War and State Building in Medieval Japan

by John Ferejohn (Editor), Frances McCall Rosenbluth (Editor)

The nation state as we know it is a mere four or five hundred years old. Remarkably, a central government with vast territorial control emerged in Japan at around the same time as it did in Europe, through the process of mobilizing fiscal resources and manpower for bloody wars between the 16th and 17th centuries. This book, which brings Japan's case into conversation with the history of state building in Europe, points to similar factors that were present in both places: population growth eroded clientelistic relationships between farmers and estate holders, creating conditions for intense competition over territory; and in the ensuing instability and violence, farmers were driven to make Hobbesian bargains of taxes in exchange for physical security.

Genres: Japan, History, Japanese History

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2010

Reviews

[Ashutosh Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book that gives a deep insight into the social and logistic aspects of the warring states era.

[S. Kallahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful essays

[Andre Renovato · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great historical account on how Japanese society, and each different strata, adapted to the changes within. A must read for anyone who is intereated in Japanese culture or society.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of essays on the evolution of the Japanese state during the Sengoku Jidai (Warring States period). The contributors each take a different approach to analyzing how Japanese society was reshaped by war and the institutions for making war, but they also examine how various elements within that society adapted to instability and could take action to secure their interests. The authors consider the role of military technology, social class, religion, and political institutions. What I found the most interesting was the array of different institutions that arose during the collapse of central authority. The machinations of the daimyo and their armed retainers are well known, but significant political agency could also be found in religious orders, community groups in cities and towns, and even among the rural peasantry. If the Sengoku Jidai was a time when class boundaries became fluid and traditional hierarchies unstable ("The time when the low commanded the high" as some historians characterize it), people in the lower classes could, on occasion, assert their own interests against their "social betters"- and sometimes win. Several of the authors also draw on the history of state formation in Medieval Europe to contrast and compare that with the Japanese experience. There are enough similarities and enough intriguing differences to make this a useful volume on comparative political history. Overall, this is a fine collection that will aid anyone seeking to understand this vital period of Japanese history.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well rounded set of academic work that covers different aspects of the medieval period of Japan. Of particular interest was the chapter covering the development of semi-independent societies that existed out of a need to protect themselves from the incursions of warring daimyo and banditry.