Feudal Japan and Medieval Europe

2. Directions: As you view the first
section of the slide show you must
fill out the student comparison
sheet in order to answer the
questions.
1. Comparison One: How do the
two regions compare politically?
2. Compare Shotoku Taishi and
Charlemagne.

3. Yamato Period

4. JapanJapan
Yamato Period: 300 A.C.E.-Yamato Period: 300 A.C.E.-
710 A.C.E.710 A.C.E.
Began promoting adoption ofBegan promoting adoption of
Chinese culture:Chinese culture:
 ConfucianismConfucianism
 Language (characters)Language (characters)
 Buddhist sectsBuddhist sects
 Chinese art & architectureChinese art & architecture
 Government structureGovernment structure

5. Prince Shotoku Taishi

6. Prince Shotoku Taishi :Prince Shotoku Taishi : 573-573-
621621 Adopted Chinese culture and
Confucianism
 Buddhist sects allowed to develop.
He is considered the father of Buddhism
in Japan
 Created new government structure:
17 Article Constitution
Highly Confucian and focused on morals to be
expected of government officials and
subjects.
Emperor ruled with absolute authority and

7. Europe in the 6Europe in the 6thth
centurycentury

8. Charlemagne: 742 to 814 A.C.Charlemagne: 742 to 814 A.C.

9. Europe
Charlemagne: 742 – 814 A.C.E.
Holy Roman Empire
Created an imperial bureaucracy
Standardized weights and
measures
Imperial Ruler (Absolute Authority)
Empire

10. Pope Crowned CharlemagnePope Crowned Charlemagne
Holy Roman Emperor: Dec. 25,Holy Roman Emperor: Dec. 25,
800. This firmly tied the800. This firmly tied the
Role ofRole of
Emperor toEmperor to
The will ofThe will of
God.God.

11. Charlemagne’s EmpireCharlemagne’s Empire

12. Charlemagne’s EmpireCharlemagne’s Empire
Collapses: Treaty of VerdunCollapses: Treaty of Verdun
843843
Divided the
Empire between
Charlemagne’s
sons. Ending the
3 year long
Carolingian War.

13. Europe: England: MagnaEurope: England: Magna
Carta, 1215Carta, 1215  King John I ofKing John I of
EnglandEngland
 Forced to sign the
“Great Charter”
-monarchs were not
above the law.
- kings had to
consult a council of
advisors.
 -kings could not tax
arbitrarily.
Compare to the Japanese
constitution of Prince Shotoku

14. Comparison Two: Religion
and Religious Institutions
Compare the ways Buddhism
spread in China and the ways
Christianity spread in Europe.
Compare the roles of monks
and monasteries in the two
religions.

15. Japan
Zen Buddhism
Japanese variation of Buddhism
Came from India through China
 Reinforced Bushido values of mental and self-discipline
Buddhist monasteries became very wealthy
Buddhist Missionaries converted many peoples through
miracle working.
Conversion was never forced.
Monasteries were centers of learning, charity, and
protection for the poor.
East Asian Buddhism (Open Land and Zen Buddhism)
promised Salvation for its followers

16. The Medieval Catholic ChurchThe Medieval Catholic Church
Monasticism:
- Benedictine Rule of poverty, chastity, and obedience were
enforced for monks.
-Provided schools for the children of the upper class.
- Served as inns, hospitals, refuge in times of war.
-Maintained libraries & scriptoria to copy books and illuminate
manuscripts.
-monks became missionaries to the barbarians and many
conversions came about due to miracles performed
-Conversion was both voluntary and forced depending on the
region.
-Christianity was brought to Europe from the Fertile Crescent
-Christianity promised salvation for its followers

17. Social and Political:
Compare the Japanese Heian
Period with the High Middle Ages
leading to the Renaissance in
Europe

18. Heian Period: 794-1156Heian Period: 794-1156
 Growth of large landed estatesGrowth of large landed estates
 Arts & literature of China flourishedArts & literature of China flourished
 Elaborate court life [highly refined]Elaborate court life [highly refined]
 Personal diariesPersonal diaries
The Pillow BookThe Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon [10by Sei Shonagon [10thth
century] A story of court life.century] A story of court life.
 First novelFirst novel
The Tale of GenjiThe Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibuby Lady Murasaki Shikibu
[1000 pgs.+][1000 pgs.+]
 Moving away from Chinese models inMoving away from Chinese models in
religion, arts, and government andreligion, arts, and government and
becoming more uniquely Japanesebecoming more uniquely Japanese

19. Heian Period:Heian Period:
Cultural BorrowingCultural Borrowing
1.1.Chinese writingChinese writing
2.2.Chinese artistic stylesChinese artistic styles
3.3.Buddhism [Zen]Buddhism [Zen]
4.4.BUT, not Chinese civil serviceBUT, not Chinese civil service
system!system!

