ikkō ikki

ikkō ikki (Jap.). A series of peasant uprisings against the landowning classes (Jap., daimyō) in Japan that began in the 1470s in Kaga province and spread to other regions. The religious underpinnings of these rebellions arose from Jōdo Shinshū beliefs, in particular from its faith in the absolute power of the Buddha Amitābha to effect the salvation of all people regardless of their own lifestyles or abilities. This belief fostered a democratic spirit among the population by negating all differences arising from economic or social class and stressing the equality of all people. In Kaga province itself, the ikkō ikki leagues were so successful that they ousted the landed aristocrats in 1475 and ruled the province themselves for 92 years. Their allegiance to the Jōdo Shinshū organization, as well as the skilful management of the peasants and minor samurai that participated in the movement by Jōdo Shinshū head Rennyo (1415–99), bolstered the political power of the school's headquarters temple, the Honganji, which effectively gained the province as its feudal domain.