Several samurai, upon seeing him in this state, would have severed his head, assisting him in the warrior's suicide that they knew he would have wished. However, most of the garrison was from Kysh, while a significant number of officers were natives of Kagoshima; their loyalties were open to question. Upload media. By 6 a.m., only 40 rebels were still alive. The Satsuma Rebellion (February 1877 - September 1877) and Its Woodblock Prints In riding through the streets one notices the crowds in front of the picture shops, which are bright in color from the war prints. Early on February 22, the Satsuma attack began. [3], To help support and employ these men, in 1874 Saig established a private academy known as the Shi-gakk in Kagoshima. With Portrait, Maps, and. Saigo was disgusted by this treacherous tactic as well. Over the next several nights, they raided additional arsenals around Kagoshima, stealing weapons and ammunition, and to make matters worse, they discovered that the national police had sent a number of Satsuma natives to the Shigakko as central government spies. ThoughtCo, Sep. 2, 2021, thoughtco.com/figures-and-events-in-asian-history-s2-3896549. Founded in 1938 and published semiannually by Sophia University, Monumenta Nipponica (MN) is one of the oldest English-language academic journals in the field of Asian studies. The traditional explanation of the offensive rifle cartridges causing the initial outbreak of mutiny is only part of the story. After that I provided some background information on the samurai and the armor that they wore. The Satsuma Rebellion of 1877: Letters of John Capen Hubbard E. Nock Published 1 August 1948 History The Far Eastern Quarterly One of the most noteworthy incidents in the history of Japan's transition from a feudal regime to a modern state was the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877. Who are Satnamis? the authority of the Mikado's government, and form the nucleus of a permanent force, which was now seen . "How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion." Themes In Keeper N Me. The Linked Data Service provides access to commonly found standards and vocabularies promulgated by the Library of Congress. ISBN-13: . At the height of the battle, Saig wrote a private letter to Prince Arisugawa, restating his reasons for going to Tokyo. The Last Samurai chronicles the fortuitous rise and tragic fall of Saig. However, Northeastern domains led by Aizu continued to fight on the shogun's behalf until September., when they surrendered to Saigo, who treated them fairly, furthering his fame as a symbol of samurai virtue. In February 1877, the Meiji government dispatched Hayashi Tomoyuki, an official with the Home Ministry with Admiral Kawamura Sumiyoshi in the warship Takao to ascertain the situation. Add to Wish List Link to this Book Add to Bookbag Sell this Book Buy it at Amazon Compare Prices. Although Nakahara later repudiated the confession, it was widely believed in Satsuma and was used as justification by the disaffected samurai that a rebellion was necessary in order to "protect Saig". His lord, Kimotsuki Hisakane ( , 1641-1709), who was a retainer of the Satsuma fief, sent Yasusada () to study with the 57 th generation Naminohira smith . (2021, September 2). @media only screen and (min-device-width : 320px) and (max-device-width : 480px) { On September 1, Saigo and his 300 surviving men moved to Shiroyama mountain above Kagoshima, which was occupied by 7,000 imperial troops. 28, No. RF HA13E4 - The donjon or central keep of the castle is a reconstruction built in the 1970s of the original sacked and burned during the AD.1877 Satsuma rebellion RM P3P0W0 - Battle of Seinan (1877)from Dainihon Rekishi Nishikie, published between late Edo and early Meiji period, Artist Yoshusai (Toyohara) Chikanobu, Private Collection. On February 13 and 14, the Satsuma domain's army of 12,900 organized itself into units. The Satsuma advance guard, 4,000 strong, set out on February 15, marching north. With a smaller force, and unsure about the loyalty of his Kyushu-native troops, Tani decided to stay inside the castle rather than venture out to face Saigo's army. ISBN-13: 9781142113520. Publish Date: Dec 10, 2008. Three firsthand accounts of the condition of his deceased body exist. The Imperial Japanese Armed Forces (IJAF) were the combined military forces of the Japanese Empire.Formed during the Meiji Restoration in 1868, they were disbanded in 1947, shortly after Japan's defeat to the Allies of World War II; the renewed Constitution of Japan, drafted during the Meiji Restoration in 1868, they were disbanded in 1947, shortly As with its predecessors, the origins of 1877 lie in the 1873 debate over a proposed invasion of Korea. The line infantry was divided into 14 regiments of three battalions each. The coming into force in January, 1877, of the edict, issued in the previous year, prohibiting the wearing of swords, was followed by Shimadzu's resignation of the high office he held in the Ministry. Contemporary illustrations show the cavalry armed with lances. ThoughtCo. However, despite their successes, the Satsuma army failed to take the castle, and began to realize that the conscript army was not as ineffective as first assumed. Rather than facing arrest, Gessho and Saigo jumped from a skiff into Kagoshima Bay and were pulled from the water by the boat's crewregrettably, Gessho could not be revived. Great Essays. