Collapse of Tokugawa Shogunate

Prolonged peace commercial activities took place
Daimyo expenditure commercial centres
Improvement of communication network, urbanization further rise of commercial class
Growth of industry
Growth of 'money economy' in the latter half of 17^th century
Economic development
undertaxed weathier
Barriers to internal trade became less restrictive
Sankin Kotai indirectly encouraged commercial activities
- Required huge expenses
- Travel expense
- Construction of new roads
- Gifts
- Daily necessities
Had their own social-influence & sub-culture
Economic changes was creating as alternative society along the feudal one
Wanted to change their social position
Upset the correspondence between political & economic power
Daimyo & samurai indebted to merchants
Many merchants were able to raise their social status by buying privileges from needly daimyo or marrying their daughters into samurai families
Rise of capitalists affected the tradition agrarian economy money economy
Change of social culture change of old order

transformation of the Samurai class

Decline of Samurai class
The class that suffered the most
Long time peace & unity need for well-educated bureaucrats
Influence of Neo-Confucianism: not stress war-fighting & expectation of a civil style government
Some samurai were transformed from warriors into professional soldiers, administrators, or scholars
Some were dismissed by Daimyo
Some became workers, merchants, body-guards for rich merchants, ronin
Losing their martial spirit
Luxurious life
At Edo, samurai had to buy everything with money at inflated prices. But, their income from their han was measured in term of rice, they had to depend on the merchants for changing their rice income into cash
Becoming poor, living in poor condition
Borrowed from merchant
Marriage with rich merchants families
Huge debts
Some gave up their privileges position to become merchants

Effect:

Social stratification declined
Breakdown of traditional social order
Breaking of the social line between samurai & commoners
Collapse of the static order
Samurai class had been the cornerstone of the static social order

3. Peasant

Overtaxed, high rents
Commercialization of crop production profit
Cash crops cotton
Borrowed money from lenders
Often had to surrender their lands when unable to pay back
Breakdown of the size of the farms
The difference between rich & poor peasants become wider
Migration of rural peasants to the urban town factory workers
Discontent
Large number of peasant uprising

Discontent among each class

i Emperor & court: wanted to see the end of the Bakufu & restoration of imperial rule

ii Daimyo: politically & financially weak, poor condition, had to borrow money from merchant

iii Samurai: Poor condition, some sold their titles

iv Peasants: Heavy tax & rent

v Merchants: becoming rich & influential, wanted to improve position

By the mid 19^th century, the whole feudal structure was breaking down

Revival of imperial system

1 Influence of Neo-Confucianism

Imperial rule stressed the proper relationship between the emperor & his subjects
Emperor rightful ruler
Stressed the concept of loyalty

2 Shintoism

Encourage by Shogun to maintain loyalty among his subjects
Worship on the emperor
Promoted by Tozama

3 Rise of national learning

Origin of Japan the role of Emperor was important
Tokugawa Shogunate tried to raise the fighting spirit of the samurai by promoting a study of Japan's past
The legality & orthodoxy of the Shogun was being questioned & challenged
Demand for loyalty to the emperor
Shake the foundation of the Tokugawa Shogunate rule
A theoretical & intellectual challenge to Tokugawa Shogunate's supremacy

Dutch learning

Dutch traders frequently visited the single-port in Nagasaki
Taught many new things & ideas to Japanese
Translated works
Demands for changes

Opening of Japan

Started from 1820s, external threat from other powers had become tropics of public discussion among samurai
1825, a book 'New Proposals' written by a scholar had the argument that: In order to defend Japan, that is, to expel the barbarians, it was necessary that the country's ruling class be united through loyalty to the emperor
In the 1840s, a samurai argued that Japan must prepare for attack, both by purchasing modern armaments & learning to make them
In the 1840s, most leaders in Shogunate & local han were isolationist & anti-foreign
Arrival of Perry 1853
Exposed the weakness of Tokugawa Shogunate
Eg. Corruption, favouritism, bureaucratism, inefficiency, sinecures, lack of capable leaders & officials
In the early 19^th century, Tokugawa Shogunate carried out some reforms, but the problems still remained.

