AP World History POD #13 – Mings, Qings & Mughals Japanese Feudalism

Class Discussion Notes Bulliet et. al. – “Japanese Reunification”, pp

Setting the Scene... “Japan experienced three major changes between 1500 and 1800: internal and external military conflicts, political growth and strengthening, and expanded commercial and cultural contacts. Along with its culturally homogenous population and natural boundaries, Japan’s smaller size made the process of political unification shorter than in the great empires of China and Russia. Japan also differed in its responses to new contacts with western Europeans.” (Bulliet, 553)

Daimyo 12 th century warlords who began to exert control over Japan Each daimyo had a castle town, a small bureaucracy and band of warriors and pledged loose allegiance to the emperor Samurai - the warrior class of feudal Japan, followed the Code of Bushido, honor in death was more important that a long life lacking honor Shogun – chief of the emperor’s government and armies Both the emperor and shogun functioned more as figureheads during this era

Hideyoshi Emerged from the civil wars of the late 1500s as the most powerful daimyo 1592 led 160,000 men in an attempt to invade the Chinese mainland and take Korea with the ultimate goal of becoming emperor of China The technological and military skill of the Koreans was on full display as covered warships, called “turtle boats” intercepted the Japanese Hideyoshi was unstable and used brutal punitive measures as his army advanced through the Korean peninsula and into Manchuria After his death in 1598 the Japanese leaders withdrew from Korea The invasion caused financial crisis in Korea as the nobility seized control of tax-paying land during the Japanese retreat removing it from the tax rolls, China was also weakened allowing the Manchu to consolidate their power setting the stage for the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty to take power

Tokugawa Shogunate Tokugawa Ieyasu gained control of Japan after the death of Hideyoshi establishing the Tokugawa Shogunate A new capital at Edo (Tokyo) was established Trade along the well maintained road between Edo and the imperial capital of Kyoto promoted the development of the Japanese economy and the formation of other trading centers While there was more political unity in Japan than ever before, the local daimyo still retained considerable power and autonomy This era saw great technological advance (steel making, pottery, lacquer, porcelain) – this was a result of the assistance of Korean experts brought to Japan during the assault led by Hideyoshi

Tokugawa Economics Shoguns required the daimyo to visit Edo frequently, and therefore there was a focus on maintaining good roads and maritime facilities Maritime transport linked the Edo to the castle towns on three of the four main islands – commercial traffic followed on these same routes Shoguns paid the lords in rice and lords paid their followers in rice which was converted into cash at rice exchanges at Edo and Osaka where merchants speculators gathered Samuari became customers of luxury goods (silk, sake, fans, porcelain, books, moneylending) as their education level rose and they joined the civil elite This era saw a combination of low prices and high interest rates

Rice Economy “…troubling the Tokugawa government in the 1700s was the shogunate’s inability to stabilize rice prices and halt the economic decline of the samurai. The Tokugawa government realized that rice brokers could manipulate prices and interest rates to enrich themselves at the expense of the samurai, who had to convert their rice allotments into cash. Early Tokugawa laws designed to regulate interest and prices were later supplemented by laws requiring moneylenders to forgive samurai debts. But these laws were not always enforced. By the early 1700s many lords and samurai were dependent on the willingness of merchants to provide credit.” (Bulliet, p. 560)

Japanese Christianity Japan welcomed European traders but monitored and regulated their activities Jesuit missionaries traveled with the European merchants The teachings of the Jesuits were embraced by commoners, but was seen as highly disruptive by the elite In the early 17 th century there were more than 300,000 Japanese Christians – however, there was great fear and suspicion of these people 1614 – a government decree banned Christianity accusing the Christians of plotting to overthrow the government 1617 – the government initiated beheadings, crucifixions and forced recantations until the Christian community was nearly completely destroyed – trade with Europe was sharply reduced and any European who entered illegally faced the death penalty – and Japanese subjects were required to produce certificates supporting their adherence to Buddhism

Forty-Seven Ronin Exemplified the ideological and social crisis of Japan’s transformation from a military to a civil society A senior minister provoked a young daimyo into drawing his sword at the shogun’s court Seppuku (ritual suicide of the samurai) was order for the young daimyo and his followers became ronin (masterless samurai) Under the Code of Bushido they were obligated these ronin to avenge the death of their master – they broke into the house of the senior minister and killed him and the other members of his household – returning to a temple in Edo to notify the shogun of their actions Legal Debate – to deny the righteousness of the ronin would be to deny samurai values – to approve of their actions would create lawlessness and chaos Shogun ruled the ronin had to die but could do so through seppuku (traditional samurai values had to surrender to the supremacy of law)