20. Japan: Heian Period
-Women have many rights and
freedoms
-Court life is highly refined
-Poetry and art flourish
-Shoguns take real power over
government
-Economy based on agriculture
and land ownership

21. Heian Court DressHeian Court Dress

22. ThePillow BookThePillow Book
by Sei Shonagon (diary)by Sei Shonagon (diary)

23. Lady Murasaki ShikibuLady Murasaki Shikibu
She contributed much to the Japanese
script known as kana, while men wrote
with Chinese characters, kanji.

24. Minamoto YoritomoMinamoto Yoritomo
Founded the
Kamakura Shogunate:
1185-1333
Led a warrior coalition of
Samurai to victory over
Japan. Allowed the emperor
to remain in Kyoto and to
continue to reign as the
symbolic head of state.
Japan is now effectively
ruled by its warrior class.
This system would last for
the next seven centuries.

25. Ashikaga Age:
1338-1573
► Shoguns fought for power
 Laws are unclear
 Less efficient than Kamakura
 Armies of samurai protected
the country

26. Europe:Europe:
Medieval Manor: MedievalMedieval Manor: Medieval
Economic System is basedEconomic System is based
on agricultureon agriculture

27. Europe: Medieval TradeEurope: Medieval Trade

28. Europe: MedievalEurope: Medieval
UniversitiesUniversities

29. Medieval GuildsMedieval Guilds GuildGuild
HallHall
 Created commercial
Monopolies:
Guilds Controlled membership
apprentice  journeyman  master craftsman
 -Controlled quality of the product [masterpiece].
 -Controlled prices
 -Stimulated new urban economies as opposed to
the manorialism

30. C
A
S
T
L
E
S

31. Social Structure: Compare
Japanese Feudal Structure to
European Feudal Structure

32. FeudalismFeudalism
A political, economic, and social system based on
loyalty, the holding of land, and military service.
Japan:Japan:
Shogun
Daimyo Daimyo
Samurai Samurai Samurai
Peasant PeasantPeasantPeasant
Land - Shoen
Land - Shoen
Protection
Loyalty
Loyalty
Food

33. FeudalismFeudalism
A political, economic, and social system based
on loyalty, the holding of land, and military
service.
Europe
King
Lord Lord
Knight Knight Knight
Peasant PeasantPeasantPeasant
Land - Fief
Land - Fief
Protection
Loyalty
Loyalty
Food

34. FeudalFeudal
SocietySociety
TheemperorTheemperor
reigned, but didreigned, but did
not always rule!not always rule!

35. Knight’s Armor Samurai Armor
vs.
Medieval WarriorsMedieval Warriors

36. European knight Samurai Warrior
vs.
Medieval WarriorsMedieval Warriors

37. WarwickCastle, England

38. Japan: Main Gate of
Hiroshima Castle

39. Caernorfon Castle,
Wales

40. Osaka Castle

41. Europe: Parts of MedievalEurope: Parts of Medieval
CastleCastle

42. Europe: ChivalryEurope: Chivalry:: A Code ofA Code of
Honor and BehaviorHonor and Behavior

43. Europe: Code ofEurope: Code of ChivalryChivalry
* Justice
* Loyalty
* Courage
* Faith
* Humility
* Nobility

44. Japan: Code ofJapan: Code of
BushidoBushido
* Fidelity
* Politeness
* Virility
* Simplicity

45. Warfare: Contrast the
invasions of Japan by the
Chinese Mongols with the
attacks of the Europeans on
the Fertile Crescent

46. Pope Urban II:Pope Urban II:
Preaching a Crusade againstPreaching a Crusade against
the Muslimsthe Muslims
Christians were to
retake Jerusalem
from the Muslims.
The reason given
was to protect
Christian holy
places from
Muslim
destruction after a
fire was set in the
Church of the
Holy Sepulcher.

47. Christian Crusades: East and West:Christian Crusades: East and West:
Christians gainedChristians gained
Control of the FertileControl of the Fertile
CrescentCrescent
1st
crusade
captured
Jerusalem
1099
Muslims
got it back
in 1187

48. Mongol
“Invasions
”
of Japan
Kublai Khan (the Mongol ruler of China) sent
4,400 ships and 140,000 men, but kamikaze
winds stopped them. China failed to take Japan
both times it tried under the Mongol Yuan
Dynasty

49. Second Mongol invasion of
Japan: 1281 A.C.E.

50. Compare and Contrast Essay
Assignment:
Compare and Contrast European
and Japanese Societies during
the post-classical period.