Shōgun: What is a Fief? Meaning explored

Since the beginning of Shōgun, there have been certain terms like Anjin (pirate), Busho (samurai warlord), Ronin (runaway master-less samurai), and more that left the audience scratching their heads. Nevertheless, such words are used to keep the show's authenticity, which is vital in preserving cultural accuracy and enriching the storyline.

Furthermore, it’s not only the Japanese terms but also the sophisticated use of the English language in Shōgun that could challenge the viewer’s literary proficiency. Of all these words, ‘Fief’ stood out, stirring intrigue among the audience globally as Toranaga faced accusations of doubling it, causing the member of The Council of Regents to be suspicious of his actions.

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Shōgun: What does Fief stand for, and how has it been an integral part of feudalism

As per the Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘Fief’ originated from French in the early 17th century. Fief refers to a piece of land or property a feudal lord or monarch grants to a vassal in exchange for loyalty and military services. During the medieval period, fiefs acted like contracts between the two parties, where the vassal who held it in fealty had to serve their lords.

In Japanese, Ryōchi is equivalent to a fief, and even before the Edo period, it was a common practice. Feudal lords engaged in this practice to increase their followers, believing that a larger allegiance would give them an edge on the battleground as well as inside a court when it came to facing their enemies.

In Shōgun, Lord Yoshii Toranaga, the character inspired by Tokugawa Ieyasu, was indicted by the other four members of The Council of Regents (Ishido, Kiyama, Sugiyama, and Ohno) of many things. Sugiyama, who came from the richest samurai family, accused Toranaga of expanding his fief. In response, Toranaga revealed that he would never break the peace.

With this, Toranaga confirmed that he indeed doubled his fief by forming alliances with those whom Taiko (inspired by Toyotomi Hideyoshi) didn’t want any of his court members to form any coalition, as per Ishido. It is yet to be revealed in the series why Toranaga went against Taiko, but it can be assumed that his steps are well-calculated, and he has his reasons.

Toranaga is aware that The Council of Regents has now been corrupted, and to cherish the promise he made to Taiko to ascend his son to the throne, he will take any drastic step to ensure he fulfills his oath. The upcoming episodes are likely to see all the lords whom Toranaga granted fiefs assemble for his aid, as it is about time.

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About Shōgun

Created by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, Shōgun is an American-Japanese historical limited drama that is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell and is the reboot of the miniseries in 1980. The episodes drop every Tuesday at 10:00 pm EST on Hulu.

Here’s how FX describes the show:

Based on James Clavell’s novel, FX’s Shōgun is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.

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Stay tuned for more news and updates on Shōgun as 2024 progresses.