where shoguns good or evil in japan?

Question

what was the history on shoguns if anyone knows it would be helpful.....

Answer 1

All a shogun is is the prime advisor to the Emporer. Now, from historical standards, most were corrupt beaurocrats more interested in their own gain for the "country" but, there were a few that did what they were supposed to do, and thats advise the Emporer for the betterment of the people. Just history doesn't write stories about the help when he does what is right. You'll read all about the evil shoguns.

Answer 2

Are presidents good or evil?

Same kind of question, it comes down to philosophy.

A shogun was no more than a local governor that managed to gain power and favor with the emperor (tenno). For a while, the emperor became a figurehead, ruling little more than the area around him, it was during that time that the shogun (plural) became famous. This is known in english history books as the era of the samurai, due to the fact that the samurai (the shogun's enforcers) were able to amass wealth and power beyond any normal enforcer class (i.e. knights, magi, etc.).

The reason that japanese histories often reflect poorly on opposing shogun is that the shogun were often power-hungry and started wars among the shogunates, involving the peasants (the people who eventually handed down these oral histories) in fighting they saw as pointless.

In short, a shogun is no more good or evil than a daisy. They like to have space, and they are capable of killing the other daisies around them to get it. This doesn't make them evil, it makes them daisies, or in this case, shogun.

Answer 3

The shoguns were warlords who ruled Japan back in the days when the emperor had little political power. In 1868 the era of the shoguns ended and the emperor became ruler again after many centuries of being powerless.

The shoguns were just like any kings in any other feudal society. I don't know if it is fair to say that they were good or evil. They were the rulers of the country.

Answer 4

The shogun is the militar leader and the Emperors right hand man

The Emperor was only in charge of religious matters (shinto)

Some shoguns were beneficial to japan

Oda Nobunaga began the reunification of japan
Hideyoshi disarmed the peasnts and carried out land surveys
Toyotomi completed the reunifaction of japan which had been under the control of powerfull warlords

Tokugawa shogun (clan) ruled japan for 250 years until the Meiji Restoration where power was restored to the Emperor

Answer 5

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2128.html

Depended on the shogunate at the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shogun