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"Conlan, Thomas Donald"
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State of war: The violent order of fourteenth century Japan
The fourteenth century marks a watershed for Japan. The outbreak of war in 1331 proved to be the catalyst for the devolution of the residual powers of the centralized state to the periphery, and the ensuing conflict strengthened autogenic rights of estate and property which were defendable by force. This thesis constitutes a pioneering exploration of the interrelationship between warfare and these seminal changes. War, instead of being merely expressive of change was in fact instrumental to it. Because of the wealth of sources relating to fourteenth century warfare, one can reconstruct the nature of social, political and military organization to an unprecedented degree. Indeed, by plotting how men of various social orders fought, one can distill the salient distinctions within medieval society. Moreover, the sources allow for a precise reconstruction of armies and battle. Although great strides were made in military organization, this was not reflected in a major shift in tactics. Throughout this period, cavalry retained supremacy on the battlefield. In addition, one can analyze the infrastructure of war. The sources reveal both the nature of provisions and war materials (i.e. food, horses, gear), and the market processes that enabled armies to be supplied in the field. Finally, the intellectual gulf between the past and present can be bridged by exploring contemporary schema of causality. In the fourteenth century, the outcome of battle was believed to be determined by the gods. Hence all political contenders struggled to control conduits to the heavens. Warfare was created out of tensions in a political and social matrix. Once unleashed, however, war transformed this matrix in manifest and subtle ways. Political authority, for example, had to enforce its will through military means. The necessity and ensuing difficulty of supplying armies constituted a very real and material brake on most hegemonic ambitions. Other, more subtle, shifts engendered might include changes in the nature of status distinctions, and the very basis of social determination. Furthermore, beliefs regarding the nature of authority, the role of the \"other world,\" justice, and the legitimate use of violence changed as a result of war.
Dissertation
From Sovereign to Symbol: An Age of Ritual Determinism in Fourteenth-Century Japan
Borgen reviews From Sovereign to Symbol: An Age of Ritual Determinism in Fourteenth-Century Japan by Thomas Donald Conlan.
Book Review
State of War: The Violent Order of Fourteenth-Century Japan
State of War: The Violent Order of Fourteenth-Century Japan by Thomas Donald Conlan is reviewed.
Book Review
