = dont know if accurate
First get written evidence of japanese society = appearance of jap states, emissiaries, poeple of japan in the chinese three kingdoms = wa = term to refer to japanase
Records = two old survival japanese records = written later, not very accurate but still an evidence cuz started to be written there? Based on our
Yamato court = kept written records = help to compile
Tombs style = spread quickly = not a single powerful state = peace era at the begining = spread through repetition = associated to arrival of cultural ideas from china
Himiko, Bronze Mirrors, and the Queen Mother of the West (西王母)
Narrative of himiko = was queen of the wa in mid 3rd century and sent two ambassies to wei = got gifts from wei court = like 100 bronze mirrors = decoarte to goddess reprensented china = lots in tombs = given to subordinates? = not only, worship to spread of queen mother of the west = never any mention of qmote from this era = evidence = associated with cave or stone chamber = apperance in mirrors = build in tombs like caves or stone residences = green stones became the most common material = associated with qmote = tiger teeth too (necklace)
All link to chinese religious ideas = favorable to them, immortality, = voluntarity spread of cult = cultural ideas associated with these tombs
But no mention in the jpanese sources
Amaterasu = her rise inlfuenced, dvlped by qmotw = kept in a stone cave = decorating a tree with a mirror (qmotw, astronomical tree) = linked of role of women shammanesses = queen himiko = mystical powers = powerful female deity
Political developments of the late Kofun period
*Increasing militarization seen in tomb burials
*Substantial wave of immigration from Korea to Japan including craftsmen and aristocrats
*Paekche sends both people and gifts to Yamato
*Yamato rulers seek legitimation in China – King Zhen
*Be system and growing power of clans (uji)
After himiko = society became more militarized = involved on the korean peninsula = 4th and 5th = trappings of war = elite class of warrior // korea = linked to japanese elite
Paekche = 7branch swords to leader of yamato = 359 = was in war with them
Interested = source of iron for weapons = rely on ressources imported
4th = internal policies = complex = no central state = 5th = changed = //korea = immigration = fleeing the warfare of three kingdomw = skillcraft, elites, aristocratic families = 1/3 jap elites are not japanese = literate immigrants = yamaoto of late 5th cent = compile records = 6th = paekche = conf, supply books
Yamato kings = appealing to east asian dynasties = king zhen = sends emissaries = ask for new title = suggest that need external support = other titles (generalissimo of korean places) = involvement in korean peninsula and want influence there = tombs in SE
Authority to rule = power limited to kinai region = rest regional rulers = tried to extend influence with gifts (swords) 5th ce
Discussion: What Used to Be Called Shinto”
Indigenous religion from the dawn of time, peaceful, stable, harmony, no foreign influence, united
2 - imported elements, links to foreign technology, nationalism, interpreted chronicles, why unified when political divisions, no notion of underlying peaceful era
3 - a= parralels emperor tenmu = been male, association with jiko = very important = emperess = prominent role tied to political role = why she becomes mother of imperial house
B=
C= whta family is in power = central goddess = her rising role is associated to her family, their growing power, chief goddess tied to the dominant family, kofunera = through their expension, will reshape religious belief
Asuka Period (c. 552 – 710)
*Yamato clan/uji serves as great kings (ōkimi) by start of Asuka period, but extent of power limited
*Introduction of Buddhism by Paekche in 552
*Soga clan/uji gains power over monarchs/court in struggle over Buddhism
*Spread of Buddhism leads to end of Kofun tombs, temples become center of funerary practices
*Buddhist monks play important role in court
Second half of yamato = named after asuka = court based = south of nara = each new emperor would build new palace each time, new court build, same region = first rtue centralized state = laws, control a region
Mid 6th = yamato clan = most important = eugemonie on the kinai = peripheral regions = control of trade and diplomacy with korea (iron) = early 6th centru = court rituals and protocals = chinese immitation
6th devlp= start of asuka = introduction of b = paekche = sent gifts with buddhism
Soga = worship the gifts = would undermine kami = linked to kami shrine = opposants = compromise = soga clan can worship buddhism but not going to embrace it either = military conflict = soga after 7years = official recognition of b in court = impact = no more tombs, b took over burial rites, religious texts & astronomical etc.. = munks brought into court (very useful in skill, being literate) = important figures = sponsor b religious rights = power of the soga plan = had assinated prince, niece in power = intensify in
