Ikko Ikki in Japan

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Has there ever been a Marxist analysis of the causes of the Ikko Ikki movement, and their aspects?

For those who don't know, the Ikko Ikki were a sect of millenarian Buddhists in Japan who rebelled against the Samurai classes during the warring clans period. They were peasants, monks and members of other classes who were disgusted by the excesses of feudal power.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikk%C5%8D-ikki


Ikkō-ikki (一向一揆? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Installing_Japanese_character_sets)), literally "single-minded leagues", were mobs of peasant farmers, Buddhist monks, Shinto priests and local nobles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ji-samurai), who rose up against samurai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai) rule in 15th to 16th century Japan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan). They followed the beliefs of the Jōdo Shinshu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Ddo_Shinshu) (True Pure Land) sect of Buddhism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism) which taught that all believers are equally saved by Amida Buddha's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitabha) grace. They were organized to only a small degree; if any single person could be said to have had any influence over them it was Rennyo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennyo), the leader of the Jōdo Shinshu Hongan-ji (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongan-ji) sect at that time. Rennyo's attitude to the Ikkō-ikki was, however, highly ambivalent and pragmatic. Whilst he may have used the religious fervour of the Ikkō-ikki in the defence of his temple settlements, he was also careful to distance himself from the wider social rebellion of the Ikkō (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikk%C5%8D) movement as a whole, and from offensive violence in particular.It's interesting because in some ways it seems like a class-based rebellion well before the change from feudalism to capitalism (one might argue that this is the cause of their failure perhaps), and it's also based on a radical and anti-institutional interpretation of Buddhism. It is also interesting to see how they seem to have developed a collectivist notion of identity and power through common action, without the necessity of an alien will (ie, "master classes") to put "the masses" in motion (again, this could have contributed to their ultimate failure as well).

[Lenina Rosenweg]

It sounds a bit like the Anabaptist communists of Munster in the 16th century.Rennyo may have been a very rough analog of Luther, beginning a rebellion but backing away and oppossing it when his own class backing as threatened.

[Red Future]

The key reason for the emergence of the Ikko-Ikki in my opinon was the breakdown of the central authority at the end of the Onin War , with power now relatively decentralized with the local shoguns or warlords in power there was scope for Peasant based movements to really develop in Japan.The rampaging and often brutal nature of the warlord armies alongside the threat of conscription into one of the Ashigaru (militia) for peasant men led to the creation of the Ikko Ikki in my view..they were a response of the peasants to attacks by the Samurai classes.

[Red Future]

I also know the Ikko Ikki were keen users of the arquebus and used it to succes against the Samurai , one time the Ikko Ikki nearly killed the Samurai warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu when arquebus shot nearly penetrated his armour.

[RedStarOverChina]

Religion-inspired peasant rebellions are as common as muck.

The Ikko-Ikki had no coherent social critique against feudalism itself, rather it offered individual practitioners salvation through fighting to "defend the dharma", against individual daimyos like Oda Nobunaga who half-jokingly refered to himself as Mara, a demon in Buddhist mythology. (incidently, Oda Nogunaga was the closiest thing to a Bourgeois reformer in Sengoku Japan, also my favoriate character of the time period.)

Hardly anything distinguishes the Ishiyama Hongan-Ji (the most powerful of the Ikko-Ikki) leadership from any other Daimyos at the time, except that their daimyo is a Buddhist theocrat.

[RedStarOverChina]

By the way, are you bringing this up because you just played Shogun 2?

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

The key reason for the emergence of the Ikko-Ikki in my opinon was the breakdown of the central authority at the end of the Onin War , with power now relatively decentralized with the local shoguns or warlords in power there was scope for Peasant based movements to really develop in Japan.The rampaging and often brutal nature of the warlord armies alongside the threat of conscription into one of the Ashigaru (militia) for peasant men led to the creation of the Ikko Ikki in my view..they were a response of the peasants to attacks by the Samurai classes.

This makes sense as a theory for how they emerged. I wonder how they conceived of the peasantry which constituted the bulk of the movement, and whether or not it conceived of itself as a movement ever able to usurp the rule of the Shoguns and the Daimyos (or even the Emperor and Imperial bloodline, the metaphysical pinnacle of "Japanese identity" according to the institutional interpretations Shinto).