Perry arrival 1853

Commodore Matthew Perry & 4 Black ships entered Edo Bay
A letter from American President Fillmore to Shogun
Interested in friendship, commerce, coal supplies for ships
Demands to open Japan, trade, protection on American shipwrecked sailors
Econ consideration, no territorial interest

Response of Tokugawa Shogunate

Tokugawa Shogunate unwilling to open Japan
Realized its own military inferiority
Almost all Japanese had never experienced a foreign war
Unprepared to challenge Perry’s force
Ships were smaller
Firearms were old-fashioned
Edo lay exposed to Perry’s guns
Perry could easily block the food supply
Example of Opium War frightened the Japanese
Faced 'acceptance' or 'rejection'
Same result: loss of prestige of Tokugawa Shogunate, disastrous results for Tokugawa Shogunate
Acceptance- end of Seclusion Policy
- a sign of weakness
- more concessions from other powers
- harsh criticism from the Daimyo
- humiliation
Rejection - war & possibility defeat
Tokugawa Shogunate sought advice from the Emperor, Daimyo, samurai, Confucian scholars, merchant
No longer a strong mil dictatorship
Shift the responsibility of decision making
With the hope not to shoulder the outcome for any decisions
3 opinions:
moderate approach some trade to avoid war
most: unclear answer
complete rejection to fight against US Navy
Emperor also agreed not to compromise with American demands
Decision was back to Tokugawa Shogunate
Return of Perry with 8 warships
Tokugawa Shogunate gave in

Treaty of Kanagawa 1854

2 treaty ports far away from Edo
Trade in Treaty ports (limited amount of trade was allowed)
Well treatment on American shipwrecked sailors
American consul would stay at Japan
Most Favored Nation clause
Supplies to foreign ships
Extra-territoriality
Residence for foreigners in Nagasaki

No indemnity
No cession of territory
Treaty ports were economically less important
Treaty of Kanagawa & other unequal treaties (Britain, France, Russia, Dutch)
Tokugawa Shogunate successfully avoided complete opening
Foreign powers wanted more
- Britain, France, Russia Crimean War 1854-6
- US Southern & Northern States had quarrel
Expose the weakness of Tokugawa Shogunate inferior mil force
Discredited the authority & image of Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa Shogunate humiliated
Unprecedented act to seek advice from the emperor & Daimyo discredited the rule
Ratification of the emperor on the treaties was sought
Implied the inability to cope with foreign affairs
Rising importance of Daimyo in national policies
- Greater freedom was given to them to express their opinions on national issues
Samurai discontented, took this chance to start anti-foreign & anti-Tokugawa movement
End of Seclusion Policy unwillingly
A break with the past control system
Tokugawa Shogunate failed to find methods to deal with the new problem from 1854-68
Western trade, culture, firearms
- Influx of foreign good
- Livelihood was influenced
- hit the control system

Treaty of Harris 1858

arrival of 1^st American consul Townsend Harris 1856

to extend the US economic interests in Japan
very poor treatment on him
use of news of the defeat of Qing China in 1858
potential threat from Britain & France frightened the Shogunate
a trade agreement would be necessary to prevent the powers from attacking Japan

Treaty of Harris / Edo 1858

Strengthen the economic expansion of US in Japan

Kanagawa, Nagasaki were opened
Exchange of dip mission
Opening of Edo & Osaka for f. residence
Extra- territory right
Most Favoured Nation
Import duty at low rate

* no war fighting took place

Tokugawa Shogunate sought advice from emperor & Daimyo, asked emperor to approve the treaty
Emperor refused to ratify the treaty to insult Tokugawa Shogunate
News of Britain & France were moving towards Japan led to the final signing of the treaty without consent of emperor

Treaty of Kanagawa & Harris & other unequal treaties (Britain, France, Russia, Dutch)

-ve effect on the politics & economy
　
- Barbarian-Conquering Generalissimo
- Growing influence of imperial loyalism
- Anti-shogunate movement restore the emperor to power
- Anti-foreign movement unequal treaties, attacks on foreigners
- 'honor the emperor, expel the barbarian' against the Shogunate's government
- disunity- favoured opening & isolation
- fall of authority & prestige of Tokugawa Shogunate
- loss of control over the daimyo as they were again consulted on f. matters after the arrival of Perry
- growing importance of emperor as his approval was sought for the treaties
- growing authority of emperor
- unrestricted trade
- influx of silver, outflow of gold fluctuations in prices
- influx of foreign goods traditional handicraft industry were destroyed
- Shogunal finances declined
- Pay for defence preparation
- Opening of new ports incurred huge expenses
- Indemnity for the attack on foreigners
- western powers gained foothold in opening Japan for their own interests