There were two main factors that led to the erosion of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Meiji Restoration. The Meiji leaders therefore sought to transform Japan in this direction. The Meiji reformers began with measures that addressed the decentralized feudal structure to which they attributed Japans weakness. A decade later, a strong, centralized government ruled Japan: the Meiji state. Remedies came in the form of traditional solutions that sought to reform moral decay rather than address institutional problems. 4. The central military government under the shogun had broken down, and daimyo, powerful warlords ruling their clans and provinces, waged war against one another for control of the country. Starting with self-help samurai organizations, Itagaki expanded his movement for freedom and popular rights to include other groups. Christianity was reluctantly legalized in 1873, but, while important for some intellectuals, it was treated with suspicion by many in the government. Those people who benefited were able to diversify production and to hire laborers, while others were left discontented. EA@*l(6t#(Q."*CLPyI\ywRC:v0hojfd/F In the Tokugawa Shogunate the governing system was completely reorganized. Many people . Japan - Decline of the Tokugawa . From the outset, the Tokugawa attempted to restrict families' accumulation of wealth and fostered a "back to the soil" policy, in which the farmer, the ultimate producer, was the ideal person in society. The Satsuma and Choshu clans united to bring down the shogun, and in 1867, they did so. It ruled Japan for approximately 2.5 centuries, from 1600-1868. Effective power thus lay with the executive, which could claim to represent the imperial will. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of . By the nineteenth century, crop failure, high taxes, and exorbitant taxation created immense hardship. Latest answer posted August 07, 2020 at 1:00:02 PM. This view is most accurate after 1800 toward the end of the Shogunate, when it had . Many Japanese believed that constitutions provided the unity that gave Western nations their strength. After the Choshu domain fired at Western ships in the Kanmon Straits in 1863, Takasugi was put in charge of Shimonosekis defence. Introduction. The continuity of the anti-bakufu movement in the mid-nineteenth century would finally bring down the Tokugawa. The Tokugawa shogunate was very much like any domainal government in that it was responsible first for the administration of a limited territory, the fief of the Tokugawa house. The land measures involved basic changes, and there was widespread confusion and uncertainty among farmers that expressed itself in the form of short-lived revolts and demonstrations. Before the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, samurai were an integral part of Japanese lifestyle and culture. In 1871 the governor-daimyo were summoned to Tokyo and told that the domains were officially abolished. An essay surveying the various internal and external factors responsible for the decline of the erstwhile Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan. However, according to Peffer, the, emergence of the Japanese version of the European bourgeoisie from amongst the merchant classes, clans now had enough fodder to incite rebellion in the nation. The period takes its name from the city where the Tokugawa shoguns lived. The constitution was drafted behind the scenes by a commission headed by It Hirobumi and aided by the German constitutional scholar Hermann Roesler. The bakufu, already weakened by an eroding economic base and ossified political structure, now found itself challenged by Western powers intent on opening Japan to trade and foreign intercourse. By 1850, 250 years of isolation had taken its toll on Japan. Many sources are cited at the end of the facts for which they are used. The imperial governments conscript levies were hard-pressed to defeat Saig, but in the end superior transport, modern communications, and better weapons assured victory for the government. BY&dSh;fvZ|+?x2Fc@08Q=$yvlnos>R&-@K>d-J/38 NPT|}@, 6` .:ICr^Fz+56{nB=*nLd9wH TG@hmE7ATDwFr.e9BMx S1I!` 1` cxIUUtha7^Fy#qufQW\CYlG`CWC|e_>&84/^NIXra|jsoD" w/ Zd[. The stage was set for rebellion. The advantages that the rule of the Tokugawa bought to Japan, such as extended periods of peace and therefore the growth of trade and commerce was also the catalyst that brought this ruling family to its demise.As the Merchant class grew wealthy the samurai who had always been the ruling class were sinking . The Tokugawa did not eventually collapse simply because of intrinsic failures. There was a combination of factors that led to the demise of the Tokugawa Shogunate. kuma Shigenobu, a leader from Saga, submitted a relatively liberal constitutional draft in 1881, which he published without official approval. Activists used the slogan Sonn ji (Revere the emperor! In 1866 Chsh allied itself with neighbouring Satsuma, fearing a Tokugawa attempt to crush all opponents to create a centralized despotism with French help. The challenge remained how to use traditional values without risking foreign condemnation that the government was forcing a state religion upon the Japanese. Samurai discontent resulted in numerous revolts, the most serious occurring in the southwest, where the restoration movement had started and warriors expected the greatest rewards. Takasugi died of tuberculosis six months before political power was returned to the emperor. The administration of, Japan was a task which legitimately lay in the hands of the Emperor, but in 1600 was given by the, Imperial court to the Tokugawa family. In the isolation