Kyushu, Kysh region, Japan. "Southwestern War") was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. During war, the mountain artillery had a nominal strength of 160 men per battery and field artillery had 130 men per battery. In the final battle, the Battle of Shiroyama, 30,000 imperial troops bore down upon Saigo and his few hundreds of surviving rebel samurai. From Kagoshima Through the Siege of Kumamoto Castle", This page was last edited on 11 November 2022, at 04:04. Japan. In July, the Emperor's army encircled Saigo's men, but the Satsuma army fought its way free with heavy casualties. . By ending the samurai class's privileges, the Meiji government had essentially abolished their identity, allowing small-scale rebellions to erupt all over Japan. This upbringing instilled a sense of dignity, frugality, and honor in young Saigo. The Apocryphal Suicide of Saig Takamori: Samurai, Seppuku, and the Politics of Legend. Journal of Asian Studies 69.3 (2010): 691-721. After months of fighting the Satsuma forces had dwindled to approx 400 . The Shigakko students heard that the Meiji ship was coming and emptied the arsenal before it arrived. A major underlying issue within many cultures in the world is the struggle to either hold on to traditions and values or to move . 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. With that, Saigo threw his support behind those organizing for a rebellion. Saigo's retirement project was the Shigakko, new private schools for young Satsuma samurai where the students studied infantry, artillery, and the Confucian classics. Publish Date: Dec 10, 2008. Early on February 22, the Satsuma attack began. Saig initially disagreed with the modernization of Japan and the opening of commerce with the West. when did the meiji restoration enddoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by image. Saigo's own daimyo, Hisamitsu, was the only one who publicly railed against the decision, leaving Saigo tormented by the idea that he had betrayed his domain lord. staff and only a handful of students, the university confronted many difficulties in its early years. The work is generally accurate and has much of . Originally, they were a militant sect of Hindu Worshippers. Satsuma Rebellion. [6] In debate, some scholars have suggested that neither is the case and that Saig may have gone into shock following his wound, losing his ability to speak. Maebara Ikkaku, from Bumbu komei den (Story of famous figures for military and literary) 20,000 YEN TOSHIMOTO. The artillery battalion was divided into 2 batteries with 130 men per battery. A primary source of its causes and events. He led his samurai straight up the middle of Kyushu, planning to cross the straits and march on Tokyo. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-satsuma-rebellion-195570. Each battalion was divided into ten companies of 200 men. ode to the vampire mother results; national asset mortgage lawsuit; green tuna paper; mary davis sos band net worth 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. 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. These attacks on the ramparts continued for two days, until Saigo decided to settle in for a siege. The government, however, refused to negotiate. The first prints portraying the rebellion did not appear until early March, likely due to government restrictions on coverage "prohibiting the 'publication in newspapers of material about the Army for Subjugation of the Kumamoto Rebels. ThoughtCo. Some legends say Saig's manservant hid the head, and it was later found by a government soldier. Surely no conscript army of peasants could fight like the samurai! The training provided was not purely academic: although the Chinese classics were taught, all students were required to take part in weapons training and instruction in tactics. In the end, the dispute with Korea came to a head only in 1875 when a Japanese ship sailed to Korean shores, provoking artillery there into opening fire. 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. Browsing subject area: Satsuma Rebellion, 1877 (Exclude extended shelves) You can also browse an alphabetical list from this subject or from: . ISBN-10: 1437338992. 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 addition, there were 200 artillerymen and 1,200 laborers. 8 Practical Tips to Maximize Efficiency in Real Estate Investing The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty by William Hogeland. Modern weapons were also used such as the Smith & Wesson Model No. Later, they would have said that he committed seppuku to preserve his status as a true samurai.[7]. During 1867, Saigo and officials from Choshu and Tosa made plans to bring down the Tokugawa bakufu. The Satsuma vanguard crossed into Kumamoto Prefecture on February 14. Next, I stated the cause of the rebellion and the reaction of the Japanese government. Presented with this sudden success, the greatly dismayed Saig was reluctantly persuaded to come out of his semi-retirement to lead the rebellion against the central government. Few would return. Saig was defeated and killed at the . 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. Saig was severely wounded. Author: Augustus Henry Mounsey. Ravina prefers the English name "War of the Southwest."[12]. 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. During the Boshin War, Saig led the imperial forces at the Battle of TobaFushimi, and after led the imperial army toward Edo, where he accepted the surrender of Edo Castle from Katsu Kaish. Initially he was furious about the junior samurais' actions. After Oyama departed, a flotilla of small ships filled with armed men attempted to board Takao by force, but were repelled. 