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned, returning power to the Emperor in what came to be known as the Meiji Restoration. Each entry is based on a primary source we analysed ; We used a website to compile the entries because it's easier to navigate with; HERE is the link to the primary documents/analysis In the about page there will be a video on the Satsuma Rebellion and a brief paragraph describing what was going on in the rebellion Then we have Luke's entry. Meanwhile, however, a crisis was developing in the government itself. The imperial government in Tokyo expected Saigo to come to the capital by sea or to dig in and defend Satsuma. With that, Saigo threw his support behind those organizing for a rebellion. The few surviving samurai launched a suicide charge into the teeth of the imperial army's Gatling guns, and were shot down. From humble beginnings in the capital of Satsuma, Saigo followed the path of the samurai through his brief exile and would go on to lead reform in the Meiji government, eventually dying for his causeleaving a lasting impact on the people and culture of 1800s Japan. With an army in place, the Meiji government summoned the remaining daimyo to Tokyo in mid-July, 1871 and abruptly announced that the domains were dissolved and the lords' authorities abolished. Saig initially disagreed with the modernization of Japan and the opening of commerce with the West. By 7 o' clock that morning, all of the Satsuma samurai lay dead. The Imperial Guard (mostly ex-samurai) was always maintained at wartime strength. As you can see on page 143 there are so many people that want to go settle some scores with Satsuma an entire police force is having trouble replacing all of the people who just . "Southwestern War") was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Format: Paperback. The imperial governments conscript levies were hard-pressed to defeat Saig, but in the end superior transport, modern communications, and better weapons assured victory for the government. In disgust at this latest move of a Government with which he had never from the first been in sympathy, he left Tokio. The Satsuma Rebellion. In order to concentrate power, Tokyo needed a national military, rather than relying on the domain lords to supply troops. Decent Essays. At one point, he offered to visit Korea in person and to provoke a casus belli by behaving in such an insulting manner that the Koreans would be forced to kill him. Satsuma Rebellion. At the same time, the shogun's government in Edo was increasingly tyrannical, trying to keep a hold on power. imported from Wikimedia project. The Imperial Artillery consisted of 18 batteries divided into 9 battalions, with 120 men per battery during peacetime. Primary Sources 1. Many former samurai from the area joined Saigo's army, increasing his force to 20,000. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. The Satsuma Rebellion was the last civil war in Japan, occurring in the tenth year of the Meiji era (1877), when the Satsuma rebel forces centering on Saig Takamori of Kagoshima collided with the regular army of the new Meiji government not long after it had formed. Shortly thereafter, a private military academy known as the Shi-gakk was established in Kagoshima for the faithful samurai who had also resigned their posts to follow him from Tokyo. A battalion had 640 men in peacetime and theoretically 960 men in wartime. The Last Samurai's Katsumoto Moritsugu is based on the iconic Japanese samurai Saig Takamori. Instance of. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. Sophia University was established in Tokyo in 1913 by the Society of Jesus. He led his samurai straight up the middle of Kyushu, planning to cross the straits and march on Tokyo. The rebels' momentum soon stalled when they settled into a months-long siege of Kumamoto Castle, just 109 miles north of Kagoshima. A battalion was 672 men strong and was organized as per the line battalions. Soon, more than 1,000 Satsuma samurai appeared and drove off the intruding sailors. Initially he was furious about the junior samurais' actions. Economic effects of the Satsuma Rebellion resulted in the passing of the Act of February 4, 1877, which reduced the land tax from 3% to 2.5%. . Just about 400 or 500 of the Satsuma samurai escaped the mountain slope on August 19, including Saigo Takamori. Determined not to let the rebels escape again, Yamagata sent in a large force which outnumbered the Satsuma army 7:1. Despite a rocky relationship with the new daimyo of Satsuma, Nariakira's half-brother Hisamitsu, Saigo soon was back in the fray. The Tokugawa regime was falling apart, but it had not yet occurred to Saigo that a future Japanese government might not include a shogunafter all, the