Lecture reading 1 - The Meiji Restoration Flashcards
Who was Ii Naosuke?
The shogunate’s chief policy maker.
When was Ii Naosuke assassinated and what was this incident known as?
Third Month of 1860, Sakuradamon incident.
Explain the ‘naiyū gaikan’
6 nai, 1 yu
‘Troubles from within and without’
Within:
- samurai impoverishment and declining martial spirit
- merchants living beyond status and financial means
- famine and death
- peasant uprisings and riots
- ideological ferment and mystical religions
- failed reform
Without:
Matthew Perry arrival in 1853
Why was Ii Naosuke assassinated?
Ii signed treaties establishing diplomatic relations and trade with US/European nations in 1858 believing that trade would benefit Japan and that Japan was not strong enough to say no.
Viewed as a coward and a traitor for submitting to outside pressure.
First of many acts of violence towards ‘foreign barbarians’ and shogunate officials who tolerated them.
When and why did samurai families in Kanazawa turn to commercial pursuits?
Early nineteenth century, because their standard of living was declining.
What economic problems did warrior families face and who were they jealous of?
Warrior families were no longer enjoying a lifestyle appropriate to their status, and blamed the merchants for living above their means.
Samurai stipends were cut, most daimyo were spending three quarters of their revenue on alternate attendance system.
When was the Tenpō famine?
1833-1838
Which text was considered to capture the essence of original Japanese personality and what was it ‘corrupted by?
Man’yōshū, corrupted by foreign neo-doctrines such as Buddhism and Confucianism.
Who believed Japan to be superior to other countries and why?
Motoori Norinaga, due to divine linkage with Amaterasu.
Name two foreign studies that came into Japan.
Rangaku (Dutch studies) - important works such as mathematics, anatomy, botany.
Chinese translations of western books.
Which three things were the new generation encouraged to debate in the mid-nineteenth century?
- utility of Confucian-based social heirarchy
- rule of shogunate in troubled country
- dangers and advantages of foreign cultures
What set Satsuma and Chōshū domains apart from the others?
They were successful in reforming during the Tenpō period between 1830-1844.
Which country was denied the establishment of commercial relations with Japan and launched raids against Japanese settlements?
Russia.
When did Russia launch raids against Japanese settlements and which settlements were they?
Sakhalin and southern Kuril Islands in 1806 and 1807.
Which country did Japan not want to end up like?
China after the Opium War.
Which country demanded supplies from Japan and when?
Britain in 1808.
What happened after Britain demanded supplies from Japan?
Local city magistrate provided supplies and then committed suicide for failing to protect Nagasaki.
What did Japan become fearful of after Hong Kong was ceded to Britain?
That Britain or any other powerful nation might use gunboat diplomacy to extent treaty port system across East Asia.
What did Aizawa say Japan should do and how should it do it?
Rediscover its ‘kokutai’ (national essence).
Shogunate had to revive the monarch’s role as the leader of religious-based state rituals (Heavenly Sovereign).
What ‘gifts’ did America want to bestow upon Japan?
- advantages of American civilisation
- industrial revolution
- Christianity
What year did Commodore Perry force Japan to open its ports?
1854
Which countries received similar treaties to Kanagawa?
Britain, France, and Russia.
What was significant about the Treaty of Kanagawa?
Unequal treaty.
How did Japan resolve to not end up like China after the Opium War?
Slogan ‘Eastern Ethics, Western Science’ - Japan should adopt the useful elements of Western technology and marry them to Eastern morality, not denigrate the rise of Western science and maths.
Who signed the Harris Treaty and when?
Ii Naosuke, 1858
What did the Harris treaty entail?
- formal exchance of diplomatic representations
- scheduled future opening of Edo, Kanawaga, Osaka, Hyogo, Nagasaki and Niigata as ports and cities where foreign merchants could establish residence and acquire extraterritoriality
- Japanese tariffs under international control
- pegged import duties at levels that benefited foreign traders
In short, UNEQUAL TREATY
What did Ii Naosuke fail to do before signing treaties with other countries?
Obtain royal sanction.
What did the shogunate do to make up for Ii’s misdeeds?
Wed the new shogun to the sister of the Heavenly Sovereign to adopt a more conciliatory attitude towards Kyoto (‘union of court and camp’)
Who opposed the union of court and camp?
Shishi (men of high purpose)
Who were the shishi and what was their purpose?
‘Men of high purpose’
- Anti-shogunate, pro-sonnō jōi political activists from lower-and-middle class families who experienced economic deprivation and whose status blocked them from being appointed to high government positions.
- Opposed gunboat diplomacy and unequal treaties.
- internalised ‘sonnō jōi’, ‘high purpose’ of action against Japan’s enemies
- nationalism and glorification of the Emperor led to new sense of unity and common purpose among warriors from different parts of Japan
What did the shishi do and which four domains did they usual hail from?
Launched campaigns of terror against foreigners, more than 70 assassinations between 1862-64 by shishi extremists from Chōshū, Satsuma, Tosa, and Hizen.
What kind of reforms did the Shogunate push for?
Ones that would:
- strengthen the military
- revive the shogunate’s authority over Kyoto
- abolish daimyo domains
Who were two key leaders in Chōshū, when did they assume key positions and what did they make of the Edo military buildup?
Itō Hirobumi and Yamagata Aritomo, assumed key positions after civil war in domain.
Did not approve of Edo militar buildup, dismissed shogunate as inept.
Which four crises occurred towards the end of the Tokugawa period?
- currency crisis
- earthquake in Edo
- cholera epidemic from the West
- crop failures
What date did Emperor Kōmei formally issue a proclamation declaring the restoration of his power?
January 3, 1868.
Who stormed into the royal compound?
Armed rebels from Satsuma and Chōshū.
What did Emperor Kōmei’s proclamation state? (4)
- abolished office of shogun
- restored power to Heavenly Sovereign
- created new government offices to be staffed by court nobles, daimyo, and other ‘men of talent’
- promised a ‘renewal of all things’
Who were the belligerents in the Bōshin Civil War?
Imperial court, Satsuma, Chōshū, Tosa, Hizen, Echizen
vs
Shogunate
When did the Bōshin Civil War end?
1869.
