Chapter 4b History

• Tokugawa period (1603-1868)
• Japan was agrarian society


  Most economic activity revolved around cultivation of crops
• 1. Emperor
  2. shogun
  3. daimyo
  4. samurai
  5. peasants
  6. artisans
  7. merchants
• emperor - top but had little power
• Shogun- real head of Japan
• Daimyo - powerful landlords who owned large amounts of land

  • held estates at pleasure of shoguns
  • controlled armies that were to provide military service to shogun when needed
  • was under shogun
• Samurai - warrior class

  • known for moral code known as way of warrior
• Peasants - 80% of population, were not allowed to engage in non-agricultural activities
• Merchants-Japan called creator above those who trade

  • became more wealthy as japans economy significantly grew
• Japan believed the emperor was descendants of the Sun, Godess Amaterasu
• Japan was strict about social hierarchy and system reflected social values placed on different segments of society by shogunate
• System was based on japans interpretation of Chinese Confucianism
• Social order was hereditary and officially frozen
• Strict hierarchy - long period of peace and relative prosperity
• Political structure was established by Tokugawa house (bakuhan system)
• People were given land and protection by people of higher rank, worked and fought for them in return
• Bakuhan - coexistence of Tokugawa government and separate, independent government in each Han, area
• System where 2 levels of government existed with a high degree of independence
• Shogunate directly administrates 1/4 of japans territory (Hans of Tokugawa house)
• Shogunate controls 3/4 of japans territory (Hans of daimyo)
• Shogunate

  1. Controls samurai class
  2. collect tax
  3. maintain civil order
  4. encourage commerce and manufacturing
  5. sankin-Kotai System
• Controlling daimyo

  1. Threat of seppuku demand and termination of family
  2. threat of hans
  3. limits on military capability
  4. assignment of charger and public works
• Sankin-kotai system- establish Rules which specified for each daimyo during a period of time every year or more
• Shoguns priorities

  • limit power of powerful daimyo
  • make sure that none of them developed any credible ambitions
  • ensure inability both economically and militarily
• rules for daimyo in sankin-kotai system

  • daimyo must live in Edo (Tokyo)
  • family too so that they can hold hostage of them and place economic burden on them
• limit military capabilities

  • drain away resources that may be used in military preparations against shogunate
  • daimyo had to maintain large residence and support facilities in Tokyo
  • had to travel to and from Edo along route dedicated by shogunate
  • whole system consumed 25% of income available to most daimyo
• Daimyo required to present shogun household with gifts

  • watched to ensure gifts were a great expense
• Materials, labour and funds for construction of large public works came from daimyo

  • effectively neutralising daimyo economically
• Han system included police and spy network to report suspicious activity by daimyo
• Required to report proposed marriage alliance between domains to shogunate for approval
• Contact between domains were prohibited to reduce opportunities for plotting against shogunate
• Forced to destroy all castles except official residence
• Punishment- reduce domain size, shift to entirely different domain, suicide could b e demanded, reduce in status to non-daimyo level