How did Japanese society develop under feudalism?
(Chp 13 Sec 5) Explain why feudalism developed in Japan. While the emperor was in control of the Heian Court, competing clans fought for control of the countryside. Local warlords and Buddhist temples formed groups that would be loyal to them rather than to the central government. As these groups struggled to gain power, Japan was forming a feudal system. Feudal society although the emperor was head of Japan, he didnt have any power over them. The real power was in the hands of the Shogun. The Shogun was the supreme military commander. The shogun distributed land to warrior lords if they promised to back him up. These warrior lords were called daimyo. The daimyo granted land to lesser lords called, Samurai (those who serve). Bushido samurai were heavily armed and trained to fight. They developed a code of values = Bushido, which means the way of the warrior. The code stressed honor, bravery, and loyalty to the lords. A samurai that betrayed the Bushido was to commit seppuku (suicide).
