World History : Feudal Japan
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Feudal Japan
The Sengoku Period in Japan lasted from __________________.
660 CE to 900 CE
The Sengoku period is not a commonly acknowledged period in Japanese history
the late 15th to early 17th century
the early 13th to the late 15th century
the late 15th to early 17th century
An extremely violent and unstable period in the history of Feudal Japan, the Sengoku Period began with the end of the Onin War in 1467, and ended in 1603 when the Tokugawa Shogunate consolidated power.
Example Question #2 : Feudal Japan
What is the name for the period of constant civil war and social turmoil that occurred during 16th Japan?
Meiji Restoration
Sengoku Period
Sakoku
Heian Period
Sengoku Period
The Sengoku period lasted for nearly 150 years, ending with the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603.
Example Question #2 : Feudal Japan
In Feudal Japan, which social class had the most political power?
Daimyos
Emperor
Shogun
Samurai
Shogun
In Feudal Japan, the political power lay with the shoguns, who were similar to military dictators. The emperor was a figurehead who had no rule power. The samurai were the warriors of the shoguns, similar to European knights. The merchants were the lowest class, because the Japanese saw the occupation of buying and selling as distasteful.
Example Question #4 : Feudal Japan
What position, appointed by the Shogun was akin to a magistrate, which was responsible for either the running of a large city, a government department, or a region?
Bugyo
Tenno
Daimyo
Daikan
Shoya
Bugyo
A Bugyo was an appointed position, held by Samurais. They were responsible for the general running of cities and regions as well as finance and development. They reported directly to the Shogun. Originally the term only applied to officials who were appointed with a designated task to complete. However, the position was formalized during the Edo period (1603-1868) until eventually there were 36 Bugyo positions in the Japanese bureaucracy.
Example Question #3 : Feudal Japan
Under which 16th century Japanese Daimyo (Lord) did Japan undertake its first formal trade relations, as well as cultural exchanges, with Europe?
Hideki Tojo
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Michinomiya Hirohito
Oda Nobunaga
Shinzo Abe
Oda Nobunaga
Nobunaga (1534-1582) was very interested in European culture and even wore European clothes. He collected western artwork and also encouraged trade with Siam, Indonesia, and the Philippines; countries outside the usual Japanese region of Northeast China and Korea. Moreover, even though the goal of Japanese unification had been apparent for some time, Nobunaga was the first daimyo to make tangible efforts at unification as he unified several provinces in his immediate region and opened trade avenues with the outside world.
Example Question #4 : Feudal Japan
What Japanese military class followed the code known as bushidō and was somewhat related to European concepts of chivalry?
Shogun
Peasants
Ronin
Samurai
Daimyo
Samurai
Bushidō differed in that the samurai were not tied to land which they protected as a European knight might do, but were more focused on the protection of their lord, the daimyo. Daimyo were subordinate to the Shogun. Ronin were samurai who had failed to commit seppuku, ritual suicide, and were therefore not serving a lord.
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