It sounds a bit like the Anabaptist communists of Munster in the 16th century.Rennyo may have been a very rough analog of Luther, beginning a rebellion but backing away and oppossing it when his own class backing as threatened.

Good theory, although the class distinctions of monasticism is difficult to distinguish because monasticism, at least in theory, denies absolute and impermanent relations of "property" (in other words, a monk in theory renounces their class status). This doesn't mean that they didn't end up creating a new class with its own interests, just that I don't know how it maps on to the European manifestations of similar phenomena.


Religion-inspired peasant rebellions are as common as muck.

The Ikko-Ikki had no coherent social critique against feudalism itself, rather it offered individual practitioners salvation through fighting to "defend the dharma", against individual daimyos like Oda Nobunaga who half-jokingly refered to himself as Mara, a demon in Buddhist mythology. (incidently, Oda Nogunaga was the closiest thing to a Bourgeois reformer in Sengoku Japan, also my favoriate character of the time period.)

Hardly anything distinguishes the Ishiyama Hongan-Ji (the most powerful of the Ikko-Ikki) leadership from any other Daimyos at the time, except that their daimyo is a Buddhist theocrat.

Interesting ... although I had no illusions about the level of their class critique. Any populist movement without an understanding of the material conditions of class will fail. However, Buddhism, as an empirical religion focused on determining the causes and effects of experiential categories (moreso than any other religion as far as I'm aware), seems to imply at least the possibility of developing into a theory able to recognize class analysis (not that it ever actually did, it's merely a possibility according to the logical precepts of the religion).

What's interesting about the Ikko too, is that they were a part of a deeply metaphysical and devotional interpretation of Buddhism, particularly this notion of the "Pure land" and the Amitabha Buddha, as opposed to movements like Zen which was patronized by upper classes but maintained more critical purity. In this sense, their religion seemed in many regards closer to Christianity in how they viewed "liberation". This might be a statement on the capacity for more metaphysical belief systems to "move" the "masses" in a collective manner by offering them a sort of simple notion of transcendence which all can participate in, instead of some elitist and erudite few?

It should be noted too, that their interpretation of Buddhism was far more open and radical than others (ie, less focus on the vows of celibacy, so all walks of life can participate)


By the way, are you bringing this up because you just played Shogun 2?

:P yes and no ... I was interested in millenarian Buddhism before, including the Ikko Ikki, and the more "institutional" warrior monk orders of the Sohei. I meant to make a thread on it before. But the game did rekindle my interest. I'm also interested in other groups, like the yellow turbans and other groups in China (from my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, China's history is full of largely unsuccessful millenarian peasant uprisings with a theological bent)

[RedStarOverChina]

What's interesting about the Ikko too, is that they were a part of a deeply metaphysical and devotional interpretation of Buddhism, particularly this notion of the "Pure land" and the Amitabha Buddha, as opposed to movements like Zen which was patronized by upper classes but maintained more critical purity.Well, if that's what you call it...I just call it crude superstition.

To simplify their message, the monks told followers that so long as they chanted "Namu Amida Butsu 南無阿弥陀仏" meaning "homage of the Amita Buddha" during battle, when they die they can ascend to the "Pure Land" of the West, basically the equivalent of Heaven.

Doesn't sound too deeply metaphysical to me.



:P yes and no ... I was interested in millenarian Buddhism before, including the Ikko Ikki, and the more "institutional" warrior monk orders of the Sohei. I meant to make a thread on it before. But the game did rekindle my interest. I'm also interested in other groups, like the yellow turbans and other groups in China (from my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, China's history is full of largely unsuccessful millenarian peasant uprisings with a theological bent) I used to play the Nobunaga's Ambitions series. You can learn so much more about Japanese history of the time---Though much of it is actually folklore rather than historic fact, so it's important to distinguish. Don't know if they had a English translation though.

[Queercommie Girl]

:P yes and no ... I was interested in millenarian Buddhism before, including the Ikko Ikki, and the more "institutional" warrior monk orders of the Sohei. I meant to make a thread on it before. But the game did rekindle my interest. I'm also interested in other groups, like the yellow turbans and other groups in China (from my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, China's history is full of largely unsuccessful millenarian peasant uprisings with a theological bent)


The Red Turbans that overthrew Mongol rule in China are particularly interesting:

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

They were largely based on the White Lotus sect of Buddhism:

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

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

Well, if that's what you call it...I just call it crude superstition.

