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The Nanboku-chō period, also designated as the era of the Northern and Southern Courts, spanned from 1336 to 1392.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Nanboku-chō period, characterized by the division of the imperial court into Northern and Southern lines, encompassed the years 1336 to 1392.
Vassalage ties weakened during the Nanboku-chō period due to the constant need for military action.
Answer: False
Explanation: Vassalage ties generally strengthened during the Nanboku-chō period due to the pervasive military conflicts, which necessitated tighter bonds for loyalty and security.
The Northern Imperial Court was based in Yoshino during the Nanboku-chō period.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Southern Imperial Court was based in Yoshino; the Northern Imperial Court was established in Kyoto.
What was the primary characteristic of the Nanboku-chō period in Japanese history?
Answer: A division of the imperial court into two rival lines claiming the throne.
Explanation: The Nanboku-chō period (1336-1392) was fundamentally defined by the existence of two competing imperial courts: the Northern Court in Kyoto and the Southern Court in Yoshino, each asserting legitimate succession.
Which of the following was a key emperor of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period?
Answer: Emperor Go-Daigo
Explanation: Emperor Go-Daigo was the founding emperor of the Southern Court and a central figure in the establishment of the Nanboku-chō period, initiating the Kenmu Restoration.
Emperor Go-Daigo established the Northern Imperial Court in Kyoto.
Answer: False
Explanation: Emperor Go-Daigo established the Southern Imperial Court in Yoshino; the Northern Imperial Court was established in Kyoto by Ashikaga Takauji.
The Kenmu Restoration, an initiative to re-establish imperial authority, achieved success primarily through robust samurai support.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Kenmu Restoration ultimately failed because its focus on imperial traditions alienated the samurai class, rather than securing their support.
The Kenmu Restoration failed because it did not adequately address the concerns of the warrior class.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Kenmu Restoration's failure is largely attributed to its inability to satisfy the expectations and address the grievances of the warrior class, who felt marginalized by its focus on courtly restoration.
Which emperor sought to restore imperial power through the Kenmu Restoration?
Answer: Emperor Go-Daigo
Explanation: Emperor Go-Daigo initiated the Kenmu Restoration in 1333 with the explicit aim of reasserting imperial authority and diminishing the influence of the warrior class.
Why did the Kenmu Restoration ultimately fail?
Answer: The samurai class felt alienated by the restoration's focus on court traditions.
Explanation: The Kenmu Restoration faltered because its emphasis on reviving courtly governance and traditions alienated the samurai, who felt their contributions and interests were disregarded, leading to widespread discontent and rebellion.
Ashikaga Takauji initially supported Emperor Go-Daigo but subsequently rebelled against him.
Answer: True
Explanation: Ashikaga Takauji's initial allegiance to Emperor Go-Daigo shifted, leading to his rebellion and the establishment of the Ashikaga shogunate.
Ashikaga Tadayoshi allied with the Northern Imperial Court during his conflict with his brother.
Answer: False
Explanation: During his conflict with his brother Ashikaga Takauji, Ashikaga Tadayoshi allied with the Southern Imperial Court, not the Northern Court.
Ashikaga Takauji's brother, Tadayoshi, played a key role in establishing the Ashikaga shogunate.
Answer: True
Explanation: Ashikaga Tadayoshi was instrumental in the early consolidation of the Ashikaga shogunate, serving as a key administrator and military leader alongside his brother Takauji.
Who established the Ashikaga shogunate and the Northern Imperial Court?
Answer: Ashikaga Takauji
Explanation: Ashikaga Takauji, after rebelling against Emperor Go-Daigo, established the Northern Imperial Court in Kyoto and founded the Ashikaga shogunate, initiating the Nanboku-chō period.
Shugo lords gained prominence during the Nanboku-chō period because they were appointed as cultural advisors to the shogun.
Answer: False
Explanation: Shugo lords gained prominence primarily through their appointment as provincial governors and military commanders, not as cultural advisors.
Shugo lords wielded powers including mediating land disputes, enforcing laws, and levying taxes.
Answer: True
Explanation: Shugo lords exercised significant authority, encompassing the mediation of land disputes, enforcement of legal statutes, and the collection of taxes within their provinces.
The shugo-uke system involved shugo lords granting land directly to noble proprietors.
