Thông tin tài liệu
Y Yamato clan and state The Yamato court is known as the birthplace of the Japanese political state It is a term applied to the political system of the Kofun period but also its development and refinement in the late fifth to seventh centuries c.e The Yamato state unified north Kyushu, Shikoku, and southern Honshu The people were a clan-, or kinship- (uji), based society, where religion played an important part in controlling their lives, but during the Kofun period (the name given to the large key-shaped burial mounds of the time) powerful clan leaders and their families started to emerge as the stratification of communities evolved within the late Yayoi culture Small kingdoms were established, each ruled by a different clan The rulers at this time were mainly religious figureheads using the people’s faith to govern them One of the most powerful was the Yamato clan, and after continual warfare among the different kingdoms a union of states developed—the Yamato state, under the rule of the Yamato clan In the fourth century c.e the Yamato were situated in the rich agricultural region around the modern city of Kyoto In the fifth century, when the Yamato court reached its peak, there was a shift in the power base to the provinces of Kawachi and Izumi (modern Osaka) The emergence of such powerful clans is evidenced by the increased elaboration of their burial mounds in comparison with the Yayoi period Burial sites in the Kofun period illustrated a segregating of the workers and elite of the community The mounds took on a new shape, a “keyhole” design, were larger in size, and were surrounded by moats By the fifth century it was evident that the power of the Yamato clan had increased These huge tombs represented the power of the Yamato aristocracy, holding swords, arrowheads, tools, armor, and all the signs of military might Only religious and ceremonial items had been placed in earlier burial mounds As Yamato had increased the contact with mainland Asia, the items in the burial tombs reflected their power and influence Besides the military items, there were such things as gilt bronze shoes and gold and silver ornaments The Yamato clan and its strongest allies formed the aristocracy of the Yamato state, occupying the most important positions in the court A hereditary ruler headed the Yamato court, and because intermarriage within clans produced a large family network, there were constant struggles for power Believing that they were descendants of the sun goddess, the Yamato clan developed the notion of kingship and thus began the imperial dynasty An emperor, based on the Chinese system, represented it The first legendary emperor of Japan was Jimmu The emperor, the supreme religious symbol of the state, had no real political power The power base lay with the clan leaders, headed by a prime minister– style official These officials had very close ties with the ruler, showing the importance that was placed on the harmony between religion and the governing of the people There was also economic and military support from the occupational groups within the court known as be These groups consisted of rice farmers, weavers, potters, artisans, military armorers, and specialists in 495
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