Samurai Archives Japanese History Podcast

In this episode of our Introduction to Japanese history series, we examine the rise of the warrior class during the Heian period. As the Heian period began, there was not a distinct warrior class, but armies were raised on an ad hoc basis when needed by the court to put down rebellions, bandits, and pirates. As the Heian period went on, provincial lords began to maintain professional warrior bands to protect their lands and legitimacy, and to go to war on behalf of the court. The court would continue to give these provincial lords legitimacy through bestowing titles and lands. But, as the Heian period went on, court control of these provincial lords and their armies began to weaken. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/samuraiarchives Mentioned in this podcast: Friday, Karl. Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan Stanford University Press, March 1, 1996 http://astore.amazon.com/samurai-20/detail/0804726965 Friday, Karl. Samurai, Warfare and the State in Early Medieva