Answer: False
Explanation: The shugo-uke system involved noble proprietors entrusting estate management to shugo lords, who then enfeoffed their own vassals, rather than the shugo granting land directly to proprietors.
Shugo lords usurped civil functions from the traditional administration as the ritsuryō system broke down.
Answer: True
Explanation: As the centralized ritsuryō administrative system weakened, shugo lords gradually assumed civil governance functions previously held by traditional officials.
Public lands (kokugaryō) were private estates managed by samurai vassals.
Answer: False
Explanation: Public lands (kokugaryō) were distinct from private estates (shōen) and were originally managed by civil governors; shugo lords encroached upon their administration.
Kokujin, or local samurai, primarily sought independence from shugo lords during this period.
Answer: False
Explanation: Kokujin, or local samurai, typically sought intermediary ties and security through vassalage with shugo lords, rather than complete independence.
Shugo lords during the Nanboku-chō period possessed province-wide land ownership, similar to later daimyo.
Answer: False
Explanation: Unlike later daimyo, shugo lords did not possess province-wide land ownership; their power was primarily based on administrative and military authority derived from vassalage ties.
Jitō in the Kamakura period acted as intermediaries managing estates and owing service to the shogun.
Answer: True
Explanation: Jitō served as stewards in the Kamakura period, managing estates and fulfilling obligations to the shogun, establishing a precedent for intermediary roles in governance.
Shugo lords' administration focused on managing individual estates, similar to the jitō.
Answer: False
Explanation: Shugo lords administered entire provinces, a broader scope than the jitō's focus on individual estates, encompassing judicial, fiscal, and military oversight.
The growing independence of shugo lords posed little challenge to the shogunate's central authority.
Answer: False
Explanation: The increasing autonomy and regional power of shugo lords presented a significant and persistent challenge to the shogunate's central authority throughout the period.
The Nanboku-chō period saw the rise of powerful provincial governors known as shugo.
Answer: True
Explanation: A defining characteristic of the Nanboku-chō period was the significant increase in the power and influence of provincial governors, the shugo.
The shugo-uke system strengthened the authority of traditional noble proprietors over their estates.
Answer: False
Explanation: The shugo-uke system ultimately weakened the authority of traditional noble proprietors by transferring estate management and control to shugo lords and their vassals.
How did shugo lords gain significant power during the Nanboku-chō period?
Answer: Through appointment as provincial governors by Ashikaga Takauji.
Explanation: Ashikaga Takauji appointed members of his own families and allied clans as shugo (provincial governors), granting them substantial administrative and military authority, which fueled their rise to power.
Which of the following was NOT a power wielded by shugo lords during this era?
Answer: Issuing decrees for imperial succession
Explanation: While shugo lords held considerable judicial, fiscal, and administrative powers, the authority to issue decrees concerning imperial succession remained exclusively within the purview of the imperial court.
What was the purpose of the shugo-uke system?
Answer: To have noble proprietors entrust estate management to shugo lords.
Explanation: The shugo-uke system was an arrangement where proprietors delegated the management of their estates to shugo lords, who then enfeoffed their own samurai, thereby consolidating regional control and income.
Shugo lords gradually took over functions of civil governors (kokushi) because:
Answer: The traditional civil administration (ritsuryō) broke down.
Explanation: The decline and fragmentation of the centralized ritsuryō system created a vacuum, allowing shugo lords to assume administrative and judicial responsibilities previously held by civil governors (kokushi).
During the Nanboku-chō period, kokujin (local samurai) primarily sought:
Answer: Intermediary ties with shugo lords for security.
Explanation: Local samurai, or kokujin, often sought security and stability by forming vassalage relationships with shugo lords, thereby integrating into the regional power structure.
The kanrei council system was established to integrate powerful shugo lords into the government bureaucracy.
Answer: True
Explanation: The kanrei council system was instituted to incorporate influential shugo lords into the shogunate's administrative framework, thereby solidifying central control.
The kanrei position was typically held by members of the Taira and Minamoto clans.
Answer: False
Explanation: The kanrei position was consistently held by members of three hereditary shugo families closely allied with the Ashikaga: the Hosokawa, Hatakeyama, and Shiba clans.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu consolidated power by allowing shugo lords complete autonomy in their provinces.
Answer: False
Explanation: Ashikaga Yoshimitsu consolidated power not by granting autonomy, but by implementing policies such as the compulsory residence in Kyoto and strategically managing rival shugo families.
