What is Shogun?

1 Answer

A shogun is basically the top warlord in feudal Japan (approx. 1100-1800BC).

Explanation:

Japan back then was a feudal society under control of whoever was the greatest warlord. This warlord is the shogun, who rules over many other warlords who may or may not acknowledge his dominance. They are known as daimyos. A daimyo can be likened to a medieval European landlord. The daimyo commanded the samurai, a distinct class of swordsmen trained to be devoted to the shogun.

Succession was practically non-existent back then, and each generation from each family had a feud with another generation from another family. These daimyo families can be likened to European noble houses, except that they were permanently at war with each other.