Then, Japan attacked forcing the Joseon king to sign an unequal treaty, which eventually led to the outright annexation of Korea in 1910. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsuma Rebellion against the Meiji government. "How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion." Shortly thereafter, Saigo was promoted to the post of daimyo's attendant in 1854 and accompanied his lord to Edo on alternate attendance, taking a 900-mile-long walk to the shogun's capital, where the young man would work as his lord's gardener, unofficial spy, and confident. It began to promote samurai officials based on talent, rather than rank, and also encouraged the development of modern industry. The new conscript levies initially struggled to defeat Saig, and the government found it necessary to enlist former. On February 22, the main Satsuma army arrived and attacked Kumamoto castle in a pincer movement. Monumenta Nipponica Arguably one of the most influential samurai, especially during the fall of the samurai class during the transition into the Meiji period, he led the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877, which marked the last of a series of uprisings against the new Meiji government. Although all of the rebels were killed, the imperial troops managed to locate Saigo's buried head. Blog. 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. Although much of his history has been lost, recent scholars have discovered clues to the true nature of this illustrious warrior and diplomat. The Imperial Artillery consisted of 18 batteries divided into 9 battalions, with 120 men per battery during peacetime. 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 Satsuma Rebellion. Morale was extremely low, and lacking any strategy, the Satsuma forces dug in to wait for the next Imperial Army offensive. In the wee hours of the morning on September 24, the emperor's troops launched a three-hour-long artillery barrage, followed by a massed infantry assault that began at 6 am. His political organizing ran afoul of the new daimyo, however, who had him arrested and banished to a different small island just four months after his return from Amami. The Linked Data Service provides access to commonly found standards and vocabularies promulgated by the Library of Congress. This provoked open conflict, although with the elimination of samurai rice stipends in 1877, tensions were already extremely high. ThoughtCo, Sep. 7, 2021, thoughtco.com/the-satsuma-rebellion-195570. 2 See Augustus Mounsey, The Satsuma Re-bellion, London, 1879, p. 274 and appendices. There were many causes of the Indian Rebellion. 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 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 . The surviving rebels made a stand on the slopes of Mount Enodake, and were soon surrounded. A primary source of its causes and events. Satsuma Rebellion The first test of the young Meiji government came with the revolt of the powerful Satsuma clan based in the southern region of the island of Kyushu. By this time much uneasiness prevailed. After receiving reinforcements, the imperial force, now totaling 4,000 men, attacked the rear elements of the Satsuma army and drove them back. 150,000 YEN UNSIGNED. Augustus Henry Mounsey. The rebellion of the Satsuma samurai involved about 12000 men, almost all of which were of that class and hence would have proper swords.Wikipedia states that there were about 1200 labourers. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [1], Saig Kokichi ( ) was born in Kajiya, Kagoshima, Satsuma Domain, the eldest son of samurai squire (koshkumi) Saig Kichib and his wife Masa. Despite a rocky relationship with the new daimyo of Satsuma, Nariakira's half-brother Hisamitsu, Saigo soon was back in the fray. 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. These cookies track visitors across websites . Down to about 3,000 men, the Satsuma forces made a stand on Mount Enodake. On March 4, Imperial Army General Yamagata ordered a frontal assault against Tabaruzaka, guarding the approaches to Kumamoto, which developed into an eight-day-long battle. In Kagoshima prefecture (formerly Satsuma domain), the samurai of the 'private-school faction' (referring to graduates of the private school set up by SAIGO Takamori and his disciples), organized by KIRINO Toshiaki, et al., joined forces with the Prefectural Governor OYAMA Tsunayoshi to advance their own policies. 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. 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. What the disaffected clans and individuals wanted was a larger share of power. List Price: $31.95. 1973 Sophia University The Meiji Restoration of 1868 signaled the beginning of the end for Japan's samurai warriors. Here he had established an institution which, in order to disguise its object, was called a "private school." How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion. As none of the eyewitness accounts mention a wound to the abdomen, or any fresh sword wound at all, it is unknown if Saig pierced his stomach with his sword. Saigo supported a stronger role for the Emperorbut distrusted the others' millennial rhetoric. Satsuma daimyo Shimazu Hisamitsu did not acknowledge the departing army when the men stopped to bow at the gates of his castle. He was succeeded by his 15-year-old son, Mutsuhito, who would later become known as the Meiji Emperor. Ten years passed after the Restoration, and during that time order was gradually restored within the country. The Wealthy Chiefs Inspecting the Decapitated Heads of Enemies, Presentation of the Emperor's Gift Cup for the second time to commanders involved in pacifying Western Japan (Saigoku), 1877, Report: The Whole Nation Living in Perfect Contentment (Empress, Empress Dowager and Court Ladies in Waiting Sewing Pledgets), 1877, Iwai Hanshir VIII, Ichikawa Danjr IX and Ichikawa Sadanji in The Morning East Wind Clearing the Clouds of the Southwest, March 1878, Bronze Statue of Saig in Ueno Park, 1899, The Debate Over Invading Korea (Seikanron), http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090913a6.html, http://www.