Ōnin War
The Ōnin War was a Japanese civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477, leading to the Sengoku period.[1]
History
Origin
Beginning as a dispute over who would succeed shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimasa,[1] with a faction supporting his brother and another supporting his son, the conflict soon escalated from the political arena into open conflict,[2] fueled in part by the animosity between the Hosokawa and the Yamana.[3] Many samurai from around the country joined the fighting in Kyoto, which lasted for 10 years.[1]
Aftermath
Much damage was done to the capital city of Kyoto, with an enormous proportion of it being destroyed in fire,[1] especially the upper class area that contained the palaces and temples. The part of Kyoto that housed merchants and artisans was spared from destruction, being considered too poor to loot, even though they had been supplying and selling products to both side of the conflict, accruing wealth.[3]
With the war's end, a number of lords returned to their provinces, some to due financial reasons, other because their houses in the capital had been destroyed. Many peasants and serfs made the opposite movement, leaving the countryside for the city, recreating themselves as merchants or as artisans, leading to the development of a new culture.[3] Some times, the returning samurai arrived to discover they had been usurped in the interim, though others become usurpers themselves upon their return. Those who managed to solidify their power became daimyō, independent warlords.[1]
The Ōnin War destroyed the idea of a functional shogunate, leading to the "Warring States" period. The Sengoku era is a period marked by the absence of a central authority in Japan because despite the continuing existence of both the Imperial family and the shōguns in Kyoto, these groups were impoverished and functionally powerless, both politically and militarily.[1]
Appearances
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
References
