Tokugawa Shogunate
Dariush Amir-Aslani and Jackson Aquino
Thesis
Deforestation
Strong Government
Daimyos, Dai meaning large, and myo meaning land, these land owners were loyal to the shogunate unlike previous feudal governments. The Daimyos also did not collect taxes for their own wealth, but the taxes collected from a certain town was always to benefit that particular town. The Daimyos weren’t worried about the higher levels of government but were completely focused on their own land to command. Feudalism in China and other civilizations would fall primarily because of the different land owners conspiring together and planning to overthrow the dictator. In the Tokugawa time period, the Shogun knew that events like this would most likely occur, and stationed warriors on the roads keeping different Daimyos from planning attacks against their ruler. There was essential peace because of this system. The Shogun also put ancient Japan in a state of isolationism to keep other civilizations, primarily Europeans, away from Tokugawa Japan. The samurai were the warrior class of feudal Japan. The word "samurai" is derived from the Japanese word subaru, "to serve." The core of the samurai ethical code, known as Bushido, glorified heroism, courage, honor, and loyalty to one's lord. The Samurai had extreme loyalty and respect to the shogun, and the greatest honor was to die for him. Their loyalty in battle led to success every time and the Shogun could count on them to never be bought off, or surrender to the enemy, a problem that had occurred multiple times in all ancient civilizations.
The fall of the Shogun was in 1868 when Japan returned to an Imperialistic state. The Shogun at this time, Yoshinobu, opened trade with the outside world for the first time in Japan. The citizens as well as the Samurai were not as open to this change. They sided with the Emperor rather than the new Shogun and revolted against him and his army of French and American soldiers. Old Japan versus New Japan, a clash between completely different cultures. The Shogun was destroyed and the Emperor, Meiji took control of Japan.
Fall of Tokugawa
Bibliography
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"The Fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate." The Fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.