Tokugawa Modernity and the Meji Restoration Flashcards
Give the global narrative of the 19th and 20thC
Decentralised and relatively diffuse EM regimes became modern centralised nation-states engaged in geopolitical competition.
This transition was facilitated by earlier developments, but it was also disruptive
Gave rise to modern institutions and changed how the past, and its relationship to the present, was understood
Describe periodisation
Different ways of dividing up the past imply different theories of historical change
- AD/BC
- Mechanical divisions into decades/centuries
- Dynastic time (Ming/Qing)
Its easier to make the case for a periodisation scheme if change occurs on multiple levels (change of a political regime accompanied by economic changes)
Explain periodisation in Japan
- Dynastic units were applied to Japan during the Tokugawa period to make sense of the past
- Eras were named after the location of the centre of political power, which moved repeatedly from east to west
- Classical Chinese term ’warring states’ applied to the period in which no clear centre existed (15-17thC)
Later the idea that the emperor in Kyoto constituted the real centre of legitimate power cores all periods would lead to criticism of this periodisation scheme as a form of Chinese influence
How did Japanese periodisation change in the 20thC
Historians began to divide history into set periods (ancient-medieval etc.)
This division of history into periods was no longer entirely determined by the location of the capital, or by the family that ruled
Under the influence of Marxism, economic change came to be understood as an important factor that distinguished one age from another
Describe the destabilising effect of commercialisation and economic growth
Could be politically disruptive and destabilising
Increased consumption by commoners could lead to inflation
This hurt the samurai class, members of which were involved in political administration but tended to live on fixed incomes (reduced their purchasing power - government frequently having to intervene to cancel their debts)
- As parts of the countryside became more commercialised, boom and bust cycles lead to shortages and famines and protest
How did economic growth lead to rural unrest
Over the course of the Tokugawa period, there was a trend towards more rural protests, and more aggressive protest tactics
One traditional tactic - a direct petition to the shogun asking for relief
Over time, the protests became more violent
Common targets = landlords, moneylenders and traders
How did religion link to social unrest
In the 19thC, new religious movements began to gain aground among poorer peasants dn informed public protests
Example - Nakayama Miki founded Tenrikyo in 1838.
Growth of their religion lined to the idea that change was about to occur
Rich and poor began to pull in different directions
Give some Confucian attempts to solve modern problems
Confucian texts provided a medium for working out various proposals for reform
Ogyu Sorai: sends the samurai to the countryside and makes them more productive as rural administrators.
Other scholars were attached to private academies supported by merchants. They extolled the virtues of commercial activity
Confucian scholars were not resisting the progress of capitalism, they were grappling with problems that are still not resolved today
Some of their solutions were effective at the domain level, but coordination at the national level was difficult
Give another cause of reform other than economic growth (instability)
Foreign threats
Give some foreign threats faced by Japan and the consequence
Maurice Benyovszky spread false rumours that an attack from Russia was imminent - led to a strengthening of naval defences
- Often inspired by British incursions
- Led to a rethinking of Japanese foreign policy
What is the Tokugawa self-isolation myth
Originates from Engelbert Kaempfer’s ‘History of Japan’ (1727)
Some argued that the Tokugawa regime had followed an isolationist policy
To what extent is the self-isolation myth a fair portrayal
Japan was connected to the rest of the world just in different ways:
- De-centralised diplomacy – different areas of Japan forged diplomatic relations with different countries (Russia, south-east Asia, China, Netherlands, Korea)
- Was effective in maintaining the stability of the regime but ineffective when it came to the need to build up maritime defences and make changes at the national level.
Difficult to adept to a changing international system
Give some evidence that troubles were growing both within and without
Fears of the West (opium war)
Internal famines and protests
Commodore Perry in 1853 led to a series of treaties that promoted trade with japan and the US and was extended to other European powers as well.
Quite destabilising to the Tokugawa regime.
Their inability to resist the terms of the treaty led to a de-legitimation of the government.
What was the Satcho alliance
1866
Alliance formed between Satsuma and Choshu (two of the strongest imperial domains)
An attempt to combine efforts to restore imperial rule and overthrow the Tokugawa regime
How did Confucianism in Japan relate to China and the West
The idea that contemporary China was the model to be emulated had already been criticised in the 18thC through a creative interpretation of Confucian texts
China’s defeat in the opium war bolstered the view, but it did not lead to a discrediting of Confucian ideas. Strengthened the desire to put Confucian-based reforms more fully into practice
There was no necessary contradiction between adherence to Confucianism and drawing inspiration from institutions and practices adopted by powerful nations in Europe and the USA
This was due to scholars being able to make the case that these western countries adopted Confucian virtues more fully than Korea and China
