"Tilley, Patrick - The Amtrack Wars 03 - Iron Master" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tilley Patrick)

levels of society, women are allocated a secondary, subservient role as
consorts, housekeepers and child-bearers.

Supreme power is vested in the shogun, head of the leading samurai
family and titular head of the government (bakufu). The shogun is, in
theory, supported by the heads of the other samurai families who hold
the title of domain-lords.

As their title suggests, these individuals derive their power and
wealth from their territorial possessions and the population under
their direct control. They also lead and maintain private armies
pledged (again in theory) to the service of the shogun and the
maintenance of law and order.

As expected, the main features of such a society are (a) its martial
character and (b) its respect for authority and tradition. Over the
years, these attitudes have been codified into a belief-system
(bushido) which lays great emphasis on duty/obligation to one's
superiors (giro, to which any human feeling (ninjo) takes second
place.

The result is unquestioning obedience and loyalty, first to one's own
domain-lord and through him to the shogun.

Succession is through the male line, and some shogunates hold sway for
several generations before being displaced by a stronger rival. As the
leadership of the First Family is unchallenged and inviolate, the
systematised impermanence requires clarification. For Iron Masters,
the shogun is regarded as 'first among equals'; a domain-lord whose
family has won pre-eminence by the consent of his peers or by force of
arms. As a result, the power of the shogunate ultimately depends on,
and is maintained by, alliances with other domain-lords whose loyalty
is spiced with a large measure of self-interest - a pernicious
by-product of all 'open' systems.

Although ruled by a warrior caste, the Iron Master's principal activity
is internal trade. Mineral resources, agricultural produce and
manufactured items are shipped on a supply-and-demand basis from one
area to another.

All domain-lords are required to make annual support payments (taxes)
to the shogunate. The amount paid by each represents a percentage of
the assets of their domain. Since the valuation is carried out by
government agents, this has, in the past, proved to be a potent source
of disaffection.

These payments, together with the sale of trading licences and
manufacturing monopolies, provide the revenue needed by the bakufu to
carry out the various functions of government.