Student Question
What were the key political and economic developments in Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate?
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During the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan experienced significant political and economic developments. The country was unified under a centralized government, reducing military conflict and increasing resources for economic activities. The bakuhan system strengthened the power of the daimyo while centralizing control under the shogun. Socially, a rigid hierarchy was established, with merchants gaining economic power despite low status. Isolationist policies limited foreign influence, and the era saw cultural advancements like ukiyo-e art and kabuki theater.
The end of the Warring States era and the establishment of an ongoing peace was one significant feature of the Tokugawa shogunate. Once the majority of resources were no longer dedicated to military conflict, there were more financial resources and human labor available to dedicate to productive activities. In the bakuhan system of government, the power of the hereditary feudal elite, or daimyō, increased, but the guiding role of the Edo-based shōgun contributed to greater national centralization. Ieyasu was the first Tokugawa shōgun, followed by his son Hidetada.
Within the country, the merchants gained both financial and political power, undermining the previous dominance of the samurai warrior class. Through a greatly expanded bureaucracy, the daimyo’s ability to tax prosperous farmers increased. The Tokugawa leaders also redistributed land, rewarding those who carried out loyal service. At the same time, the glory of the emperor was restored. Some of...
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the redistributed lands went to imperial control. The 23 daimyō with lands adjacent to Tokugawa territories were called theshinpan, the houses with the closest relationships, often based in kinship and marriage, to the Edo rulers. As they held the majority of advisory positions, and expanded the network of loyal administrators.
A detailed legal code was also established, which included regulation of the daimyō in terms of such features as the number of troops they were allowed to have. The internal security within Japan was supported by the isolationist sakoku policy, which eliminated international trade and greatly reduced foreign influence. Laws even prohibited the construction of ocean-going ships, and prohibited Christianity.
What were the key cultural and socioeconomic developments in Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate?
It was Hideyoshi who finalized the "social reorganization" of Japan under the Tokagawa shogonate. There was a great divide finalized between the warrior land-owner class and the farmer class. The divide was so deep that farmers became the equivalent of serfs tied to the land without personal volition. Farmers were forbidden to own weapons. They were obligated to pay taxes in the form of the produce of the land: rice. They were obligated to not neglect their duty to cultivate the land they were tied to. This entrenching of class division is of cultural importance but also of socioeconomic importance.
One of the major social aspects of this period of Japanese history was the way that Japan moved towards a strict social heirarchy. This gave the daimyo or lords complete power, followed by the samurai, with the farmers, traders and artisans at the bottom. The long term impact of this rigid heirarchical system of society was negative for Japan, as crippling taxes were set that brought conflict between peasants and the samurai, leading to much discontent, and occasionally larger rebellions.
This period lasted centuries so there were lots of developments. This was the time during which Japan closed itself off from the outside and Christianity was almost completely eradicated. Merchants came to be wealthier and more powerful even though they had very low official status. Artistically, this was the time in which the distinctive ukiyo-e art was created along with bunraku and kabuki.