edict of 1635, the shogun banned Japanese ships or individuals from visiting other countries, decreed that any Japanese person returning from another . ^^^, It is not difficult to imagine how Takasugis daring actions had roots in his experiences in Shanghai. What were the pros and cons of isolationism for Japan in the Edo Period? "You become much more aware of Japan when you go abroad. In essence, Japanese society was becoming a pressure cooker of discontent. Choshus victory in 1866 against the second Choshu expedition spelled the collapse of the Edo shogunate. The isolationist policy of the Tokugawa regime with regard to foreign trade was envisaged in the. which aimed to show hostility and aggression to any foreigner in Japanese waters. In, fact, most historians of modern Japan find the causes for, leading to a near colonisation of the region which was close to emulation of China after the Opium, Wars. Chsh became the centre for discontented samurai from other domains who were impatient with their leaders caution. These mass pilgrimages contributed to the unease of government officials officials in the areas where they took place. The boat slips are filled with masts." 4 Tashiro Kazui and Susan Downing Videen, "Foreign Relations during the Edo Period: Sakoku Reexamined," Journal of Japanese Studies 8, no. At the same time, Japanese nationalism was spreading, and with it, Shintoist religious teachings were gaining popularity; both of these strengthened the position of the emperor against that of the Confucian shogun. Private property was inviolate, and freedoms, though subject to legislation, were greater than before. Domestically it was forced to make antiforeign concessions to placate the loyalist camp, while foreigners were assured that it remained committed to opening the country and abiding by the treaties. The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the , and the , was a feudal Japanese military government. The strength of these domains lay in their high, productive capacity, financial solvency and an unusually large number of samurai. 4 0 obj The Decline of Tokugawa Shogunate The Bakumatsu period is referred to by many as the "final act of the shogunate." By 1853, the power of the shogunate began to decline. shogunate. The bottom line is that large numbers of people were worse off in the 1840s and 50s than they had been in previous generations, the Tokugawa system was old and inflexible, and there was a general anxiety and sense that the world would soon change in a big way. ~, Describing Shanghai in 1862, two decades after the first Opium War, Takasugi Shinsaku, a young Japanese man, wrote in his diary: "There are merchant ships and thousands of battleships from Europe anchored here. It was one of the few places in the world at that time where commoners had toilets. *, By the 1830s, there was a general sense of crisis. The After a two-month stay in Shanghai, Takasugi returned home with a rising sense of crisis toward Japans old-fashioned feudal government. World History Sara Watts Home Syllabus Primary Readings: The Seclusion of Japan VVV 32 - Tokugawa Iemitsu, "CLOSED COUNTRY EDICT OF 1635" AND "EXCLUSION OF THE PORTUGUESE, 1639" For nearly a century Japan, with approximately 500,000 Catholics by the early 1600s, was the most spectacular success story in Asia for European missionaries. The Meiji Restoration was the Japanese political revolution that saw the dismantling of the Tokugawa regime. The importance this, group had acquired within the functioning of the Tokugawa system, even the Shogunate became, dependent on the mercantile class for their special knowledge in conducting the financial affairs of, a common cause to end the Tokugawa regime, according to Barrington Moore Jr., represented a, breakdown of the rigid social hierarchies that was part of, centralized feudalism. responsible for the way in which the Meiji Government achieved its objectives of developing modern institutions and implementing new policies. One domain in which the call for more direct action emerged was Chsh (now part of Yamaguchi prefecture), which fired on foreign shipping in the Shimonoseki Strait in 1863. The influx of cheap foreign products after the opening of trade with the West undermined Japanese cottage industries and caused much discontent. In the 1880s fear of excessive inflation led the government to sell its remaining plants to private investorsusually individuals with close ties to those in power. The second, a factor which is increasingly the subject of more studies on the Tokugawa, collapse, emphasized the slow but irresistible pressure of internal economic change, notably the, growth of a merchant capitalist class that was eroding the foundations of the. [3] These years are known as the Edo period. The shoguns, or military rulers, of Japan dominated the government from ad 1192 to 1867. Nathaniel Peffer claimed that the nice balance of the Tokugawa clan, the, lesser feudal lords and their attendant samurai, the peasants, artisans and merchants could be kept, steady only as long as all the weights in the scale were even. The year 2018 has seen many events in Japan marking 150 years since the Meiji Restoration. Beasley, the immediate. On the one hand it had to strengthen the country against foreigners. The land had been conceded to the British Army back then in order to protect Shanghai from rebels. However, above all they were devoted to the imperial cause, which they referred to as the highest, loyalty of all. This led to political upheaval as various factions pushed for various different solutions to the issue. