what is the tokugawa settlement

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When did the Tokugawa shogunate start?

In 1603 a shogunate was established by a warrior, Tokugawa Ieyasu, in the city of Edo (present Tokyo). The period thence to the year 1867—the Tokugawa, or Edo, era—constitutes the later feudal period in Japan.

How did Tokugawa Ieyasu gain control of Japan?

In 1615, Ieyasu defeated the Toyotomi clan in a battle at Osaka Castle, thereby solidifying his power over the islands of Japan. Thus began a period of relative peace and stability in which the military lords known as daimyō were kept in check through a system of alternate attendance and tribute known as sankin kōtai.

How much land did the Tokugawa clan have in Japan?

Towards the end of the shogunate, the Tokugawa clan held around 7 million koku of land (天領 tenryō), including 2.6-2.7 million koku held by direct vassals, out of 30 million in the country. The other 23 million koku were held by other daimyos.

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What was the Tokugawa empire known for?

The Tokugawa period was marked by internal peace, political stability, and economic growth. Social order was officially frozen, and mobility between classes (warriors, farmers, artisans, and merchants) was forbidden. The samurai warrior class came to be a bureaucratic order in this time of lessened conflict.

What does Tokugawa mean in history?

Tokugawa definition Of or relating to a family of shoguns that ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867, a period marked by centralized feudalism, the growth of urban centers, exclusionary policies against the West, and a rise in literacy. adjective.

What was the purpose of the Tokugawa shogunate?

The Tokugawa shogunate organized Japanese society under the strict Tokugawa class system and banned most foreigners under the isolationist policies of Sakoku to promote political stability.

Do the Tokugawa still exist?

Tsunenari was active for many years in the shipping company Nippon Yūsen, retiring in June, 2002, and is the head of the nonprofit Tokugawa Foundation....Tsunenari Tokugawa.Tokugawa Tsunenari 徳川恒孝Head of the Tokugawa HouseReign18 February 1963 – presentPredecessorIemasa TokugawaBorn26 February 19404 more rows

How did Tokugawa change Japan?

Tokugawa Ieyasu's dynasty of shoguns presided over 250 years of peace and prosperity in Japan, including the rise of a new merchant class and increasing urbanization. To guard against external influence, they also worked to close off Japanese society from Westernizing influences, particularly Christianity.

Who was the first Tokugawa?

Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康, January 31, 1543 – June 1, 1616; born Matsudaira Takechiyo and later taking other names) was the founder and first shōgun of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

Why did the Tokugawa shogunate keep Japan isolated?

In their singleminded pursuit of stability and order, the early Tokugawa also feared the subversive potential of Christianity and quickly moved to obliterate it, even at the expense of isolating Japan and ending a century of promising commercial contacts with China, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

What caused the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate?

The arrival of Americans and Europeans in the 1850s increased domestic tensions. 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.

How did Tokugawa Japan fall?

Tokugawa society placed great importance on obedience to authority. The individual was controlled by the state, the community and the family. The forced opening of Japan following US Commodore Matthew Perry's arrival in 1853 undoubtedly contributed to the collapse of the Tokugawa rule.

How many samurai are left?

However, samurai clans still exist to this day, and there are about 5 of them in Japan. One of which is the Imperial Clan, the ruling family of Japan, and is headed by Emperor Naruhito since his ascension to the Chrysanthemum throne in 2019.

When Was The Last Samurai alive?

1828 to 1877Saigo Takamori of Japan is known as the Last Samurai, who lived from 1828 to 1877 and is remembered to this day as the epitome of bushido, the samurai code. Although much of his history has been lost, recent scholars have discovered clues to the true nature of this illustrious warrior and diplomat.

Which Japanese clans still exist?

List of Samurai & Samurai Clans that Still Exist (Modern Day Samurai)1.2.1 1) Tokugawa Clan.1.2.2 2) Shimazu Clan.1.2.3 3) Oda Clan.1.2.4 4) Imperial Clan.1.2.5 5) Date Clan.

What does the word Edo mean?

Edo (Japanese: 江戸, lit. '"bay-entrance" or "estuary"'), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.

How did Tokugawa bring peace?

Tokugawa Ieyasu had negotiated a peace treaty in 1605 with the Korean throne, thus reestablishing relations. The Japanese government would directly trade with only one European power, the Netherlands, because they viewed the Dutch as much more interested in commercial activity than spreading Christianity.

What was before Tokugawa?

Heian Era (794 – 1192)

What does Bakufu mean?

tent government(lit. " tent government"). Synonymous with "shogunate." Any of the three military governments ruling Japan during most of the period from 1192 to 1867, as opposed to the civil government under the emperor at Kyoto.

