Daimyo

History

Prestigious Shugo (Governors of province) of the Period Muromachi, while passing by the Period sengoku, until the daimyos of the period Edo, this title will have a long and varied history.

To the time of Edo, the term of daimyō was applied to approximately two hundred princes or large lords of fields whose annual income equalized or exceeded ten thousand Koku of rice. Those which had a less income was described as shōmyō (小名, “small name”).

The daimyō belonged to several categories:

the shimpan-daimyō (新藩大名), pertaining to the family of Tokugawa
the fudai-daimyō (譜代大名), attached personally to the Shōgun Tokugawa
the tozama-daimyō (外様大名 or daimyō " extérieur"), rejoined with the Bakufu

Before the Period Muromachi however, one used more readily the title of Myōden (名田) to designate the great landowners of fields. Those were then divided into Kokushu (国主, controlling at least a province), Ryôshu (領主, controlling a less important territory) and Jôshu (城主, governors of castles). These daimyō delivered ceaseless wars with an aim of increasing their territories. At the 15th century, with the favor of the disorders which agitated the country, of many Shugo (守護) adapted grounds and took the title of Shugo-daimyō (守護大名), building castles to defend against the expansionist aimings their neighbors. They were not pacified that after the Bataille of Sekigahara in 1600.

The daimyō , although having a certain autonomy, nevertheless were fixed with particular rules, the majority codified in the Buke Shohatto, and were to follow the law of the warlike houses (武家, buke ). They had, inter alia obligations, to maintain with Edo a residence, to remain a year there on two (or six months per annum) and there to leave as an hostage their family and of the vassal ones. The voyage of the daimyō energy to pay homage to its Shōgun with Edo was called the daimyō-gyōretsu (大名行列), i.e. the " procession of the seigneurs".

From 1639, they did not have any more the permission to build castles and ocean liners, and had to take care that the Christianisme was interdict on their territories. At the time of the Restoration Meiji in 1868, some daimyō were named governors of their provinces (then called 藩, han ), but in 1871, all the han were abolished and the territory of Japan divided into prefectures (藩, ken ). Old the daimyō then was pensioned by the government and was obliged to reside at Tōkyō.

Some known families of daimyō: the Date, the Imagawa…

See too

History of Japan

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