Full Description
From the 10th century onwards the great monastic foundations of Nara and Mount Hiei maintained large armies of warlike monks, a practice that was later followed by other institutions. The tempestuous political rivalries that developed between the different orders of monks, and even factions within the same orders, ensured that these Buddhist temples and monasteries had to be securely sited and robustly defended. This title recreates these enormous fortified monasteries and shrines as they would have appeared at the time, tracing their development from the 10th century through to the Sengoku Jidai and the rise of the power of the shogunate under Tokugawa leyasu.
Contents
Introduction; Chronology; The rise of the warrior monks; Design and development of the fortified monastery; Elements and features of the Japanese fortified monastery; The operational history of the Japanese fortified monastery; Aftermath; The sites today; Further Reading; Glossary; Index
