Description

Buddhism is universally held as a peaceful religion. Peaceful being an inappropriate description of the Buddhist Warrior Monks of Japan. In their glory days, they emerged from fortified halls and encampments brandishing swords and naginatas. These were fierce, fanatical, and determined holy warriors.
In early years of these Buddhist sects, induction focused on educated and scholarly candidates. The fighting aspect of their priestly service was usually internally directed. There were disagreements between sects and occasions of disrespect toward leaders or policies.
As violence increased with the Onin War in 1467 and the period of Warring States ‘Sengoku’, Warrior Monks were inducted from the peasantry to increase ranks. Their training emphasizing religious/military doctrine produced fanatical fundamentalist monk warriors.
The largest and most extreme was the Shinshu sect known as the Ikko-Ikki. In 1488 the Ikko-Ikki revolted against Samurai rule. Many skirmishes later, the Ikko-Ikki having defeated the Samurai in their region assumed control of Kaga Province. For the first time in Japanese history a group being neither courtiers or Samurai would rule a province.
With many victories in a variety of locations, during the latter half of the 15th Century, the Warrior Monks were optimistic about their future. However, the 16th C would bring an end to their military successes. The wars bringing unification to Japan featured remarkable military leaders. Armies of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu Tokugawa would confront the Warrior Monks face-to-face. By 1603, when Ieyasu Tokugawa was declared Shogun of Japan, the warrior monks were no more.