Prince Shōtoku (r. 593-622 as regent for Suiko)
*Missions to Sui/Tang
*Cap rank system of 12 court ranks (603)
*17 Articles (604)
*Aimed at Centralization
Taika Reforms
*643: Soga uji leader forces Shōtoku’s son and 22 other descendants to commit suicide
*Plot to overthrow Soga power succeeds
*New ruler issues key reforms in 646
*Clans can no longer own land – all land belongs to the state
*Established multilayered bureaucracy
*Land surveys and population census to enable more equitable land distribution
*New tax system
The reigns of Tenmu (673-686) and Jitō (686-697)
*New legal code
*Build a capital intended to be permanent
*Claim of link to gods: divine right of perpetual rule due to descent from Amaterasu
*Use of title tennō (天皇) – emperor
*Buddhism promoted, “Sutra of Golden Light,” right to rule via propagating religion
*Jitō abdicates, passing power to grandson Monmu and thereby securing continuity of imperial family’s power
Tenmu = civilwar = prestige = legal code, power of ruler
Jito = permanent capital cityon grind patterm = she and tenmi = living gods = linked to amaterasu = rejecting mandate of heaven= beginning og tenno = later texts = preceding rulers
Shared literacy and buddhism = need to read an write, spread it, endorse it = likes sutra of golden light = based on religious merit = encouraged temples
Jito= advicate to her grandson and assuring peaceful = continuity of family = same thing today
Recap
*The Yamato period featured a substantial trend toward state centralization, undermining the authority of regional clans
*Connections to both China and Korea brought necessary skills, resources, and administrative techniques to Japan
*Myth of a pure pre-Chinese Shinto Japan not based in the actual history – religious ideas constructed for political purposes
Tradition in China by two authors = diff approachs, how do they do it
- style = diff = PK = interractive, dialogues, questions, very centered on han pov, specific history events throughtout years, almost like propaganda = SQ = multiples perspectives, general commentary, personal perspective, fantastical stories, biases, view of the people rather than diplomatic views, understand and know Xiongnu customs
- diff perspectives ==
- Ban Gu = x as weaker, 162 bce, rewriting of peace to make the han power and prestige greater
- Sima Qian= han are superior, not extreme = either han superior, or too literary so mythologize them, or neutral
- eunuch = response the criticism, marrying, dressing, criticizing his own society, useless to the han, more practical manners instead of fighting between family members, criticize confuciasm, independant from the han = diff because tehres a reason and they need to keep it = custom and culture formed by envrionement and situation rather than clear and right way.
- imperial perspective = long letter = 162 bce
- polite, fellow nation, willing to make efforts and maintain the peace, different people and maintain frontiers, ancestors agree, need peace and begging, concerned = recognising han weakness,
Buddhism
- need to influence not get influenced
- han nu = fear that would take over
- social disruption = abandonment, rejection of labor and begging,
- confucius to justify critics = can embrace buddhism but close-minded =
- han nu = elite scholars, sceptical of superstitious beliefs
- confucism to defend and critic = interpretation that matters = recognize that confucism is not a set of absolute,s straight forward dictate, constrative differences, complex philosophical and moral thing = debats (barbarians, particular interpretations)
- Selections from “Japan in the Chinese Dynastic Histories” (History of the Kingdom of Wei and History of the Sui Dynasty)
- “The Earliest Japanese Chronicles,” in Sources of Japanese Tradition
- “The Foundation Myth” and “Korea in the Chinese Dynastic Histories,” in Sources of Korean Tradition
Two sources =
Myth = fictional stories - values and beliefs = patriarchy, heaven, identity, justification for rulers, origin myths, geographical claim, 8th century = japan, korea = 12/13th century = existed since a long time (bear), what period does it relate to? circumstances of the sources?
Chinese sources = not as good as china in politics (queen of wa, witch) = bias = misinterpretation and ignorance of them, written sources are the only thing that survived until the 6th? =
lots of koreans in japan but not from china (not for this era)
how to help? = archeological guide, factual sources, specific claims, things they could know about, have a higher reliability - internal evidence on how should the author know this (title = seems that could happen) = careful about the perceptive (subordinate on china, not really what japanese rulers think)
korea = diff groups of people seen as diff VS homogenious =
