Daimyo

The daimyo (Japanese: ??: {{Audio|ja-daimyo.ogg|daimy?}}) were the most powerful feudal rulers from the 12th century to the 19th century in Japan. The term daimyo literally means "great name." From the shugo daimyo of the Kamakura period through the sengoku daimyo to the daimyo of the Edo period, the rank had a long and varied history. In 1869, the year after the Meiji restoration, the daimyo together with the kuge formed a new aristocratic group, the kazoku, which fell into three main groups: tozama daimyo (who as a result of the Battle of Sekigahara had agreed to submit to the rule of Tokugawa Ieyasu), fudai daimyo (who prior to that time had already been vassals of the Tokugawa), and shinpan (who were related to the Tokugawa).

See also

• History of Japan
• Sankin-kotai
• Shimazu Hisamitsu
• Satsuma clan