Question 1
A historian argues that the Taira-Minamoto rivalry should be understood primarily as a symptom of structural change rather than a personal feud between clan leaders. Which piece of evidence best supports this interpretation?No clue? Show me the answer
Correct answer
Correct!
IncorrectStep-by-step walkthrough
Choose a solution method
Method #1Direct reasoningStep 1: Locate the structural claim
The question asks for evidence that the rivalry reflected a deeper shift in where loyalty and power resided, not just a clash of personalities.
Step 2: Recall the key concept
The content explains that loyalty was moving from the emperor to clan leaders because only clan leaders could reward samurai with land and protection.
Step 3: Match evidence to claim
This pre-existing shift toward land-based loyalty, occurring before 1180, is exactly the structural change the historian's interpretation depends on.
Step 4: Confirm the answer
Option A directly demonstrates that the shift in loyalty predated and enabled the war, supporting the structural interpretation.
Method #2Process of eliminationStep 1: Reject option B
Generic long-running territorial disputes describe conflict but do not show a structural shift in the source of political loyalty.
Step 2: Reject option C
Personal grievance is precisely the 'personal feud' framing the historian's interpretation seeks to move beyond.
Step 3: Reject option D
Religious difference is not supported by the content and was not a driver of the Taira-Minamoto conflict.
Step 4: Confirm option A
Only option A shows loyalty relocating from the emperor to clan leaders, which is the structural mechanism described in the content.
Question 2
Why does the content describe Prince Mochihito's 1180 call to arms as a 'trigger' rather than a root cause of the Gempei War?No clue? Show me the answer
Correct answer
Correct!
Incorrect