Minamoto no Yoritomo: The First Shogun
Who Was Minamoto no Yoritomo?
Was Minamoto no Yoritomo a "great man"?
Minamoto no Yorimoto has a debatable reputation as a "great man". As defined previously in this unit, "great men" are "highly influential individuals who, due to either their personal charisma, intelligence, wisdom, or political skill utilized their power in a way that had a decisive historical impact."
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the first Shogun of Japan. A shogun is "a hereditary military dictator of Japan." Shoguns run a Shogunate dictatorship, in which is a form of government where the ruler is an absolute dictator. This means that they are not bound by a specific constitution, law, or opposition; they are in charge of everyone and everything.
There are many arguments for why Yoshimoto was or was not a great man. Although he caused a revelation and brought reform to Japanese law and order, he also participated in some heinous acts. His uncle and cousin, regarding him as not the rightful heir of the throne plotted to execute him and usurp the crown. Yoritomo also attempted to place his two daughters within the emperor's harem, hoping to be the grandfather of an emperor someday. Despite these events, read the following pages, fall into your role, and debate among yourselves whether or not you believe Minamoto no Yoritomo was in fact a "great man."
Minamoto no Yorimoto has a debatable reputation as a "great man". As defined previously in this unit, "great men" are "highly influential individuals who, due to either their personal charisma, intelligence, wisdom, or political skill utilized their power in a way that had a decisive historical impact."
Minamoto no Yoritomo was the first Shogun of Japan. A shogun is "a hereditary military dictator of Japan." Shoguns run a Shogunate dictatorship, in which is a form of government where the ruler is an absolute dictator. This means that they are not bound by a specific constitution, law, or opposition; they are in charge of everyone and everything.
There are many arguments for why Yoshimoto was or was not a great man. Although he caused a revelation and brought reform to Japanese law and order, he also participated in some heinous acts. His uncle and cousin, regarding him as not the rightful heir of the throne plotted to execute him and usurp the crown. Yoritomo also attempted to place his two daughters within the emperor's harem, hoping to be the grandfather of an emperor someday. Despite these events, read the following pages, fall into your role, and debate among yourselves whether or not you believe Minamoto no Yoritomo was in fact a "great man."
Why Minamoto no Yoritomo?
Minamoto no Yoritomo was an unique individual. The widespread of his controversial actions and greatness leaves a broad spectrum of debate. Not previously covered in depth in this course, Yoritomo seemed as if the ideal man to learn through about the ideology, wars, and customs of the ancient civilization of Japan. We can learn so much from him about power, honour, Japanese culture, and ancient Japanese government. In addition, we can use his stories as examples of how our modern day society should or should not run based his past mistakes. What form of government works? What form doesn't?
What's most fascinating about this topic is that Minamoto no Yoritomo managed to bring peace to a land ridden with war. In addition, as the first shogun, he established a form of government in which lasted for 700 years. How does one achieve that? How did it impact modern day Japanese society? However, the most important question of all is:
This question is frequently brought up when debating this topic. The largest what if of this concept is that how would it have affected Japan had Yoritomo not been the first shogun? Would Japan have eventually succumbed to the numerous outbreaks of civil war and perished? Or would things eventually have settled down, without having developed the need for a total dictatorship?
Through this website, we will attempt to decide the impact of which Yoritomo has affected our world, and whether or not his actions can deem him the title of a "great man." Yoritomo was able to accomplish many achievements, which included defeating the Taira, and creating a form of governemnt in which would last in Japan for 700 years, starting a new era in Japanese history. However, some of Yoritomo's actions were not commendable such as being directly/indirectly responsible for the death of his brother and cousin. In addition, due to some of his governemnt reforms, family members would attempt to usurp him for his power.
After all that is said and done, the real question still remains: "Was Minamoto no Yoritomo a "great man?""
What's most fascinating about this topic is that Minamoto no Yoritomo managed to bring peace to a land ridden with war. In addition, as the first shogun, he established a form of government in which lasted for 700 years. How does one achieve that? How did it impact modern day Japanese society? However, the most important question of all is:
- "What if Minamoto no Yoritomo had not been the first shogun of Japan?"
This question is frequently brought up when debating this topic. The largest what if of this concept is that how would it have affected Japan had Yoritomo not been the first shogun? Would Japan have eventually succumbed to the numerous outbreaks of civil war and perished? Or would things eventually have settled down, without having developed the need for a total dictatorship?
Through this website, we will attempt to decide the impact of which Yoritomo has affected our world, and whether or not his actions can deem him the title of a "great man." Yoritomo was able to accomplish many achievements, which included defeating the Taira, and creating a form of governemnt in which would last in Japan for 700 years, starting a new era in Japanese history. However, some of Yoritomo's actions were not commendable such as being directly/indirectly responsible for the death of his brother and cousin. In addition, due to some of his governemnt reforms, family members would attempt to usurp him for his power.
After all that is said and done, the real question still remains: "Was Minamoto no Yoritomo a "great man?""
How Our Website Works
Before starting, we suggest reading a background about this era of time during Japan, located under the background tab. Once you've understood the content, your roles will be assigned. When you are assigned your role, simply move your cursor over to the pro or con tabs and select your perspective. Under each person there should be some background information, key points, and a goal. Read each part and attempt to supplement your knowledge.
After your have read that (sorry, there's a lot), move your cursor over to either the pro or con perspective again (whichever side you're on), and select counter arguments. This should aid you in rebutting against the other side during your debate. At the end of the discussion, we will conclude whether or not Minamoto no Yoritomo was a "great man."
After your have read that (sorry, there's a lot), move your cursor over to either the pro or con perspective again (whichever side you're on), and select counter arguments. This should aid you in rebutting against the other side during your debate. At the end of the discussion, we will conclude whether or not Minamoto no Yoritomo was a "great man."