The Period of Engi
Between 794 and 1192, Japan had a golden age. Its peak was 'The Period of Engi' from 901-922 facilitated by the enlightened Emperor Daigo (898- 930). In those glorious years, art, wealth, culture, and luxury were so prevalent that could hardly be equaled by the courts of the Medici during the Renaissance or the salons of the French Enlightenment. But as it often happens, such periods of glittering refinement tend to be brief. The emperor himself became every day more helpless while the heads of clans became almost independent lords. Once more, history moved in its ancient oscillations between a powerful central government and a feudal decentralized regime.
Source: Durant, Will, The Story of Civilization, Vol. 1: Our Oriental Heritage. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1954.
Public Domain
Back to archive
Full disclosure, I may occasionally borrow a sentence from Will Durant's Story of Civilization. I absolutely love that collection!