Shogun
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In feudal Japan, Shogun ruled the country, and does not have power over the emperor. The emperor chooses the shogun.Shogun was not the king nor the emperor but given this rank by Tenno, Japanese emperor. Shogun means general in the Japanese language. Its formal name was Seii Taishogun (Great General who fights against the Eastern savages and will win)
In earlier time Shogun were generals of emperors and not the ruler of Japan. In 1192 a samurai, military leader Minamoto no Yoritomo was given the tile of Shogun by the former Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Since then Shogun was thought the leader of all samurai and the leader of Japan in fact. Except the latter middle of the 16th century, Shogun ruled Japan.
The office of the Shogun is called the Shogunate. In Japanese it is called Bakufu, meaning office in a tent, because Shogun had been originally military leader and he had his office with a tent in a battle field.
There were three Shogunates in Japan.
- Kamakura Shogunate, 1192-1333, founded by Minamoto no Yoritomo
- Muromachi Shogunate, 1338-1573, founded by Ashikaga Takauji
- Edo (Tokugawa) Shogunate, 1602-1868, founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu
In 1868 the 15th Shogun of Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa Yosinobu gave up his office. Then the time of Shogun rule ended. It was the end of the feudal time of Japan.
