The title Shogun referred to a supreme military commander or general who governed Japan from around the 8th Century A.D. to the end of the 12th Century. They led huge armies in this Century and established governments called Bakufu. The word "shogun" originates from a Japanese word “sho," referring to "commander," and "gun,". In the 12th century, shoguns seized power from the Emperors of Japan and became the de facto rulers of the country.