Etymology
The term transcribed as: sei-i taishōgun, seii-taishōgun or sei-i-tai-shōgun means "great general who subdues barbarians" or "the generalissimo for the subjugation of barbarians". Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, seized considerable power and land from the aristocracy in Kyoto. He became the practical ruler of Japan, and received the title sei-i taishōgun. Thereafter, the heads of three successive shogunates received the same title. After the downfall of the Kamakura Shogunate, certain conditions had to be met in order for a warlord to be bestowed the title of shogun. First and foremost, the warlord had to descend from the Minamoto clan. Secondly, all of Japan had to be unified under a single warlord, or daimyo. If a daimyo unified Japan, and was not of Minamoto descent, then he would be given the title of "regent". In formal diplomatic communications with foreign countries, the title taikun, the source of the English word tycoon, was used.
Read more about this topic: Shogun
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