The compulsory residence policy required shugo lords to live in their provincial domains.
Answer: False
Explanation: The compulsory residence policy mandated that shugo lords reside in Kyoto, not their provincial domains, thereby increasing shogunal oversight.
The shogunal army, including the gobanshu, was composed of samurai directly loyal to the shogun.
Answer: True
Explanation: The shogunal army, exemplified by the gobanshu, comprised samurai directly sworn to the shogun, serving as a crucial instrument of his authority.
The Muromachi regime generated revenue solely from traditional land taxes.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Muromachi regime diversified its revenue sources beyond land taxes, incorporating significant income from commercial taxes collected in Kyoto.
The 'half-tax' (hanzei) policy initially allowed samurai to claim half of noble estate lands.
Answer: True
Explanation: The hanzei policy, initially a measure for military provisions, evolved to permit samurai to claim a portion of noble estate revenues, effectively granting them rights over lands.
The Ashikaga shogunate's administrative structure was less integrated than the Kamakura shogunate's.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Ashikaga shogunate developed a more complex and integrated administrative structure, notably the kanrei council system, compared to the Kamakura shogunate.
The samuraidokoro was responsible for managing agricultural estates.
Answer: False
Explanation: The samuraidokoro's primary responsibilities were police functions and criminal justice within Kyoto, not the management of agricultural estates.
The compulsory residence policy diminished the shugo lords' direct authority in the provinces.
Answer: True
Explanation: By requiring shugo lords to reside in Kyoto, the policy led to the delegation of provincial power to deputies, thereby diminishing the shugo's direct control over their territories.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu sought legitimacy primarily by suppressing all imperial court activities.
Answer: False
Explanation: Ashikaga Yoshimitsu sought legitimacy not by suppressing the imperial court, but by patronizing its culture and participating in its ceremonies to enhance the shogunate's prestige.
The kanrei served as a direct subordinate to the Senior Vassal Council, with no link to the shogun.
Answer: False
Explanation: The kanrei served as a crucial intermediary between the Senior Vassal Council and the shogun, playing a key role in the shogunate's administration.
The shin'eigun served as a loyal bodyguard force directly under the shogun's command.
Answer: True
Explanation: The shin'eigun was a specialized unit composed of samurai directly loyal to the shogun, functioning as his personal guard and an instrument of his authority.
Agrarian revenue for Ashikaga shoguns came primarily from taxes levied on merchants in Kyoto.
Answer: False
Explanation: While commercial taxes were important, agrarian revenue primarily derived from shogunal estates and taxes levied on shugo lords and gokenin, not directly from merchants in Kyoto.
The Ashikaga shogunate's administrative structure was less integrated than the Kamakura shogunate's.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Ashikaga shogunate's administrative structure, particularly with the integration of the kanrei council, was generally considered more complex and integrated than that of the Kamakura shogunate.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's patronage of arts aimed to enhance the shogunate's cultural prestige.
Answer: True
Explanation: Ashikaga Yoshimitsu actively patronized arts and culture, associating the shogunate with refined tastes and thereby enhancing its civil legitimacy and prestige.
The Ashikaga shogunate's financial policies relied heavily on tribute from conquered territories.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Ashikaga shogunate's financial policies relied more on land taxes, commercial revenues, and taxes levied on shugo lords, rather than tribute from conquered territories.
The Ashikaga shogunate's military structure under Yoshimitsu was less cohesive than earlier shogunal forces.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Ashikaga shogunate's military structure under Yoshimitsu, particularly with the formalized shin'eigun, was generally considered more cohesive and directly controlled than earlier shogunal forces.
The revenue from commerce significantly changed the Muromachi regime's financial foundation.
Answer: True
Explanation: The incorporation of commercial taxes, especially from Kyoto's moneylenders, marked a significant shift, diversifying the Muromachi regime's financial base beyond traditional land-based revenues.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu implemented a policy requiring shugo lords to reside in Kyoto.
Answer: True
Explanation: Ashikaga Yoshimitsu instituted a compulsory residence policy, requiring shugo lords to maintain a presence in Kyoto, thereby enhancing shogunal oversight and control.
What was the primary goal of establishing the kanrei council system in 1362?
Answer: To integrate powerful shugo lords into the government bureaucracy.
