The Cambridge History of Japan, v2 of 6: Heian 794-1185

Heian (794-1185) is regarded as Japan's classical age. The imperial court was at its height as a political power and patron of aristocratic culture in its most brilliant time. The Heian period has received special attention from Japanese historians through the centuries, as might be expected, and became an important subject of modern scholarship following the restoration of the imperial government in 1868. Japanese historians have been thorough and tireless in their investigations of the era. All of the primary materials known to have survived from Heian times have been published in modern editions.Japanese scholars have shared their erudition in a daunting wealth of detailed monographs and articles as well as interpretive studies. The chapters of this volume, in their content and notes, give evidence of our debt to them. None contributed more to research on Heian history than the late Professor Takeuchi Rizo, who wrote a chapter for this volume. "The Cambridge History of Japan is the first major collaborative synthesis to present the current state of knowledge of Japanese history for the English-reading world. The series draws on the expertise and research of leading Japanese specialists as well as the foremost Western historians of Japan. From prehistory to the present day, the series encompasses the events and developments in Japanese polity, economy, culture, religion and foreign affairs. In the distinguished tradition of Cambridge histories, the completed series provides an indispensable reference tool for all students and scholars of Japan and the Far East."--Provided by publisher This volume provides the most comprehensive treatment of the Heian period, the golden age of the Japanese imperial court, in any Western language. From 794 to 1185, the Japanese emperor ruled over an elaborate government modeled on China's. Native Japanese elements blended with Chinese influences in religion and the courtly arts. The world's first novel was completed about 1020. In 1185 the elegant and peaceful world of the court was shattered by the struggle of the Taira and Minamoto warrior clans, who usurped real political power. V. 1. Ancient Japan / Edited By Delmer M. Brown -- V. 2. Heian Japan / Edited By Donald H. Shively And William H. Mccullough -- V. 3. Medieval Japan / Edited By Kozo Yamamura -- V. 4. Early Modern Japan / Edited By John Whitney Hall -- V. 5. The Nineteenth Century / Edited By Marius B. Jansen -- V. 6. The Twentieth Century / Edited By Peter Duus. [general Editors, John W. Hall ... Et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. The man known to history as Emperor Kammu (737-806, r. 781-806) was an obscure official in his mid-thirties when the exigencies of Nara politics catapulted his almost equally obscure father, Konin (702-82, r. 770-81), onto the imperial throne in 770 and elevated Kammu himself to the position of crown prince three years later. This volume covers the Heian period, the golden age of the Japanese imperial court. It emphasizes political history, the land system, provincial administration, the capital and its society, the acceptance of Buddhism and religious practices