| EDO PERIOD (1603-1867) |
Early Japan
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Tokugawa Ieyasu was the most powerful man in Japan after Hideyoshi had died in 1598. Against his promises he did not respect Hideyoshi's successor Hideyori because he wanted to become the absolute ruler of Japan.
In the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Ieyasu defeated the Hideyori loyalists and other Western rivals. Hence, he achieved almost unlimited power and wealth.
Ieyasu brought the whole country under tight control. He cleverly redistributes the gained land among the daimyo: more loyal vassals (the ones who supported him already before Sekigahara) received strategically more important domains accordingly. In order to excert absolute control over the people, a strict four-class-system existed during the Edo period: at the top of the social hierarchy stood the samurai, followed by the peasants, artisans and merchants. The members of the four classes were not allowed to change their social status.
Ieyasu continued to promote foreign trade. He established relations with the English and the Dutch. On the other hand, he enforced the suppression and persecution of Christianity from 1614 on in order to reduce dangerous foreign influence. After the destruction of the Toyotomi clan in 1615 when Ieyasu captured Osaka castle, he and his successors had practically no rivals anymore, and peace prevailed throughout the Edo period.
In 1633, shogun Iemitsu forbade travelling abroad and almost completely isolated Japan in 1639 by reducing the contact to the outside world to very limited trade relations with China and the Netherlands in the port of Nagasaki. In addition, all foreign books were banned. Despite the isolation, domestic trade and agricultural production continued to improve.
The Tokugawa government remained very stable over the centuries; however, its position was slightly declining due to a growing debt and other developments particularily during the later decades:
In the end of the 18th century, external pressure started to be an increasingly important issue, when the Russians first tried to establish trade contacts with Japan without success. They were followed by European nations and the Americans in the 19th century.
Those events caused growing anti-Western feelings and critics towards the Tokugawa Bakufu resulting in another movement demanding for the restoration of the emperor.
In 1867-68, the Tokugawa government fell because of heavy political pressure, and the power of Emperor Meiji was restored. |
| EDO PERIOD
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