28, No. Three years later, he began work in the local bureaucracy as an agricultural adviser, where he continued to work through his brief, childless arranged marriage to 23-year-old Ijuin Suga in 1852. Imperial forces emerged victorious, but with heavy casualties on both sides. In October, the prime minister announced that Saigo would not be allowed to travel to Korea as an emissary. He funded but was not directly involved with the schools, so did not know that the students were becoming radicalized against the Meiji government. By this time much uneasiness prevailed. "Southwestern War") was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. As was the tradition for samurai in the event of their lord's death, Saigo contemplated committing to accompany Shimazu into death, but the monk Gessho convinced him to live and continue his political work to honor Nariakira's memory instead. On January 30, 1877, the central government launched a raid on the arms and ammunition storage areas in Kagoshima, without any prior warning to the Satsuma authorities. His childhood name was Kokichi and he received the given name Takamori in adulthood. The Last Samurai's Katsumoto Moritsugu is based on the iconic Japanese samurai Saig Takamori. This rebellion was led by the restoration hero Saig Takamori and lasted six months. The Last Samurai chronicles the fortuitous rise and tragic fall of Saig. Many of the warrior Samurai during the Seinan war (Satsuma rebellion) used the tosei (modern / post 1540) style samurai armor which consisted of a ni-mai . The Satsuma rebellion furnishes themes for the illustrators. As with its predecessors, the origins of 1877 lie in the 1873 debate over a proposed invasion of Korea. The spy leader confessed under torture that he was supposed to assassinate Saigo. Satsuma Rebellion. Takamori Saigo, defeated in his insistent advocacy of the invasion of Korea, resigned his councillorship in the Cabinet and returned to his native place. However, the shogun began to purge pro-imperial politicians, forcing Gessho to seek Saigo's help in escaping to Kagoshima, where the new Satsuma daimyo, unfortunately, refused to protect the pair from shogun officials. Forty-six other military officers from the southwest resigned as well, and government officials feared that Saigo would lead a coup. On December 25, 1866, the 35-year-old Emperor Komei suddenly died. List Price: $31.95. The rebellion was very expensive for the government, which forced it to make numerous monetary reforms including leaving the gold standard. 2 See Augustus Mounsey, The Satsuma Re-bellion, London, 1879, p. 274 and appendices. Despite the overwhelming odds, the Imperial Army did not attack immediately upon arrival on September 8 but instead spent more than two weeks carefully preparing for its final assault. Satsuma Rebellion The imperial government in Tokyo expected Saigo to come to the capital by sea or to dig in and defend Satsuma. A Long History of Japanese Women Warriors, Biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, 16th Century Unifier of Japan, Overview of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, Bushido: The Ancient Code of the Samurai Warrior, Russo-Japanese War: Admiral Togo Heihachiro, J.D., University of Washington School of Law, B.A., History, Western Washington University. Takamori's parents also had to borrow money to buy farmland in order to have enough food for the growing family. 1 reference. The Satsuma Rebellion : Illustrated Japanese History - the Last Stand of the Samurai by Wilson, Sean and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. The rebellion lasted from January 29, 1877, until September . The Imperial Artillery consisted of 18 batteries divided into 9 battalions, with 120 men per battery during peacetime. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. He was the third son of Nakamura Kiyosada (). This rebellion was led by the restoration hero Saig Takamori and lasted six months. After Saigo's death, Beppu and the last of the "ex-samurai" drew their swords and plunged downhill toward the Imperial positions and to their deaths. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. First I developed my thesis statement. The Linked Data Service provides access to commonly found standards and vocabularies promulgated by the Library of Congress. They resisted the Imperial forces until they were destroyed to the last man. The rebels' momentum soon stalled when they settled into a months-long siege of Kumamoto Castle, just 109 miles north of Kagoshima. However, the Satsuma army was able to cut its way free from encirclement. Small-scale rebellions broke out around Japan, and the shogun's troops proved shockingly unable to put down the uprisings. ISBN-13: . From Kagoshima Through the Siege of Kumamoto Castle." When the offensive was resumed, Saigo retreated to Miyazaki, leaving behind numerous pockets of samurai in the hills to conduct guerilla attacks. 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. revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. However, other evidence contradicts this, stating that Saig in fact died of the bullet wound and then had his head removed by Beppu in order to preserve his dignity. 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. How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion, Overview of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, A Long History of Japanese Women Warriors, The Four-Tiered Class System of Feudal Japan, J.D., University of Washington School of Law, B.A., History, Western Washington University. . Modern Asian Studies, Volume 28, Issue 3, Cambridge University Press, July 1994. This was the end of the so-called Satsuma Rebellion. In peacetime, each company had approximately 160 privates and 32 officers and non-commissioned officers. List Price: $32.75. ThoughtCo, Sep. 7, 2021, thoughtco.com/the-satsuma-rebellion-195570. Request Permissions. 