Essay on The Tokugawa Shogunate

The Tokugawa period was ultimately dissolved due to the following factors. A rapid growth economy, up until the 19th century, allowed room for civil disobedience, and consequently a whole new political and social structure. The feudal system was out of date by more than two hundred years; the class division into warriors and commoners didn’t relate well to 19th century Japan’s cities bursting at the seams with wealthy merchants and agitated samurai. Foreign pressure to open borders also upset the apple cart, and further widened the ever growing rift of discontent.
Samurai Confucian values were juxtaposed against capitalist gains. Specifically, the Tokugawa leaders saw agriculture as the basis of the economy, ‘even though the demand to improve the material quality of one's life was quickly leading to the development of a money/market economy’ (Hoffert 4). Samurai were paid in rice, and consequently, opulent extras only served to decrease their fixed income and undermine their quality of living. Unfortunately, there were only a limited number of ways that the daimyo and the bakufu could deal with this type of economic crisis. The potential return to early Confucian values was one way intellectuals sought to deal with the issue, e.g. Ogyu Sorai and Yamaga Soka (who pushed for frugal living/bushido ethics). On the other hand, if funds were cut or restricted, it either put the Samurai into poverty level living, or took them out of the caste altogether.
By the early 1860s, the Tokugawa bakufu was in a quandary. Although there was definite resistance from the court, the Perry Convention and the Harris treaty were signed. The shogun's loyalty was questioned. ‘On the one hand it had to strengthen the country against foreigners. On the other it knew that providing the economic means for self-defense meant giving up shogunal controls that kept competing lords financially weak. Activist samurai tried to push their feudal superiors into more strongly anti-foreign positions. “This procured stern countermeasures and diplomatic indemnities. Most samurai soon realized that expelling foreigners by force was impossible. Foreign military superiority was demonstrated conclusively with the bombardment of Kagoshima in 1863 and Shimonoseki in 1864. Thereafter, samurai activists used their anti-foreign slogans primarily to obstruct and embarrass the bakufu, which retained little room to maneuver. Domestically it was forced to make anti-foreign concessions to placate the loyalist camp, while foreigners were assured that it remained committed to “opening the country” and abiding by the treaties. Both sides saw it as prevaricating and ineffectual” (Britannica 23186). The bakufu wouldn’t accept any of these ideas, which created the problem of a modern vs. a feudal economy, forcing action on the part of the Satsuma and Choshu. The Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown by lower samurai and ronin, (Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa & Hizen clans, specifically) court nobility and the Emperor, merchants (who largely funded the revolt) and disgruntled peasants who were soldiers and equally held a general disposition that weakened the regime. Satsuma and Choshu were part of the largest domains, and therefore capable of political sway. Satsuma was 2nd in tax yield, Choshu held the 9th; out of 165 Hans in Japan. Their wealth in the mid 19th century led to their success. Excellent financial resources, strong morale, and western ammunitions took them to victory. Both Satsuma and Choshu were in locales far removed from the more urban areas. The warrior/aristocrats were less wanton in these outlying regions, so morale was much better than their urban counterparts. Satsuma and Choshu were not initially allies; however, after 1861 this changed because Satsuma had lost faith in the Shogunate and doubted their true motives. They deduced Choshu was a better adherent. By 1866, a secret alliance was drawn up in Kyoto in order to snuff out the shogunate. The reformers themselves were young, forward thinking people, samurai and peasant alike. Choshu took an interesting approach by supporting the “Sonno joi” and thus sided with the (Choshu controlled) Imperial Court. The bakufu didn’t deal with the ‘aliens’ as it were, which led to the demise of Tokugawa. The shogunate was forced to comply with the public, and was given a timeframe to literally expel the westerners. This put the shogunate in an unachievable position, which continued to undermine its power. The Shogunate was wedged between pressure from the Kyoto court and the advanced military power of the West. It was futile to attempt policy making. Once the emperor and shogun died within one year of each other, civil war ensued. The new Shogun, Keiki, voluntarily surrendered his executive powers to the youthful new Emperor, Meiji, in November 1867. Imperial re-establishment was formally decreed. This was the beginning of an extended struggle before the calm. Following the formal proclamation of the Restoration, a new governmental structure was announced in 1868. A ceremony to proclaim the Charter Oath took place in Kyoto. Emperor Meiji read out the following covenant before the ‘gods of heaven and earth’:
1. Deliberative assemblies shall be widely established and all matters decided by public discussion.
2. All classes, high and low, shall unite in vigorously carrying out the administration of affairs of state.
3. The common people, no less than the civil and military officials, shall each be allowed to pursue his own calling so that there may be no discontent.
4. Evil customs of the past shall be broken off and everything based upon the just laws of Nature.
5. Knowledge shall be sought throughout the world so as to strengthen the foundations of imperial rule.5
The Charter Oath was the foundation for constitutional government. Keiki was wholly excluded from its membership and his domains were ordered to be seized. He took up arms, but was defeated at the Battle of Fushimi. After this failure, Keiki ordered Edo to be surrendered to the Imperial troops. The idea of removing foreign influence waned, and the new administration realized that in order to keep up with the great economic powers, Japan would have to quickly catch up to the technologically advanced west. The government readily enabled British, American, French, German and Dutch as pilots, railways and marine engineers, financial and legal advisers, agricultural experts, university and school teachers, military and naval instructors. In turn, the Japanese went abroad to do the same. They were eager to learn from the foreigners, and put the newfound knowledge to good use. Policy went from anti-foreigners to pro-foreigners almost overnight. In 1869, the Emperor took up residence in Edo, which is modern day Tokyo or Eastern Capital. It has been Japan’s epicenter ever since. The fortitude and ambition of the young samurai pushed the movement forward which led to not only the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, but the rise of the Meiji restoration. Military power rather than traditional power became the scene in Japanese politics.


Bibliography

1. Encyclopedia Britannica Online
2. http://www.crystalinks.com/japan9.html
3. The Making of Modern Japan, Jansen, Marius B. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2002.