Sengoku period

The Sengoku period (戦国時代, Sengoku jidai) was a time in Japanese history with many fights and big changes. This happened mostly in the 1400s and 1500s. It started around events like the Kyōtoku incident in 1454, the big Ōnin War in 1467, or the Meiō incident in 1493. People often say it ended when Oda Nobunaga's march on Kyoto happened in 1568.

During the Sengoku period, the power of the Ashikaga shogunate got weaker. Local leaders called daimyo became more powerful. People also stood up against these leaders in protests known as Ikkō-ikki.

One big change was that old rules between leaders and their helpers broke down. Many helpers fought back against their leaders. Sometimes, people from ordinary families became great warriors and even leaders. For example, Toyotomi Hideyoshi started as a farmer and ended up ruling a big part of Japan. Today, Japan remembers Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu as three great leaders who helped bring the country back together.

Background

During this time, the Emperor of Japan was the official ruler, but he had little real power. He was mostly a ceremonial and religious figure. He gave his power to the shōgun, who acted like a military dictator.

Local military officials, called shugo, gained more control over land and taxes. They shared their wealth with local samurai warriors. This created a hierarchy that led to the rise of the first daimyo, called shugo daimyo.

As the shogunate weakened, internal conflicts grew, setting the stage for challenges to come.

Beginning of the Sengoku period

Further information: Kyōtoku incident and Ōnin War

The Sengoku period, also called the Warring States period, began with several important events. One was the Kyōtoku Incident, a big war in the Kanto region. This war started when a leader named Ashikaga Shigeuji killed another leader. This caused fighting among different groups.

Another key event was the Ōnin War, which started in 1467. This war happened because of disagreements over who should be the next leader of Japan. Two groups fought for ten years. The war ended in 1477, but it caused damage in Kyoto and weakened the power of the leaders, known as shoguns. As the shoguns lost control, local leaders called daimyo began to fight among themselves. This time of fighting and change is known as the Sengoku period.

Timeline

The Sengoku period was a time in Japan when there were many wars and big changes. It started around 1454 and is often said to have begun with the Ōnin War in 1467. It ended around 1568 when Oda Nobunaga moved into Kyoto.

This period was part of the larger Muromachi period, which lasted from 1336 to 1573. During the Sengoku period, many local leaders, called daimyō, fought for power. Big battles and changes happened all over Japan.

The introduction of matchlock guns from Portugal changed how wars were fought. These guns made it important for leaders to have strong armies and good supplies. Oda Nobunaga was very good at organizing his forces and became very powerful. Later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi worked to bring all of Japan under one rule.

Main article: List of daimyōs from the Sengoku period

Gekokujō

During this time, local leaders called daimyōs became stronger as the central government grew weaker. Strong families like the Takeda and Imagawa became even more powerful, while others lost their positions to their own skilled servants. This idea of lower-ranked people taking over from higher-ranked ones was called gekokujō, meaning "low conquers high".

One early example was Hōjō Sōun, who came from a modest background and took control of Izu Province in 1493. Later, the Hōjō clan became very important in the Kantō region. Other examples include the Miyoshi taking over from the Hosokawa clan, the Saitō from the Toki, and the Oda clan from the Shiba clan.

Religious groups also became powerful by uniting farmers to stand up against the daimyōs. The monks of the Buddhist True Pure Land sect created groups called Ikkō-ikki, with one in Kaga Province staying independent for almost 100 years.