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. Their artillery consisted of 28 5-pounders, two 16-pounders, and 30 mortars. The Meiji government, with an army numbering 300,000 to 350,000 and was able to cripple the Satsuma rebellion in a matter of months. After his retirement, however, Saigo simply wanted to play with his kids, hunt, and go fishing. He led his samurai straight up the middle of Kyushu, planning to cross the straits and march on Tokyo. The decision in 1938 This influential clan was headed by the Shimazu family, which had been founded by Shimazu Tadahisa, son of Minamoto Yoritomo, in the Kamakura period. It is said that he was shot in the femur, then he thrust a sword into his stomach region, then had his head decapitated deliberately by a fellow citizen. In Satsuma and the rest of Japan, though, it was not clear whether reforms like these were sufficient, or if the entire social and political systems were due for a revolutionary change. Japanese Government Documents, 1867-1889 (special issue of Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan; 1914), by Japan, ed. In all, about 12,000 Satsuma men marched north toward Tokyo, starting the Southwest War, or Satsuma Rebellion . The Daimyo of Satsuma was one of the most powerful and aggressive of the . Made by Takamura Kun, it was unveiled on December 18, 1898. On September 24, 1877, at 3:45 am, the Emperor's army launched its final assault in what is known as the Battle of Shiroyama. Saigo Takamori helped to usher in the modern era in Japan, serving as one of the three most powerful officials in the early Meiji government. Satsuma's governor, Oyama Tsunayoshi, explained that the uprising was in response to the government's assassination attempt on Saig, and asked that Admiral Kawamura (Saig's cousin) come ashore to help calm the situation. Scene of Satsuma rebellion, triptych. In April of 1871, Saigo was persuaded to return to Tokyo to organize the new national army. Illustration of the Navy Landing at Sukuchi Village (battle of Tabaruzaka Hill), Kagoshima Shinbun: Illustration of the Battle of Yamagaguchi, March 1877. The Satsuma rebellion was a resist from the Meiji government and modern changes that took place in 1877. Many former samurai from the area joined Saigo's army, increasing his force to 20,000. The few surviving samurai launched a suicide charge into the teeth of the imperial army's Gatling guns, and were shot down. ISBN-10: 1142113523. Imperial reinforcements eventually forced their way through the rebel lines at the Battle of Tabaruzaka, lifting the siege. [8] It was even recorded that his image appeared in a comet near the close of the 19th century, an ill omen to his enemies. 25,000 YEN TOSHIMOTO. Friction among the Cabinet members over the question of Korean conquest, added to the local disturbances, made the already confused state of things worse confounded, and the result was the famous Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. 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 major religious activity of this sect is to chant and meditate the true names (Sat-Nam) of God, specially Rama and Krishna. Read 7 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned, returning power to the Emperor in what came to be known as the Meiji Restoration. At its head was Saig Takamori, a hero of the restoration who had directed the military campaign against the Tokugawa. French newsmagazine Le Monde Illustr / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Founded by a saint named "Birbhan" in 1657 in Narnaul in Haryana. Legend says that one of his followers, Beppu Shinsuke, acted as kaishakunin and aided Saig in committing seppuku before he could be captured. During the conflict, the government side expended on average 322,000 rounds of ammunition and 1,000 artillery shells per day. Three firsthand accounts of the condition of his deceased body exist. Japanese samurai (18281877) who led the Satsuma Rebellion. ISBN-13: 9781142113520. The Rebellion reduced Japan's yearly expenditure from 13,700,000 to 10,250,000, and it raised Japan's national debt from 28,000,000 to 70,000,000. Call Number: E315 .H64 2006. The remnants of Saig's army retreated before the advancing imperials, who whittled it down relentlessly. }, Page last modified: The traditional explanation of the offensive rifle cartridges causing the initial outbreak of mutiny is only part of the story. Publish Date: Jan 02, 2010. The Satsuma Rebellion is recommended to all readers interested in Japanese and samurai history. The modernization of the country meant the abolition of the privileged social status of the samurai class, and had undermined their financial position. Soon 132 branches were established all over the prefecture. There were many causes of the Indian Rebellion. The Imperial Guard (mostly ex-samurai) was always maintained at wartime strength. Sources of the Meiji Restoration. The shogun's men were still hunting him, so Saigo went into a three-year internal exile on the small island of Amami Oshima. The Satsuma Rebellion - Free ebook download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read book online for free. Financially, crushing the Satsuma Rebellion cost the government a total of 420,000,000 (8,400,000),[5] forcing Japan off the gold standard and causing the government to print paper currency. Although all of the rebels were killed, the imperial troops managed to locate Saigo's buried head. Saigo's nearly bloodless victory won him national fame, eventually leading to his appointment as an elder of Satsuma in September of 1866. However, the exact manner of his death is unknown. In order to concentrate power, Tokyo needed a national military, rather than relying on the domain lords to supply troops. When the attack finally came, the Satsuma forces withdrew, leaving small pockets of samurai to hit the larger army in guerrilla-style strikes.