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Introduction
The Tokugawa era is one of the most notable eras in Japanese history due to it being the era that it was Isolated from the world to avoid colonization. It all began with Tokugawa Ieyasu ascending to the position of Shogunate and his lineage ruled over Japan for nearly 300 years. In my timeline, I provide some of the many events that occurred in Japan but I took my time to carefully pick out events that seemed to be important moments within the Edo era. -
The Rise of Ieyasu Tokugawa and the Store of the Tokugawa/Edo era
Tokugawa Ieyasu wins the battle of Sekigahara which was a decisive point for Ieyasu because it lead to him being appointed as Shogunate of Japan. After Ieyasu's victory in Sekigahara, it caused there to be peace and stability in Japan after having been in civil war for over 200 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu -
New capital of Japan
Tokugawa Ieyasu changed the capital from Kyoto to Edo when he gained position of Shogunate, the city of Edo is now called Tokyo.
http://www.deepjapan.org/a/1161 -
Period: to
Tokugawa - Edo Period
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Christian Expulsion Edict
Resigned Shogunate Ieyasu while he was still alive signed the "Christan Expulsion Edict" which effectively bans the import of Christians texts, missionaries, and the practice of Christianity. Mainly fearing being conquered by Iberian countries like the recently conquered the Philippines. There was a scandal about one of the Daimyos who had turned to Christianity committed fraud, bribery, and attempted murder, these events remained in Ieyasu's mind.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu -
The Death of Tokugawa Ieyasu
When Tokugawa Ieyasu passed he already resigned from the position of Shogunate and passed on the role to his third sone Hidetada. Despite resigning, he still held powers in the office which allowed enabled him to put "Bakuhan" rules in place which forced Daimyos to live in Edo in alternating years and keep their wives and heir in Edo to guarantee loyalty to the Tokugawa Shogunate.
http://cdaworldhistory.wikidot.com/japan-returns-to-isolation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu -
Sankin-Kotai
This was Bakuhan when it was officially enforced by the Shogunate forcing Daimyos to live in Edo on alternate years and when they were not in Edo their wives and Heirs would reside in Edo as hostages to be loyal to the Shogunate. The travel between Daimyos Hans and Edo contributed to the stimulation of the economy around the routes traveled. Daimyos were also forced to arm a number of Samurai based on taxes.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/sankin-kotai
https://www.britannica.com/topic/samurai -
The Keian Uprising
This failed uprising was a coup' de atat by several Ronin that planned to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate during the transition instability of changing the shogunate. Despite their efforts failing it signified the un-happiness amongst the Ronin and lead to laws being created to help deal with the amount of Ronin within the big cities.
https://www.allposters.com/-sp/Samurai-C-1860-80-Posters_i10167683_.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keian_Uprising -
The Jokyo Uprising
This was one of the many peasant uprisings that occurred in Japan. This uprising was caused by a tax put on by the Daimyo to afford the Bakuhan law but the significance of this particular uprising leaders were incumbent village heads who were not affected by the tax as well as the involvement of a 16-year-old girl. All were executed after the uprising had been suppressed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jōkyō_uprising https://blog.gaijinpot.com/festivals-of-japan-otaue-rice-planting-festival/ -
Death of the 47 Ronin
The death of the 47 ronin is a famous story that originated in the early Edo-period and it surrounds a group of 47 samurai who became Ronin master had to commit honorable suicide (seppuku) because their master had assaulted a court member, Asano Nagahori. The 47 ronin later killed Asano Nagahori in honor of their past master and because of their murder they also had to commit seppuku.
https://www.britannica.com/event/47-ronin
https://mubi.com/lists/japanese-films--4 (image) -
"Wakan Sansai Zue" First Japanese Encyclopedia
The first Japanese encyclopedia was created and compiled by Tera to document the daily activities of the Japanese people which included fishing, farming, and other things, Also included was the plant and animal life native to Japan. The inspiration for the encyclopedia came from the already existing Chinese encyclopedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakan_Sansai_Zue -
The Kyoho Reforms
When Shogun Yoshimune came into power he created reforms to stimulate the economy because Yoshimune had also changed the economy from being based on rice to being based on money. The Shogun relaxed the Bakuhan laws to get support from the Daimyo and relaxed the foreign import laws (minus anything related to Christianity) to allow the flow of western knowledge into the country.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyōhō_Reforms -
Rangaku Practice Begins
The Rangaku roughly translates to the practice of western knowledge and technically means the practice of dutch knowledge. The Japanese who were in contact with the Dutch trading post in Najima, Japan educated themselves in European medicine and as well as the industrial revolution occurring in Europe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangaku -
Great Tennei Famine
This Famine lasted from the year 1782 to 1788, the name Tennei comes from the Tennei era that this famine had occurred in. There where nearly 1 millions deaths across Japan during the 6-year period of the famine. The cause of the Famine was the cold climate affecting the crop yield. The Daimyo were losing money from investing into the rice crop in order to pay for the higher taxes at the time but failed to and also depleted rice stores.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Tenmei_famine -
Kansei Reforms
These reforms were orchestrated by the Shogunate Ienari and his chief councilor Matsudaira Sadanobu in direct response to the previous shoguns focusing on strengthening the military. He made changes that forced the Bakufu to store rice and also made the Daimyos store rice to prevent future famines in the country. Policies were made to protect against floods and other disasters most importantly he wanted the people of Japan to be frugal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Kōkaku#Kansei_Reforms -
Edict to repel foreign Vessels
The Tokugawa Shogunate created the edict to Repel all foreign vessels away from the Japanese homeland. Only ships who had permissions to trade with Japan, i.e. dutch east India trading company, were allowed to sail in Japanese waters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_to_Repel_Foreign_Vessels -
Ranald MacDonald
This event is interesting because a man named Ranald MacDonald on his own accord knowing that he might be killed visited Japan through a whaling company and posed as being shipwrecked once he got to Japan. Ranald ended up teaching Samurai's how to speak English. The episode of Ranald MacDonald being allowed to live in Japan showed the weakening of Japans Isolation policy towards foreigners.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranald_MacDonald -
Matthew Perry's first Visit
Matthew Perry first arrived in Japan in the early summer to force the Japanese government to read a letter from the US president. He did everything that he was told not to by previous sailors to Japan and he used his four steamships as a threat to destroy the city of Edo and the government accepted the letter to avoid damage.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_C._Perry -
Matthew Perrys second visit
On Matthew Perry's second visit he again used force but this time he brought even more ships to scare the Japanese government even further. Perry forced negotiations onto the Japanese by saying he wouldn't leave until they made an agreement. The Japanese learned about the sad fate of the Chinese and decided that to avoid a similar fate that they should make an arrangement with the US to have some kind of peace between the two countries.https://apjjf.org/2016/16/Rabson.html
(same site as P.1) -
Treaty of Shimoda
The treaty of Shimoda was a big step for Japan because it happened soon after the signing of the Kanagawa treaty with the United States it meant the official fall of Japan's isolation policy. Japan's Isolation policy had been in-state for 220 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Shimoda -
The end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and rise of the Meiji era
Following the death of the Emperor Komei which is said to have been caused by smallpox. There were a lot of internal problems during Emperor Komei's reign and after his death, it lead to the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate Era. When Emperor Meiji ascended the Chrysanthemum throne it signaled a new era, the "Meiji Era".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Kōmei
