Subject: 一向一揆 ikkō-ikki rebel monk
Culture: Japanese
Setting: Sengoku Jidai, Japan 15-16thc
Evolution:
Context (Event Photos, Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, Field Notes)
* Freejohn/Rosenbluth eds. 2010 p93 (Carol Richmond Tsang, "'Advance and be reborn in paradise' ...: Religioius opposition to political consolidation in sixteenth-century Japan " p91-109)
"There were many other commoners' struggles in the form of ikki of one kind or another, especially in demonstrations demanding tax or debt relief, known as tokusei ikki. Ikki as a whole dominated medieval Japan, including leagues of warriors who joined for mutual assistance in addition to leagues of commoners. Several things made the ikkō ikki stand out, however.
"One important difference, indeed the defining characteristic of ikkō ikki, was the dominance of Honganji sect members. This characteristic lent the various struggles a deceptive consistency that they, in fact, lacked. The ikko [sic] ikki leagues' aims varied widely, as did the leadership. Honganji Temple sometimes did direct and coordinate the ikkō ikki's activities, but not always. Nevertheless, even when the ikki's ventures occurred for local reasons and had nothing whatsoever to do with Honganji Temple, the imperial and military authorities demanded that Honganji's leaders take a hand in ending them.
"The perceived ideology associated with ikkō ikki also differentiated them from other leagues and league activities. ... True Pure Land Buddhism teaches that reliance on a buddha named Amida was the only effective means of achieving Buddhahood. As nearly as we can tell, most members of the Honganji sect understood the theology that no gods (kami) or buddhas other than Amida had any real power over them. This can be seen from repeated charges that they 'slandered the gods and buddhas' and destroyed sacred objects. In the 1532 ikki attack on Kōfukuji Temple in Nara, members burned sutras and other religious objects. This behavior, naturally, increased the adherents' notoriety and furthered the case for suppression of the sect.
"Ikkō ikki must also be understood in the context of the Honganji branch religion, not just as commoner activities. Much if not most of their fighting involved some aspect of religion: support of the Honganji branch's leader, resistance to religious oppression, or defense of local temples. More importantly, what held the members' fighting organizations together was their shared religious identity, an identity that delineated a clear boundary between Honganji followers and those of other Buddhist sects."
* Bennett 2007 p158
"ikkō-ikki Japanese term for the armed uprisings in the late 15th century by the forces of the Jōdo Shin militant Buddhist sect. They killed the military governor of Kaga province about 1488 and took control of the area for almost a hundred years."
Costume
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