RELG 253 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Yamato People, Taika Reform, Kojiki

• School: McGill University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELG 253
• Professor: G Hori

Document Summary

Part iii: kojiki , record of ancient matters . History text, collecion of mythological tales; poliical moive behind the wriing: chinese history has a poliical moive behind it; kojiki has historical agenda also. Taika reform: japanese emperor becomes a government igure. According to the kojiki, the irst japanese emperor reigned 1370 years previous to the start of government (660. The chinese imperial system vs. japanese uji clans (yamato uji) Yamato clan emerges as strongest, imports chinese system (exploit for own purpose) claims to be imperial clan: legiimate its posiion in compeiion with uji. Legiimaion of the yamato: our clan kami is the origin of the irst emperor , amaterasu the sun goddess sent her grandson to earth, which sent his grandson jimmu to be emperor. Japanese refused chinese noion of the mandate of heaven, which allowed dynasies to be overthrown if immoral. In japan, there can only be one dynasty those descended from amaterasu.