Explanation: The kanrei council system was designed to formally incorporate influential shugo lords into the shogunate's administrative structure, thereby securing their loyalty and participation in governance.
Which three families consistently held the position of kanrei?
Answer: Hosokawa, Hatakeyama, and Shiba
Explanation: The position of kanrei was consistently held by members of three prominent shugo families closely allied with the Ashikaga: the Hosokawa, Hatakeyama, and Shiba clans.
Which strategy did Ashikaga Yoshimitsu use to consolidate shogunal power?
Answer: Implementing a compulsory residence policy for shugo lords in Kyoto.
Explanation: Ashikaga Yoshimitsu consolidated power through various means, including the compulsory residence policy for shugo lords in Kyoto, which enhanced central oversight and control.
What was the effect of the compulsory residence policy on shugo lords?
Answer: It led to the delegation of provincial power to deputies.
Explanation: The compulsory residence policy required shugo lords to stay in Kyoto, compelling them to delegate day-to-day provincial authority to deputy shugo (shugo-dai) and other local officials.
The shogunal army, like the gobanshu, was significant because it:
Answer: Was directly loyal to the shogun, serving as an instrument of his authority.
Explanation: The shogunal army, including units like the gobanshu, was crucial as it comprised samurai directly sworn to the shogun, providing him with a reliable force to enforce his authority and maintain order.
How did the Muromachi regime diversify its revenue sources?
Answer: By collecting commercial taxes in Kyoto and traditional agrarian revenues.
Explanation: The Muromachi regime expanded its financial base by collecting taxes on commerce, particularly in Kyoto, alongside traditional agrarian revenues derived from shogunal estates and levies on shugo lords.
What was the 'hanzei' policy initially intended for?
Answer: To provide military rations during wartime.
Explanation: The 'hanzei' policy, or 'half-tax,' initially served as a wartime measure to secure provisions for military campaigns, though its interpretation and application evolved over time.
Compared to the Kamakura shogunate, the Ashikaga shogunate's administration was characterized by:
Answer: A more complex administration including the kanrei council system.
Explanation: The Ashikaga shogunate featured a more intricate administrative apparatus, notably the kanrei council system, which integrated powerful shugo families more deeply into governance than the preceding Kamakura shogunate.
The samuraidokoro (Board of Retainers) was primarily responsible for:
Answer: Police functions and criminal justice in Kyoto.
Explanation: The samuraidokoro served as the shogunate's primary body for maintaining order in the capital, handling police duties and criminal justice, in addition to overseeing the security of the shogunal headquarters.
How did the power base of shugo lords change in the long term due to the compulsory residence policy?
Answer: Power shifted towards deputy shugo (shugo-dai) and local samurai.
Explanation: The compulsory residence policy led to the delegation of provincial authority to deputy shugo (shugo-dai) and other local administrators, gradually eroding the direct power base of the shugo lords in their home territories over time.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu attempted to legitimize the shogunate by:
Answer: Patronizing court culture and participating in ceremonies.
Explanation: Ashikaga Yoshimitsu sought to legitimize the warrior regime by actively engaging with and patronizing the imperial court's culture, thereby associating the shogunate with traditional authority and refinement.
The Ashikaga shogunate's revenue from commerce, particularly taxes on moneylenders in Kyoto, signified:
Answer: A shift in the regime's financial foundation towards including commerce.
Explanation: The collection of commercial taxes marked a significant evolution in the Muromachi regime's financial structure, indicating a move beyond a purely land-based economy towards incorporating mercantile revenues.
The Battle of Minatogawa in 1336 resulted in a victory for Emperor Go-Daigo's forces, solidifying his control.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Battle of Minatogawa in 1336 was a decisive victory for Ashikaga Takauji, leading to the downfall of Emperor Go-Daigo's forces and the formal commencement of the Nanboku-chō period.
The Kannō disturbance was a conflict between Ashikaga Takauji and his nephew.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Kannō disturbance was a major internal conflict between Ashikaga Takauji and his brother, Ashikaga Tadayoshi, not his nephew.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu managed powerful shugo families by pitting rivals against each other.
Answer: True
Explanation: A key strategy employed by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu to maintain shogunal dominance involved fostering rivalries among powerful shugo families, thereby preventing any single faction from accumulating excessive power.
