Osprey Fortress 34 : Japanese Fortified Temples and Monasteries 710-1062 AD

From the 10th century onwards the great Japanese monastic foundations of Nara and Mount Hiei maintained large armies of warlike monks. The tempestuous political rivalries that developed between the different orders of monks and religiously inspired laymen ensured that their temples and monasteries had to be securely sited and robustly defended. This book recreates these enormous fortified monasteries and temples, tracing their development from the 10th century through to the Sengoku Jidai period and the rise of the power of the Shogunate under Tokugawa Ieyasu. Text by Stephen Turnbull with illustrations by Peter Dennis.

Contents

• From Worshippers to Warriors : The Development of the Fortified Temple
• Chronology
• Design Features of the Fortified Temple 1 : The Sacred Space
• Design Features of the Fortified Temple 2 : The Temple
• Representative Fortified Temples Of Japan
• The Living Site
• Operational History
• Aftermath
• The Fortified Temple Sites Today
• Glossary
• Bibliography and Further Reading
• Index