Important transformations in the country are associated with the activities of King Sujin (97-30 BC). He, as the Japanese chronicles testify, for the first time introduced taxes of two types. The men had to send the spoils of their “bows and arrows” to the king, i.e. obtained by them on the hunt, and women - "handicrafts", i.e. fabrics. Sujin waged wars with aliens beyond his control. In four directions from Yamato, he sent commanders with an order: "If there are people who do not recognize our orders, take troops and throw these people to the ground."
His name - and it translates as "He who honors the gods" - Sujin owes the fact that he was not only the king, but also the high priest of Yamato.
There was a custom in the country to bury living people together with the king or members of the royal family. Tradition says that King Suinin, who succeeded Sujin on the throne, was shocked by the spectacle of burying people in the ground. He told his advisors: “It is a pity to force those who loved someone during his lifetime to follow him after his death. Although it is an old custom, why observe it if it is bad? Think about how to stop following the dead? The resourceful head of the potters Nomi-io-sukune thought up. He suggested replacing living people with their clay images. The king liked the idea, and so they began to do it.
In Yamato there was a custom according to which each new king transferred the former capital to a new place, but within the country. This was done for two reasons. Firstly, because of the fear of living in the house of the deceased, which was not only a palace, but shrines were kept there. Over time, a common sanctuary of the Japanese kings was created in Ise. Thus commanded the sun goddess Amaterasu to Princess Yamato, daughter of King Sui-nin. Since then, the high priestesses of the shrine in Ise have always been virgin princesses. Secondly, the prince-heir lived separately in his headquarters, which was declared the capital.
Over time, the possessions of Yamato increased. Wars of conquest were fought during the reign of Keiko (71-130 AD). His son, Prince Yamato-takeru, which means "Hero of Yamato", fought against the recalcitrant tribes - Kumaso on the island of Kyushu and Ebi-su on the island of Hokkaido.
16-year-old boy with a squad of skilled archers Yamato-takeru went on a campaign against kumaso. Before that, he showed himself at home: he killed his twin brother for disobedience to the king-father.
Yamato-takeru dealt with two recalcitrant kumaso leaders by resorting to cunning. To one he entered under the guise of a beautiful girl, and when the leader of the kumaso became drunk during the feast, he stabbed him in the heart with a dagger. With another, the prince made friends for the sake of appearance, but during the bath he killed him defenseless.
In Hokkaido, Yamato-takeru fought for 10 years with rebellious ebisus. To accomplish the legendary feats, the prince was helped by his aunt, Yamato-hime, the high priestess of the shrine in Ise. She gave her nephew a magic flint and the sword of the hurricane god Susayaoo, which later became known as "Kusanagi" - "Healing Grass" or "Grass Slayer". The legend tells that one day the enemies set fire to thickets of tall grass in which Yamato-takeru was hiding. The fire was getting closer, then the prince began to cut the burning grass with his sword and in the end escaped death.
Yamato-takeru died of his wounds in a foreign land. Before his death, he wrote to the king: “I am lying among the fragrant fields, but I do not care about life. I only regret that I can’t appear before you…” These words sound the courage and devotion of a warrior, which Yamato-takeru left as a legacy to his descendants.
Wars played an important role in strengthening the power of the reigning Yamato family. During campaigns, the king or his closest relatives became the head of the militia. The lion's share of the captured booty went to the king and his relatives, to the temples, where, again, people from the royal house served as priests. Prisoners of war cultivated the royal lands or were included in the category of artisans, many of whom worked for the royal family.
As a result of the aggressive campaigns of Yamato, the elders of the defeated foreigners became subordinate to the rulers of Yamato, their tributaries. To strengthen their power in the conquered lands, the Yamato kings appointed their relatives there as rulers, who proved themselves to be brave or capable people.
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