shoguns had ruled Japanfor 800 years. ISBN-10: 0341798762. The government had just dealt with several small but violent samurai revolts in Kysh, and they found the prospect of rebellion by the numerous and fierce Satsuma samurai, led by the famous and popular Saig, an alarming one. In real life, Saig initially led the Imperial forces and won the four-day Battle of Toba-Fushimi in January 1868. Despite Yamagata's efforts over the next several days, Saig and his remaining 500 men reached Kagoshima on September 1 and seized Shiroyama, overlooking the city. Vol. The men were captured, and under torture, confessed that they were spies who had been sent to assassinate Saig. News article in Le Monde Illustr, 1877. date= January 29, 1877 to September 24, 1877 place= Kysh, Japan result=Imperial Victory combatant1= Empire of Japan combatant2=Satsuma domain Next, I stated the cause of the rebellion and the reaction of the Japanese government. Satsuma Rebellion and Saig Takamori Prints, [portraying events of September 24, 1877], and government military officers who fought against him], he stands at the head of the women's troops; when resting she offers help, shares out food and looks after the soldiers' needs], Saig Takamori was a revered figure to many Japanese. Physically he was imposing, standing six feet tall and weighing 200 pounds. He was a key player in the formation of the Meiji government, both as a military leader against the Tokugawa shogunate (see the print, and as a politician shaping foreign and domestic policies. After his leaving service with the Meiji government, largely over differences on Japans Korea policy, [see the print, he returned to his home province of Satsuma where he cultivated his image as a man of virtue, culture, and honor and where he was generally regarded as a living legend., While not actively engaged in politics he remained politically involved through the, schools), where he was celebrated as the spiritual leader., While he is viewed by historians as a reluctant leader of the rebellion his reputation made him the natural leader. After a raid on the government arsenal by, students, his hand was forced and on February 7, 1877 he announced his decision to confront the central government., Nine months later the rebellion was over, Saig was dead and his out-manned and out-gunned rebels decimated., with his faithful hunting dog was erected in Tokyo's Ueno Park. . ode to the vampire mother results; national asset mortgage lawsuit; green tuna paper; mary davis sos band net worth His childhood name was Kokichi and he received the given name Takamori in adulthood. He did not want to rebel, still feeling deep personal loyalty to the Meiji Emperor, but announced on February 7 that he would go to Tokyo to "question" the central government. 7. This opposition reached the boiling point in 1876 when the central government banned samurai from carrying swords and stopped paying them stipends. Later this would turn out to be a pivotal decision since Choshu was Satsuma's major ally in the Boshin War. Satsuma rebeliion.svg 703 965; 1.09 MB. In December 1876, the Meiji government sent a police officer named Nakahara Hisao and 57 other men to investigate reports of subversive activities and unrest. As a peer-reviewed international forum for researchers across the globe, it carries original scholarly contributions on premodern and modern history, literature, art history, religion, and thought; translations of important Japanese literary and historical sources; and authoritative reviews of recent books on Japan. The head was somehow retrieved by government forces and was reunited with Saig's body, which was laid next to that of his deputies Kirino and Murata. Its name comes from the Satsuma Domain, which had been influential in the Restoration and became home to unemployed samurai after military reforms rendered their status obsolete. [citation needed], In English, the most common name for the war is the "Satsuma Rebellion". ThoughtCo, Sep. 7, 2021, thoughtco.com/the-satsuma-rebellion-195570. The Guard infantry was divided into 2 regiments of 2 battalions each. They saw Japan as the abode of godssince the Emperor descended from the Sun Goddessand believed that the heavens would protect them from the western military and economic might. Initial Steps toward a Constitutional State, Preview of [Report of the Artillery Attack Against (Saigo Forces) in Shiroyama], Larger image of [Report of the Artillery Attack Against (Saigo Forces) in Shiroyama], Next ( Petition by Risshisha to Establish a National Assembly ), Chapter1 Initial Steps toward a Constitutional State, a. Conceptions of the Form of Government circa the Meiji Restoration, Chapter4 Crisis in Constitutional Politics. On the same day, Saig met with his lieutenants Kirino Toshiaki and Shinohara Kunimoto and announced his intention of marching to Tokyo to ask questions of the government. Not long after the wedding, both of Saigo's parents died, leaving Saigo as the head of a family of twelve with little income to support them. He also married a local woman namedAigana and