The Yamana clan's power declined after Ashikaga Yoshimitsu supported their expansionist policies.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Yamana clan's power declined after Ashikaga Yoshimitsu acted against them, notably following the Meitoku Rising, rather than supporting their expansionist policies.
The Battle of Sakai in 1399 resulted in the defeat of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's forces by Ouchi Yoshihiro.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Battle of Sakai in 1399 saw the defeat of Ouchi Yoshihiro's forces by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, leading to Yoshihiro's subjugation.
The Meitoku Rising involved a conflict between the shogunate and the Southern Court loyalists.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Meitoku Rising of 1391 was a significant conflict where the shogunate engaged and defeated powerful shugo families, including the Yamana clan, who were often aligned with or acting independently of Southern Court interests.
What was the significance of the Battle of Minatogawa in 1336?
Answer: It allowed Takauji to seize Kyoto and formally begin the Nanboku-chō period.
Explanation: The Battle of Minatogawa was a pivotal victory for Ashikaga Takauji, enabling him to capture Kyoto and establish his shogunate, thereby initiating the Nanboku-chō period of divided imperial rule.
The Kannō disturbance primarily involved a conflict between:
Answer: Ashikaga Takauji and his brother Ashikaga Tadayoshi.
Explanation: The Kannō disturbance was a severe internal conflict within the Ashikaga leadership, primarily between brothers Ashikaga Takauji and Ashikaga Tadayoshi, which significantly destabilized the nascent shogunate.
The Meitoku Rising of 1391 was a critical event in:
Answer: Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's consolidation of shogunal power by weakening rivals like the Yamana clan.
Explanation: The Meitoku Rising was a pivotal conflict where Ashikaga Yoshimitsu decisively defeated powerful rivals, notably the Yamana clan, significantly strengthening his control and consolidating shogunal authority.
Emperor Meiji's 1911 edict declared the Northern Court emperors as the legitimate rulers of the Nanboku-chō period.
Answer: False
Explanation: Emperor Meiji's 1911 edict recognized the Southern Court emperors as the legitimate rulers of the Nanboku-chō period, not the Northern Court.
Kitabatake Chikafusa authored the Jinnō Shōtōki, which supported the legitimacy of the Northern Court.
Answer: False
Explanation: Kitabatake Chikafusa authored the Jinnō Shōtōki, a text that supported the legitimacy of the Southern Court, not the Northern Court.
The Imperial Regalia were held by the Northern Court throughout the Nanboku-chō period.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Imperial Regalia were held by the Southern Court, which contributed significantly to its claim of legitimacy throughout the Nanboku-chō period.
The Taiheiki is a historical text that provides a neutral account of the Nanboku-chō period.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Taiheiki, while a valuable chronicle, is not considered a neutral account; it presents a narrative often favoring the Southern Court and its loyalists.
Emperor Go-Kameyama unified the imperial line by abdicating in favor of the Northern Court in 1392.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 1392, Emperor Go-Kameyama of the Southern Court abdicated in favor of the Northern Court's Emperor Go-Komatsu, thereby unifying the imperial line and formally concluding the Nanboku-chō period.
Who did Emperor Meiji's 1911 edict recognize as the legitimate imperial line during the Nanboku-chō period?
Answer: The Southern Imperial Court
Explanation: Emperor Meiji's 1911 edict officially designated the emperors of the Southern Court as the legitimate line of succession during the Nanboku-chō period, influencing subsequent historical narratives.
Kitabatake Chikafusa is known for writing which influential text?
Answer: The Jinnō Shōtōki
Explanation: Kitabatake Chikafusa, a prominent loyalist to Emperor Go-Daigo, authored the Jinnō Shōtōki, a significant historical and ideological work justifying the legitimacy of the imperial line.
What was the outcome of Emperor Go-Kameyama's actions in 1392?
Answer: He renounced the Imperial Regalia, ending the Southern Court's claim and unifying the imperial line.
Explanation: Emperor Go-Kameyama's abdication and transfer of the Imperial Regalia to the Northern Court in 1392 formally concluded the Nanboku-chō conflict and unified the imperial line under the Northern Court's lineage.
The Taiheiki is best described as:
Answer: A historical chronicle detailing events of the Nanboku-chō period.
Explanation: The Taiheiki is a significant medieval Japanese epic chronicle that narrates the military and political events of the Nanboku-chō period, offering a detailed, albeit often partisan, account.