The Power of the Shogun: the Kamakura Era 1185-1336Minamoto Yoritomo was granted the status of shogun by the emperor in 1192, and founded his administration on a military regime, the bakufu around Kamakura, near Tokyo. The shogun administration relied on loyal military vassals, who managed its interests within the various provinces. The Kamakura administration faced a huge challenge in terms of the Mongol attacks of 1274 and 1281. Although the attacks were successfully repulsed, they emptied the national coffers, leaving the Samurai unpaid and impoverished. Emperor Go-Daigon's rebellions were therefore more than welcome to the Samurai, and as a result, the Kamakura administration was overturned in 1333. The emperor tried to govern for a few years, but failed due to the impossibility of challenging the power of the warlords.