To simplify their message, the monks told followers that so long as they chanted "Namu Amida Butsu 南無阿弥陀仏" meaning "homage of the Amita Buddha" during battle, when they die they can ascend to the "Pure Land" of the West, basically the equivalent of Heaven.

Doesn't sound too deeply metaphysical to me.


I didn't mean deep in an intellectually deep manner. More that the idea of a "Celestial Buddha" which exists outside of all time and space which saves devotees is more steeped in a metaphysical and even mythological view of the religion than most forms of Buddhism (which seem to stress a more strictly empirical philosophy). In this respect, it seems almost more akin to the Christian religion than other sects of Buddhism.

Anyway, superstition in of itself is uninteresting, but its interesting when superstition seems to take hold of a large number of people and give them worldly agency. It seems to be a common facet of millenarian religion in fact, to provide "the masses" with an easily digestible but very metaphysical and naive ideology to bring them together. For that matter, it also seems like a common facet of holy wars in general. On one hand, it seems to create an army which doesn't really understand what it is fighting for, but on the other it creates a strong sense of common cause and a willingness to face death. So paradoxically the superstition at once seems to hinder its revolutionary nature while at the same time empowering its revolutionary agency.




I used to play the Nobunaga's Ambitions series. You can learn so much more about Japanese history of the time---Though much of it is actually folklore rather than historic fact, so it's important to distinguish. Don't know if they had a English translation though.

Interesting, I should look it up. Thanks!


The Red Turbans that overthrew Mongol rule in China are particularly interesting:

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

They were largely based on the White Lotus sect of Buddhism:

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

Interesting-thanks! It's telling how he used the Buddhist rebellion to springboard into installing himself as a Confucian monarch. Perhaps it shows the weaknesses of these religiously-inspired peasant uprisings?

[El Chuncho]

Religion-inspired peasant rebellions are as common as muck.

The Ikko-Ikki had no coherent social critique against feudalism itself, rather it offered individual practitioners salvation through fighting to "defend the dharma", against individual daimyos like Oda Nobunaga who half-jokingly refered to himself as Mara, a demon in Buddhist mythology.

Ikkoshu Uprising was a good thing for commoners though, especially when they overthrow the Kaga daimyo and his samurai. Pureland Buddhism was their main influence (which taught that people would go to a land where they could only get good karma after death by following the Amida Buddha) but their main reasons for the revolt was due to the poverty and harshness of life that they had to put up with, which is why they overthrow their feudal overlords.

One of the biggest misunderstandings of the Ikko-Ikki is that the revolutionaries were only Buddhists. That is not true, some were Shinto priests and even lower level nobles, fed up with the feudal order; they were not only protecting Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. Views originating in Jodo Shinshu were a peasant unifier, like the Christianity of John Ball and Winstanley, but the commoners were fighting for a legitimate cause.



Hardly anything distinguishes the Ishiyama Hongan-Ji (the most powerful of the Ikko-Ikki) leadership from any other Daimyos at the time, except that their daimyo is a Buddhist theocrat.

Except Rennyo (who never official supported the Ikko-Ikki) didn't kill or mistreat the peasants like Daimyo often did., and was not very interested in having the large mobs surrounding him and erecting monuments, having moved to the Ushiyama Honganji for peace and quiet. His successors were hardly Daimyo either, and the Ikko-Ikki were hardly their personal army.

[El Chuncho]

It should be noted too, that their interpretation of Buddhism was far more open and radical than others (ie, less focus on the vows of celibacy, so all walks of life can participate)

Good post. Actually Zen is quite famous for its lack of celibacy vows too, and most monks start a family after attaining a certain level. ;)




:P yes and no ... I was interested in millenarian Buddhism before, including the Ikko Ikki, and the more "institutional" warrior monk orders of the Sohei. I meant to make a thread on it before. But the game did rekindle my interest.t)

The religious history of Japan is one of my key interests, too. The Sohei, who were ''lay monks'' (the fact that they could kill barred them from being ordained monks) are interesting, and much can be said of the lifestyle of the Yamabushi, the mountain hermits who inspired a later less-birdlike depiction of the Tengu.