Table of Contents
Ieyasu was determined to create such a strong shogunate that no one would dare to challenge him or his descendants. His plan was to create a long-lasting and stable government. The first step was to control the daimyo, some of whom had fought against him before he became shogun.
What were Tokugawa Ieyasu’s values and beliefs?
As Tokugawa Japan’s first shogun, Ieyasu was drawn to neo-Confucianism. It eventually became the established orthodox social/political doctrine of Tokugawa Japan. The neo-Confucianism embraced by Ieyasu and subsequent Tokugawa shoguns was best articulated by the twelfth century Chinese scholar, Zhu Xi (1130-1200).
How did Tokugawa legitimize power?
In order to legitimize their rule and to maintain stability, the shoguns espoused a Neo-Confucian ideology that reinforced the social hierarchy placing warrior, peasant, artisan, and merchant in descending order. The early economy was based on agriculture, with rice as the measured unit of wealth.
What impact did the Tokugawa have on Japanese culture?
Tokugawa Ieyasu’s dynasty of shoguns presided over 250 years of peace and prosperity in Japan, including the rise of a new merchant class and increasing urbanization. To guard against external influence, they also worked to close off Japanese society from Westernizing influences, particularly Christianity.
Is Japan a hierarchical society?
Yes, Japanese are always conscious of their hierarchical position in any social setting and act accordingly. However, it is not as hierarchical as most of the other Asian cultures. Another example of not so high Power Distance is that Japan has always been a meritocratic society.
Could a peasant become a samurai?
This system wasn’t rigidly enforced until the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate- up to that point, many peasants, artisans, and merchants could take up arms, distinguish themselves in battle, and become samurai (see the case of Toyotomi Hideyoshi).
Why was Tokugawa Ieyasu so important?
After Hideyoshi’s death resulted in a power struggle among the daimyo, Ieyasu triumphed in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and became shogun to Japan’s imperial court in 1603. Even after retiring, Ieyasu worked to neutralize his enemies and establish a family dynasty that would endure for centuries.
What were the beliefs and values in shogunate Japan?
The shoguns embraced the Chinese religion and philosophy of neo-Confucianism, which was a version of Confucianism concerned with identifying the purest essence of things, while the samurai embraced Buddhism.
How did the Tokugawa shogunate gain and maintain power in Japan?
By Kanō Tan’yū, public domain. The shoguns maintained stability in many ways, including regulating trade, agriculture, foreign relations, and even religion. The political structure was stronger than in centuries before because the Tokugawa shoguns tended to pass power down dynastically from father to son.