What happened during the Tokugawa period?

The Tokugawa period was marked by internal peace, political stability, and economic growth. Social order was officially frozen, and mobility betwee...

How long did the Tokugawa period last?

The Tokugawa period lasted more than 260 years, from 1603 to 1867.

Why was the Tokugawa period important?

The Tokugawa period was the final period of traditional Japan. It was the last of the shogunates. During this time Tokugawa Ieyasu established a go...

How did the Tokugawa regime help Japan?

By reducing Ōsaka Castle and quelling the Shimabara Rebellion, the Tokugawa regime brought to an end the period of violence and ushered in an era of unprecedented domestic peace. As a result, commerce was promoted and cities developed. Widespread commercialization occurred in the latter half of the 17th century, centred in the Kinki region, where productive capacity was the most advanced. Now the nationwide farming populace ( hyakushō) of independent landowners, although subject to heavy taxes and various kinds of labour services, sought the means to enjoy a better standard of living. In addition to their primary efforts as cultivators, they reclaimed new lands and produced various commercial crops and handicraft goods for sale in the city and town markets. Among these commercial crops were cotton and rapeseed oil in the Kinki region and silk in eastern Japan. Communications and transportation also developed for the circulation of such goods, thanks to the earlier efforts of various daimyo to maximize production in their domains and to the increased mobility caused by the sankin kōtai system. As a result of the development of commerce and communications, new-style merchants such as wholesalers and brokers to handle commercial crops came to the fore, and powerful financiers also appeared.

What was the Tokugawa Shogunate based on?

His political ideas—as seen in such works as Honchō hennen-roku (“Chronological History of Japan”) and Honchō tsugan (“Survey History of Japan”), completed by his son Gahō—provided a historical justification for the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, based upon the concept of tendō (“way of heaven”).

Why did Shushigaku appeal to the feudal rulers?

Shushigaku appealed especially to the feudal rulers because, among the various schools of Confucianism, it was the most systematic doctrine. Fujiwara Seika is regarded as the father of Tokugawa Neo-Confucianism, lecturing even to Ieyasu himself.

What were the main crops of the Kinki region?

Among these commercial crops were cotton and rapeseed oil in the Kinki region and silk in eastern Japan.

What percentage of Japan's population were warriors?

Forming barely 7 percent of Japan’s total population, warriors levied taxes on the farmers, who formed more than four-fifths of the population and who thus provided the economic foundation of the system. Symbolizing their dominance of society by force of arms, samurai wore two swords; by law, the other classes were forbidden to wear them, ...

Who was Seika's student?

Seika’s student, the Chu Hsi scholar Hayashi Razan, served as advisor to the first three shoguns. He established what was to become the official Confucian school, which provided philosophical guidance to the shogunal house and high bakufu officials throughout the period.

How long did the Tokugawa family rule Japan?

By 1840, the Tokugawa family had maintained its political and economic supremacy over all of Japan for a little less than 250 years.

How did Tokugawa Ieyasu establish his dynasty?

When Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated his enemies in 1600 and began the dynasty which was to last for over 250 years, he claimed large land holdings for himself and his household, gave land holdings with prescribed borders called han to those daimyō who had fought for him. Daimyō who fought against him in the battle were given a han in more remote, provincial, and less strategic areas of Japan. In this way he began the system which was designed to ensure Tokugawa power as well as peace in the land. As time went on his successors added laws to this system, further guaranteeing their own authority.

What was the name of the system of rule between the central authority, Bakufu, and the many domains?

The system which had emerged in the 17th century became known as the bakuhan seido, or the system of rule between the central authority, bakufu, and the many domains, han, which the shogun had configured. The Tokugawa family assumed this authority after defeating a formidable army of opposing clans at the battle of Sekigahara in 1600.

What was Japan's economy based on?

Japan's economy at this time was based on rice, and Tokugawa had by far the greatest area under rice cultivation. It also maintained the largest number of samurai, the military component of the system, and demanded and received allegiance from the 270 or so daimyō, and their samurai vassals, who lived in the established han.

What was the Bakuhan system?

In its ideal form, the bakuhan system provided for central authority with power over the lives and livelihood of everyone residing in each han and the daimyō who was in charge. At the same time the daimyō had considerable power within his own lands as long as he did not break any of the rules sent down from Edo.

Who established the Tokugawa Shogunate?

The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars of the Sengoku period following the collapse of the Ashikaga shogunate.

