The Rise of the Shogun

By the 1100's in Japan, two large military clans-the Taira and the Minamoto-had armies of samurai under their command. Both clans were descendants of the noble families at court. In the late 1100's, the Taira and Minamoto clashed in a series of battles for power. The Minamoto finally emerged victorious in the 1180's.

The Minamoto established a new military government headquartered in Kamakura, a town in eastern Japan far from Heian-kyo. In 1192, the head of this military government, Yoritomo, was given the title of shogun, a special, high-ranking military post granted by the emperor. His military government became known as a shogunate.

Although Yoritomo was the emperor's special commander, he established his own separate bases of power. He assumed control of the administration of justice. He began to place nobles who had sworn loyalty to him on private estates and appointed others to oversee the remaining public lands. In this way, the shogun began to influence both areas of power in Japan-the imperial government and the private estates.