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The impact of the Shogunate was one of stability and unification over the course of the 1600s. Compounding the situation, the population increased significantly during the first half of the Tokugawa period. "There was a great contrast in living conditions inside and outside the walls.When the British or French walk down the street, the Qing people all avoid them and get out of the way. Most, like Kido Kin and It Hirobumi of Chsh and Saig Takamori and kubo Toshimichi of Satsuma, were young samurai of modest rank, but they did not represent in any sense a class interest. and more. With no other course of action in sight, the. However, the Emperor was restricted to his, imperial city of Kyoto and served a symbolic role rather than a practical one. He was concerned about the influence of Europeans. The Tokugawas were in-charge of a feudal regime made up, certain degree of autonomy and sovereignty, providing in return military service and loyalty to the, exercised power specifically at a local level, the Tokugawa Shogunate, would not only govern their own vast lands and vassals, but also make decisions related to foreign, policy and national peacekeeping. What events led toRead More While the year 1868 was crucial to the fall of the shogunate and the establishment of a new government . In 1868, a new government began to establish itself. The fall of the Tokugawa. Website. Sharing a similar vision for the country, these men maintained close ties to the government leadership. . Although it was hard-pressed for money, the government initiated a program of industrialization, which was seen as essential for national strength. The Tokugawa did not eventually collapse simply because of intrinsic failures. Economic decline became pronounced in many regions, and inflation was a major problem in urban areas. Seeing that the British Army acted as if they owned the place, Takasugi jotted down in his diary, "Deplorable, indeed." 8 Smith, Neil Skene, 'Materials on Japanese Social and Economic History: Tokugawa Japan', Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan (TASJ), 2nd series, 1931, p. 99 Google Scholar.In the 1720s Ogy Sorai warned against trying to lower prices: 'The power and prosperity of the merchants is such that, organized together throughout the entire country, prices are maintained high, no matter . The term used in Japan to describe their rule is bakufu, which literally means "tent government" and suggests the field . view therefore ventured to point out that Western aggression, exemplified by Perrys voyages, merely provide the final impetus towards a collapse that was inevitable in any case. p7{xDi?-7f.3?_/Y~O:^^m:nao]o7ro/>^V N>Gyu.ynnzg_F]-Y}/r*~bAO.4/' [czMmO/h7/nOs-M3TGds6fyW^[|q k6(%m}?YK|~]m6B'}Jz>vgb8#lJHcm|]oV/?X/(23]_N}?xe.E"t!iuNyk@'}Dt _(h!iK_V-|tX0{%e_|qt' a/0WC|NYNOzZh'f:z;)`i:~? He wrote, it is inconceivable that the Shogunate would, have collapsed had it been able to resist the demands made by the United States, Russia, Great, Britain, and other nations of the West. That being said, even historians like Storry agree that the, internal factors were significant, though not as. Critically discuss the salient features of Sankin- Kotai system? Foreign military superiority was demonstrated conclusively with the bombardment of Kagoshima in 1863 and Shimonoseki in 1864. CRITICAL DAYS OF THE SHGUNATE The last fifteen years of the Tokugawa Shgunate represent the period in which the Shgunate experienced the greatest unrest and underwent the most profound changes in its history. In the interim Itagaki traveled to Europe and returned convinced more than ever of the need for national unity in the face of Western condescension. From the eighteenth century onwards, elements of Western learning were available to Japanese intellectuals in the form of Dutch studies. Some of the teachers and students of Dutch studies gradually came to believe in the superiority of Western science and rejected Confucian ideology. 5I"q V~LOv8rEU _JBQ&q%kDi7X32D6z 9UwcE5fji7DmXc{(2:jph(h Is9.=SHcTA*+AQhOf!7GJHJrc7FJR~,i%~`^eV8_XO"_T_$@;2izm w4o&:iv=Eb? 6K njd Fukoku kyhei (Enrich the country, strengthen the military) became the Meiji slogan. Newly landless families became tenant farmers, while the displaced rural poor moved into the cities. There were persistent famines and epidemics, inflation, and poverty. Christian missionaries challenged the ideas of Buddhism and Shintoism, and preached about a God who wa. Leading armies of tens of thousands, three daimyo stood out as the most successful warriors of their time, becoming known as the three unifiers of Japan. Now compare that to the Maritime Empires. When the bakufu, despite opposition from the throne in Kyto, signed the Treaty of Kanagawa (or Perry Convention; 1854) and the Harris Treaty (1858), the shoguns claim of loyalty to the throne and his role as subduer of barbarians came to be questioned. Organized society did not collapse, but many Japanese became uneasy about the present and future. The samurai and daimyo class had become corrupt and lost the respect of the Japanese people, the government had become bloated (there were 17,000 bureaucrats in Edo in 1850 compared to 1,700 in Washington) and Tokugawa's social and political structures had grown outdated. Accessed 4 Mar. Tokugawa, 1868. What were the negative effects of Japanese imperialism? Popular art and other media became increasingly obsessed with death, murder, disaster, and calamities of all kinds, and this tendency became quite pronounced by the 1850s. 2. Many people starved as a result. Before the Tokugawa took power in 1603, Japan suffered through the lawlessness and chaos of the Sengoku ("Warring States") period, which lasted from 1467 to 1573.