Japanese Kamakura shogunate under financial strain

1294

The Hojo regents of Kamakura, having defeated two Mongol invasions, found themselves unable to reward their samurai vassals because no conquered lands had resulted. Warrior resentment deepened, setting the slow fuse that would explode the shogunate four decades later. The financial crisis exposed a fatal flaw in the feudal system: warriors who fought without prospect of reward had no reason to remain loyal.