The Tokugawa Political Settlements, Essay Example

It was Tokugawa Ieyasa that was the first Tokugawa shogun (1542-1616). The Tokugawa shogun lived in a time of political turmoil and violence. The shoguns had lost their powers and this was acquired by some 200+ warlords. These warlords were known as the ‘daimyo’ and they held domain over vast territories defended by tens of thousands of warriors. Typical of these warlords was Oda Nobunaga (1534-82) who was a brilliant strategist and tactitoner. He created a number of important allies who helped to control the Province of Owari. The leader became to think that he was invincible . Such delusions of grandeur made him try unsuccessful invasions of Korea and China.

Tokugawa Ieysa established a new shogun dynasty and succeeded in destroying the Toyotomi and all of their allies. This enabled them to take political control and maintain control for over 253 years without reverting to violence. The political rule was authoritarian but not based upon dictatorial rule. They distributed lands to blood relations and this kept the wealth and land within the control of the family. The shogun was clever in terms of balancing the demands and privileges upon the family members. (Gordon, 2009).

It was the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 that gave Ieyasu virtual control over all of Japan. He crushed the ‘daimyo’ houses and destroyed their power bases. The political process that resulted from the resulting period of peace was termed the ‘bakufu’ and was based upon the redistribution of wealth and lands upon the house of Tokugawa. The family retained considerable influence and power over the Emperor. In essence the Emperor was used as a form of political sanction for decisions made by the Shogun. The shogun repaid the emperor by helping to restore lands, palaces and building strong links between the Emperor and the Tokugawa family.

The Tokugawa political system has been described as being one of the most powerful feudal systems in history. It differed to the European system in that it contained a great deal more beurocracy; estimated in excess of 17,000 helpers that supported the administration of the shogun machine. Amongst these were the Roju who were responsible for dealing with foreign relation, these played a central role in the feudalism. The group carried out their activities in the format of a committee and reported to the shogun. The Roju had to report directly each day to the shogun. In this way the Shogun was seen to hold a monopoly position over all aspects of foreign trade and foreign affairs. This prevented many Europeans from travelling to Japan.

Meiji Economic industrial development in Japan

The Meiji Restoration is enshrined in the history of Japan. This took place in the period 1868-1912 and brought an end to the feudal system in the country. It was intended to bring Japan in line with the rest of the civilised world in terms of technology, culture/art, technology and political science. The Meiji document consisted of two main parts: (1) The Charter Oath and (2)The Imperial Rescript. The document was designed to reinstate the power and position of the Emperor of Japan. It was based upon a Prussian Model and consisted of some 76 articles in 7 Chapters (2500 words) and the Rescript in about 1,000 words. The diagram to the right illustrates the hierarchical structure with the Emperor as supreme sovereign head of state.

From a democratic point of view the document had great similarity to the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The Charter Oath being similar to that of the Declaration of Independence. It was designed to cast distinction from the old feudal system and boost the morale of the people whilst establishing the power base and position of the Emperor (Meiji). It provided the freedom for people to move amongst the social class systems, whereas under the feudal system that was not possible. It differed from democracy in the sense that supreme power was vested in the hands of the Emperor. As opposed to say the President of the United States that has a responsibility to Congress and in theory cannot take unilateral action without the approval of congress e.g. declaration of war.

The key features of Meiji economic development were:-

• The output of the economy shared a steady growth from the early eighteenth to the middle of the nineteenth century;
• The process of economic and social change contributed to much of the potential for Japans future growth;
• In the Meiji period the ideology was far more receptive to the concepts and ideas from Europe.

In the Meiji restoration the administration had little idea in terms of how to navigate the economic reforms in Japan. It was influenced by concepts from Europe but these resulted in a number of mistakes. The main changes were reflected in the creation of a business environment that was conducive to economic growth. The period witnessed the construction of a successful nation. This resulted in a nation state with a framework that powered industrialisation and promoted the trade of the merchants in the traditional commodities of Silk, Tea, Soy and Saki.

There existed some misinterpretation of the Tokugawa period as that of a ‘dark age’ of isolation and technological stagnation. It was the Meiji that restored the balance and created the changes that were required to promote improved socioeconomic conditions. History must remember that it was the stability created by the Tokugawa that facilitated the creation of the path and foundation for the Meiji.