How did the Tokugawa clan ensure loyalty?

The Tokugawa clan further ensured loyalty by maintaining a dogmatic insistence on loyalty to the shōgun. Daimyos were classified into three main categories:

How long did the Tokugawa Shogunate last?

Notwithstanding its eventual overthrow in favour of the more modernized, less feudal form of governance of the Meiji Restoration, the Tokugawa shogunate oversaw the longest period of peace and stability in Japan's history, lasting well over 260 years.

What was the name of the Japanese government during the Edo period?

v. t. e. The Tokugawa shogunate ( / ˌtɒkuːˈɡɑːwə /, Japanese 徳川幕府 Tokugawa bakufu ), also known as the Edo shogunate (江戸幕府, Edo bakufu), was the feudal military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.

What is the principle of Daimyo?

The principle that each daimyo (including those who were previously independent of the Tokugawa family) submitted to the shogunate, and each han required the shogunate's recognition and were subject to its land redistributions. 192-93 Daimyos swore allegiance to each shogun and acknowledged the Laws for Warrior Houses, or buke shohatto.

What is the shogunate system?

Shogunate and domains. The bakuhan system ( bakuhan taisei 幕藩体制) was the feudal political system in the Edo period of Japan. Baku is an abbreviation of bakufu, meaning "military government"—that is, the shogunate. The han were the domains headed by daimyō.

How long did the Tokugawa clan have peace?

The Mon of the Tokugawa clan, Shogunate (1600-1868) having preserved 250 years of peace.

What was the Tokugawa period?

Sir George Sansom’s history of Japan was first published in 1932 and used in U.S. college classrooms into the 1980s. In it, he described the Tokugawa period (1603-1868) as an era of oppressive “feudal” rule. In this view, hierarchical divisions between samurai, peasant, artisan, and merchant were strictly maintained. Sansom described a system in which swaggering samurai used their swords to cut down commoners. Miserable peasants barely eked out a living, and urban merchants were scorned as unethical profiteers. According to Sansom, change was loathed. The government kept the rest of the world out, denying “themselves all the gifts which the West then had to offer.” This move, said Sansom, “arrested the cultural development of Japan” (Sansom 1932, 455, 457).

Who was the first Shogun of Tokugawa?

The first Tokugawa shogun was Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616). He came of age in an era of violence and conflict. During the Warring States period (c.1467-1590), centralized political authority—the imperial court and the military government (shogunate, or bakufu)—had lost its effectiveness. Practical political power had passed into the hands of approximately 200 local warlords, or daimy. The daimy controlled their own territories. These territories were called domains. By the end of the period, some daimy had become extremely powerful. Each commanded large swaths of territory and tens of thousands of warriors.

What did the Tokugawa family do to the samurai?

The samurai were not the only group in Japan forced to change lifestyles under the Tokugawa family. All sectors of society were confined to their traditional roles much more strictly than in the past. The Tokugawa imposed a four-tier class structure that included strict rules about small details—such as which classes could use luxurious silks for their clothing.

When did Tokugawa Ieyasu establish the Shogunate?

In 1603 , Tokugawa Ieyasu completed the task and established the Tokugawa Shogunate, which would rule in the emperor's name until 1868.

Why was Hidetada named Shogun?

In order to ensure his family's claim on the title and to preserve the continuity of policy , he had his son Hidetada named shogun in 1605, running the government from behind the scenes until his death in 1616. This political and administrative savvy would characterize the first Tokugawa shoguns.

What was the Tokugawa Shoguns' life like?

In fact, life was so peaceful and unchanging that it eventually gave rise to the ukiyo —or "Floating World"—a leisurely lifestyle enjoyed by urban samurai, wealthy merchants, and geishas .

What was the period of the Sengoku?

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. Beginning in 1568, Japan's "Three Reunifiers"—Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu—worked to bring the warring daimyo back under central control.

Why did the southern Daimyo launch the Boshin War?

The Rise of the Meiji Empire. The southern daimyo launched the Boshin War to ensure that power would rest with the emperor rather than with a military leader. In 1868, the pro-imperial daimyo announced the Meiji Restoration, under which the young Emperor Meiji would rule in his own name.

How long did Japan stay in the world?

After 250 years of peace and relative isolation under the Tokugawa shoguns, Japan launched itself into the modern world. Hoping to escape the same fate as once-powerful China, the island nation threw itself into developing its economy and military might. By 1945, Japan had established a new empire across much of Asia.

Overview

History

Government

Institutions of the shogunate

Late Tokugawa shogunate (1853–1867)

See also

Further reading

External links