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Paper short abstract:

In 13th century Japan, the political ideal of benevolent government assumed an unprecedented importance for defining kingship between Kyoto and Kamakura. Its influence and meaning will be explored in historiographical and literary sources like Azuma kagami, Rokudai shōjiki and Kokon Chomonjū.

Paper long abstract:

13th century Japan witnessed a revival of Confucian ways to organize and to buttress political power. Following the brief clash between court and warrior government in 1221, questions about the structure and qualities of good kingship were readdressed in many different social arenas. Among the classical political topoi, which had been introduced to Japan from China during the formation process of the ritsuryō-state in the 7th century, the ideal of benevolent government (tokusei, zensei, jinsei) gained new currency. It came to be connected with early medieval, social and religious developments and influenced political debates as well in Kyōto and Kamakura as in the provinces.

Usually the political culture during these decades is discussed with regard to the relationship between the ancient seat of kingship in Kyōto and the raising influence of Kamakura. Interpretations range from different levels of subordination of the warriors to tennō and court (e.g. Kōchi Shōsuke) up to independence as an autonomous kind of warrior kingship (e.g. Hongō Kazuto). The common interpretative pattern therein is the separation of kingship into power (kenryoku) and authority (keni). Modern Japanese historiography has applied this distinction foremost to explain the long dynastic continuity until the present.

If it serves as well, however, to understand the political conceptions and dealings of 13th century's contemporaries is yet another question. How teachings from the past, in this case especially the Confucian model of benevolent rule, organized and produced political reality, needs to be addressed to illuminate new aspects of medieval political culture.

Concerning the sources for past perceptions, not only official documents and historiographical writings (Gukanshō, Rokudai shōjiki, Azuma kagami), but especially tale literature contains valuable information as well and should not be dismissed because of their unreliability in regard to historical facts. This paper will therefore analyse also literary sources like Kojidan, Jikkinshō and Kokon Chomonjū as well to explore the discussion of benevolence in a wide range of texts, grouped together under the umbrella term "reality narratives" ("Wirklichkeitserzählungen", Klein/Martinez 2009). This approach shall help to add a further perspective to the main line of research focused on events, institutional structures and single actors.