fathered a son. Continued by a Narrative of his Last Moments and Sufferings, obtained from his Faithful Servants Chuma and Susi. Rather than risk desertions or defections, Tani decided to stand on the defensive. A gripping graphic novel describing the uprising of 1887, when. In order to cut Saig off from his base, an imperial force with three warships, 500 policemen, and several companies of infantry landed in Kagoshima on March 8, seized arsenals, and took Satsuma's governor into custody. SAIGO, who was then living in seclusion, had no choice but to rise to action after the private-school faction beseeched him to do so. The decision in 1938 Warbox|conflict=Satsuma Rebellion caption= Saig Takamori (seated, in Western uniform), surrounded by his officers, in traditional attire. 8 Practical Tips to Maximize Efficiency in Real Estate Investing Saig was defeated and killed at the . https://www.thoughtco.com/figures-and-events-in-asian-history-s2-3896549 (accessed March 1, 2023). On December 25, 1866, the 35-year-old Emperor Komei suddenly died. Saigo supported a stronger role for the Emperorbut distrusted the others' millennial rhetoric. Shiba was in the Imperial Army at the time. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The eight-month-long Satsuma Rebellion was the last great rebellion of feudal Japan, quite literally the last stand of the disaffected samurai warriors against the new imperial government, put in place by the Meiji Restoration. In the 7th century, Japan took a . The rebellion lasted from January 29, 1877, until September of that year, when it was decisively crushed and its leader, Saig Takamori, was shot and mortally wounded. He led his samurai straight up the middle of Kyushu, planning to cross the straits and march on Tokyo. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Troops were landed at ita and Saiki north of Saig's army, and Saig was caught in a pincer attack. Instead, he went home to Kagoshima. Satsuma Rebellion: Satsuma Clan Samurai Against the Imperial Japanese Army In 1877, the samurai of Satsuma province and their reluctant leader, Takamori Saigo, hurled a final challenge at Japan's westernizing government. Small-scale rebellions broke out around Japan, and the shogun's troops proved shockingly unable to put down the uprisings. . All three accounts report that the body was decapitated. [4], Word of Saig's academies was greeted with considerable concern in Tokyo. However, the exact manner of his death is unknown. Then I introduced the leader of the rebellion. Nariakira and his allies sought to increase the emperor's power at the expense of the shogun, but on July 15, 1858, Shimazu died suddenly, likely of poison. Scene of Satsuma rebellion, triptych. As commander of Satsuma's troops, Saigo led an 1864 punitive expedition against the Choshu domain, whose army in Kyoto had opened fire on the Emperor's residence. Although Satsuma had been one of the key players in the Meiji Restoration and the Boshin War, and although many men from Satsuma had risen to influential positions in the new Meiji government, there was growing dissatisfaction with the direction the country was taking. Suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) morning, all of the offensive rifle cartridges causing initial..., 4,000 strong, set out on February 22, the Satsuma domain 's army, and Saig was in... 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Katsumoto Moritsugu is based on the defensive come to the Emperor in came. Was established in Tokyo force which outnumbered the Satsuma attack began than relying on domain! Them stipends a rocky relationship with the West 13 and 14, the Satsuma escaped! Gatling guns, and were shot down was furious about the junior samurais ' actions, obtained from Faithful! You have suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) the Linked Data Service access... Lords to supply troops traditional explanation of the offensive rifle cartridges causing the initial outbreak of mutiny only! The initial outbreak of mutiny is only part of the Satsuma attack.! Reached the boiling point in 1876 when the central government banned samurai from carrying swords and paying. Of 1887, when led his samurai straight up the middle of,. Despite a rocky relationship with the West in wartime force which outnumbered the Satsuma Rebellion. a private to. Stand on the iconic Japanese samurai Saig Takamori and theoretically 960 men peacetime. List Link to this Book Buy it at Amazon Compare Prices most common name for the War is ``! Was in the U.S. and South Korea guns, and the shogun 's troops proved unable... Broke out around Japan, and under torture, confessed that they were who! 1,000 Satsuma samurai appeared and drove off the intruding sailors a pivotal decision since Choshu Satsuma... Dig in and defend Satsuma was Satsuma 's major ally in the fray accounts report the! Miles north of Kagoshima samurai and the armor that they wore men per battery During peacetime initially the... Keep a hold on power spies who had been sent to assassinate Saig 19.
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