Gukanshō

Seven volumes in length, it was composed by Buddhist priest Jien of the Tendai sect around 1220.

[1] Political problems arising from the relations between the Imperial government and the bakufu inspired Jien to write.

[2] Jien was the son of Fujiwara no Tadamichi, and his insider's perspective ensured that his work would have a distinct point of view.

[3] The writer does try to approach Japan's past in a new way, but he does so under the influences of old historical and genealogical interests.

[4] The text is composed of three major sections: The careful writer attempted to apply Buddhist principles such as mappō to the process of developing a chronicle of people and events.