Mapping and Governing in Tokugawa Japan Flashcards
Following the age of the country at war, Japan enjoyed two centuries of…….
Peace
Give some different reasons as to why Japan was able to enjoy peace and stability
Doctrine/Ideology
Habit/Routine
Government actions
• Political forms and practices may remain the same, but the justification may shift
Did Japan have one official doctrine
No
It had multiple overlapping ideas and practices (syncretic religions, alternate attendance and Confucianism)
Give the Confucian situation in Japan in terms of a doctrine
The Imjin war caused an influx of Neo-Confucian ideas into Japan
Confucian scholars claimed that this ideology offered the best way to legitimise the government - the shogun should be obeyed because he is a paragon of virtue
Additionally, the samurai should model themselves on literati and yangban
The Tokugawa were receptive to this idea to an extent
Give some limits/differences to Confucianism in Japan relative to its neighbours
Confucianism never attains the same institutional support as in China or Korea
The biggest difference is no examination system
As a result, some scholars argued that Japanese civilisation was radically different as a result
Nevertheless, Confucian scholars did flourish in Japan, occupying their own transnational intellectual sphere
How did Confucianism in Japan develop in different ways, resulting form the absence of an examination system
There was a less clearly defined orthodox interpretation
Samurai and some commoners embraced Confucianism despite the lesser association with career advancement
Give some different Confucian interpretations of the time
Fujiwara Seika - Emphasised ritual practices prior to writing, became the framework for interpreting Japanese foundation myths
Ogyu Sorai - Tokugawa polity could be closer to Confucian classics than contemporary China. Was justifying the relative decentralisation of Japan during the period compared to bureaucratic China
Demonstrates how Confucianism can be reinterpreted so that Japan appears to be true to the form of classic Confucianism
- Japanese interpretation of Confucianism could be seen as more egalitarian than the continent
Explain the significance of the Daimyo having to visit and stay in the capital
Contributed to the integration of Japan and its 250 plus domains
Prevents alliances and infighting between the Daimyo
Reminder of the military origins of the Tokugawa regime out of the conflict of the sengoku period (warring states)
Maps convey ideas in………ways, and map-making could be a powerful………..practice
Subtle
Political
What actions did Tokugawa Leyasu take in relation to maps
Commissions new maps for Japan’s provinces almost as soon as he unifies the country in 1603
The map is redrawn as Ieyasu transfers landholdings to the Dayimyo who allied with him during the unification - in order to punish his enemies
1604 - orders landed estate to discuss the scope of their holdings, including the scope and yield of every village in their domain
How did the new maps take place
Map surveyors were supported by armed military units
The land surveyors split up some village communities, combining others and set out sites for future ones
Producing maps entailed negotiations of power, from the Shogun to the peasants themselves
How were the maps used
Maps commissioned by the Shogun contained data pertinent to extracting revenue, rewarding loyal vassals with parcels of land, and containing unrest
However, most maps were sued for commercial purposes
The proliferation of maps as part of a broader publishing boom that occurred during the Tokugawa period
Many of these commercial maps were used by travellers along Japan’s major roads, which symbolised Tokugawa authority
Confucian scholars provided an ideology that……………..the……….of the Tokugawa household and individual daimyo
But they did not………….the attention of the governing authorities, who did less to institutionalise…………learning than in Korea/China - no exams
Legitimised
Role
Monopolise
Confucian
Give two ways the Tokugawa regime was able to maintain power and stability
Alternate attendance - emphasised the supreme of the Tokugawa shogun
Maps made visible and circulated the span of the ruler’s realm - whilst being able to keep a grip on his loyalists and enemies
Changes bought on by the growth of the…………. ……………..did not always fit in easily with earlier practices and ideas that bolstered the……………..of Tokugawa rule, partially when they were associated with moral and…………….crises
Commercial economy
Legitimacy
Economic