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/bunko10/b10_8333/index.html. Saigo and his army made a seven-day march south to Hitoyoshi, where they dug trenches and prepared for the imperial army to attack. 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. Read 7 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. 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. This rebellion was led by the restoration hero Saig Takamori and lasted six months. Author: Mounsey, Augustus Henry. The Meiji Era controlled most of Japan, except for a small area in the southwestern part of Japan, which was the Satsuma. Sources describe him as dressed in an austere yellow kimono . Who are Satnamis? On February 19, the first shots of the war were fired as the defenders of Kumamoto castle opened fire on Satsuma units attempting to force their way into the castle. image. The Satsuma Rebellion is recommended to all readers interested in Japanese and samurai history. Although kubo Toshimichi and others were more active and influential in establishing the new Meiji government, Saig retained a key role, and his cooperation was essential in the abolition of the han system and the establishment of a conscript army. 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. Saigo suspected that the Koreans might assassinate him, but felt that his death would be worthwhile if it gave Japan a truly legitimate reason to attack its neighbor. by HistoryNet Staff 6/12/2006 Founded by a saint named "Birbhan" in 1657 in Narnaul in Haryana. The members of his retinue carried in cotton bags the swords they were no longer allowed to wear; and when, at the end of his journey, the gates of the yashiki at Kagoshima closed upon his palanquin, he may have realized that he had passed for ever out of the political life in which he had at one time played so conspicuous a role. Meanwhile, the Joseon Dynasty in Korea refused to recognize the Mutsuhito as an emperor, because it traditionally recognized only the Chinese emperor as suchall other rulers were mere kings. 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. Author: Augustus Henry Mounsey. Because of the Satsuma Rebellion, the government faced serious financial difficulties., the greatest, revolt came in Satsuma in 1877. This document is the report by OYAMA Iwao, who led the attack on SAIGO's army at Shiroyama. On the third day of battle, the artillery division from Tsu domain defected to Saigo's side and began to shell the shogun's army instead. In 1873, the central government began to conscript commoners as soldiers, replacing the samurai. [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. 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 Multiple legends sprang up concerning Saig, many of which denied his death. The Imperial Guard (mostly ex-samurai) was always maintained at wartime strength. The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History ; with Maps. The imperial government in Tokyo expected Saigo to come to the capital by sea or to dig in and defend Satsuma. 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. 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. traffic source, etc. He was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. 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. Saig resigned from all of his government positions in protest and returned to his hometown of Kagoshima. Publish Date: Oct 08, 2018. Ravina, Mark. The accounts of his subordinates claim that he stood up and committed seppuku after his injury or that he requested that his friend Beppu Shinsuke assist his suicide. Please support our book restoration project by becoming a Forgotten Books member. "Southwestern War") was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. The Satsuma Rebellion. 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. His childhood name was Kokichi and he received the given name Takamori in adulthood. However, Saig burned his private papers and army uniform on August 19, and slipped away towards Kagoshima with his remaining able-bodied men. He was the third son of Nakamura Kiyosada (). [4], Word of Saig's academies was greeted with considerable concern in Tokyo. Page 1 of 17 - About 161 Essays Improved Essays. Bibliolife DBA of Bibilio Bazaar II LLC, 2014 - 358 pages. The Satsuma Rebellion proved that a conscript army of commoners could out-fight even a very determined band of samuraiprovided they had overwhelming numbers, at any rate. All three accounts report that the body was decapitated. Japan was divided into six military districts: Tokyo, Sendai, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima and Kumamoto, with two or three regiments of infantry, plus artillery and other auxiliary troops, assigned to each district. Later this would turn out to be a pivotal decision since Choshu was Satsuma's major ally in the Boshin War. Over the next two years, the government seized land from the elite samurai and redistributed profits to lower ranked warriors. Buck, James H. "The Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. Located on the southern tip of Kyushu Island, more than 800 miles south of Tokyo, the Satsuma domain had existed and governed itself for centuries with very little interference from the central government. 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satsuma rebellion primary sources