Takeda 3 - The Ashikaga Shoguns

Groundhog · 02-15-2010, 05:34 PM

Well, after my first unsuccessful attempt at a Takeda 3 dynasty, I'm back to try it again. Much as before I'm going to try and take a once-mighty house that's fallen on tough times and see if I can restore them to their former glory!

Groundhog · 02-15-2010, 06:11 PM

If the theme of 16th century Japan was 'Gekokujou' (or, 'the low overthrow the high'), few house's histories represented that greater than the Ashikaga. Related by blood to the first shoguns of Japan, the Minamoto, the Ashikaga grew to be amongst the most powerful of their retainers. When civil war broke out in the 14th century between the Emperor's court in Kyoto and the Shogun's samurai government in the Eastern provinces, the Minamoto shogun (or, more accurately, the Hojo regents, a powerful famiyl who had gained control of the shogunate, ruling over its puppet shoguns) sent armies from its eastern capital to march on the rebel Emperor's forces. One of these shogunate forces was led by one Ashikaga Takauji.

Yet, to the great surprise of the shogunate, Takauji defected and joined the Imperial cause, instead marching on the Minamoto capital city of Kamakura, sealing the fate of the Kamakura shogunate. Yet this would not be Ashikaga Takauji's final betrayal.

Tensions soon grew between Takauji and the Emperor. Takauji, opting to establish his command within Kyoto itself rather than the Eastern provinces like the Minamoto before him, began to assume more power than the Emperor had wished. It was not long before the inevitable happened. The war between the newly-established Ashikaga shogunate and the Imperial forces would rage on, in one form or another, for more than a century, but the Ashikaga house emerged the victors. For the time being.

During the 15th century it was a combination of the lack of ability of the Ashikaga shoguns and the strengthening of its retainers (at the expense of the Ashikaga) that lead to the Ashikaga losing most of their effective power. By the civil warring of the 16th century the Ashikaga shoguns were merely figureheads, and it wouldn't be too long after this game begins that they would be ejected from the capital by a warlord from very humble beginnings.

Once again, and hopefully more successfully than last time, I'll be trying to avoid that happening!

the_meanstrosity · 02-16-2010, 06:06 AM

Good luck. I'll be following along.

Tellistto · 02-16-2010, 04:08 PM

Same here, following along.

02-15-2010, 06:11 PM	#2
Groundhog Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia	The Ashikaga If the theme of 16th century Japan was 'Gekokujou' (or, 'the low overthrow the high'), few house's histories represented that greater than the Ashikaga. Related by blood to the first shoguns of Japan, the Minamoto, the Ashikaga grew to be amongst the most powerful of their retainers. When civil war broke out in the 14th century between the Emperor's court in Kyoto and the Shogun's samurai government in the Eastern provinces, the Minamoto shogun (or, more accurately, the Hojo regents, a powerful famiyl who had gained control of the shogunate, ruling over its puppet shoguns) sent armies from its eastern capital to march on the rebel Emperor's forces. One of these shogunate forces was led by one Ashikaga Takauji. Yet, to the great surprise of the shogunate, Takauji defected and joined the Imperial cause, instead marching on the Minamoto capital city of Kamakura, sealing the fate of the Kamakura shogunate. Yet this would not be Ashikaga Takauji's final betrayal. Tensions soon grew between Takauji and the Emperor. Takauji, opting to establish his command within Kyoto itself rather than the Eastern provinces like the Minamoto before him, began to assume more power than the Emperor had wished. It was not long before the inevitable happened. The war between the newly-established Ashikaga shogunate and the Imperial forces would rage on, in one form or another, for more than a century, but the Ashikaga house emerged the victors. For the time being. During the 15th century it was a combination of the lack of ability of the Ashikaga shoguns and the strengthening of its retainers (at the expense of the Ashikaga) that lead to the Ashikaga losing most of their effective power. By the civil warring of the 16th century the Ashikaga shoguns were merely figureheads, and it wouldn't be too long after this game begins that they would be ejected from the capital by a warlord from very humble beginnings. Once again, and hopefully more successfully than last time, I'll be trying to avoid that happening! __________________ Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. --Ambrose Bierce

02-16-2010, 06:06 AM	#3
the_meanstrosity College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2002	Good luck. I'll be following along.

02-16-2010, 04:08 PM	#4
Tellistto College Prospect Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Whitman, MA	Same here, following along.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)