At the start of the Satsuma Rebellion, the Imperial Japanese Army (including the Imperial Guard) numbered approximately 34,000 men. It was believed by some that he had fled to Russia, or ascended to Mars. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. 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. Bonded by their distaste for the shogunate, Choshu and Satsuma gradually formed an alliance. By this time much uneasiness prevailed. When an Imperial Navy landing party reached the arsenal at Somuta under cover of night, locals raised the alarm. 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". By 1877, he sided with rebel forces and fought in what's now known as the Satsuma Rebellion. 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. Small-scale rebellions broke out around Japan, and the shogun's troops proved shockingly unable to put down the uprisings. Japanese samurai (18281877) who led the Satsuma Rebellion. 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. [citation needed], In English, the most common name for the war is the "Satsuma Rebellion". During the battle of Shiroyama, Saig was badly injured in the hip. Each side had suffered more than 4,000 killed or wounded. A major underlying issue within many cultures in the world is the struggle to either hold on to traditions and values or to move . The major religious activity of this sect is to chant and meditate the true names (Sat-Nam) of God, specially Rama and Krishna. A Modern History of Japan from Tokugawa Times to the Present, Second Edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 84. Satsuma Rebellion. 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. Saigo Takamori had led the way in Meiji reforms including the creation of a conscript army and the end of daimyo rule. The surviving rebels made a stand on the slopes of Mount Enodake, and were soon surrounded. He initiated a military advance the following month, on February 15, intending to march on Tokyo, because of "questions I intend to press on the government." Bibliolife DBA of Bibilio Bazaar II LLC, 2014 - 358 pages. The Linked Data Service provides access to commonly found standards and vocabularies promulgated by the Library of Congress. By 7 o' clock that morning, all of the Satsuma samurai lay dead. In 1873, the central government began to conscript commoners as soldiers, replacing the samurai. . The rebellion was very expensive for the government, which forced it to make numerous monetary reforms including leaving the gold standard. Already a popular figure, after his death, Saigo Takamori was lionized by the Japanese people. Each battalion was divided into ten companies of 200 men. [6] The costs of pacifying the former samurai led to the Meiji government becoming virtually bankrupt; the government was forced to sell off state-owned enterprises such as factories and mines to politically-connected merchants and former officials at low prices, leading to the instant formation of large industrial firms or zaibatsu. During war a company's strength was to be increased to 240 privates. 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 Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions This provoked open conflict, although with the elimination of samurai rice stipends in 1877, tensions were already extremely high. He suffered from angina and also filariasis, a parasitic infection that gave him a grotesquely enlarged scrotum. 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. Soon, more than 1,000 Satsuma samurai appeared and drove off the intruding sailors. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. By 1861, Saigo was well-integrated into the local community. However, the Imperial Army was likewise depleted, and fighting was suspended for several weeks to permit reinforcement. The Satsuma Rebellion - Free ebook download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read book online for free. Updates? Brilliant Essays. How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion. Please support our book restoration project by becoming a Forgotten Books member. 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 addition, there were 200 artillerymen and 1,200 laborers. Szczepanski, Kallie. Shiba was in the Imperial Army at the time. This includes data values and the controlled vocabularies that house them. Led by Daniel Shays, the rebel "Shaysites" of . 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. It began to promote samurai officials based on talent, rather than rank, and also encouraged the development of modern industry. After that I provided some background information on the samurai and the armor that they wore. The rebels' momentum soon stalled when they settled into a months-long siege of Kumamoto Castle, just 109 miles north of Kagoshima. During 1867, Saigo and officials from Choshu and Tosa made plans to bring down the Tokugawa bakufu. The Satsuma advance guard, 4,000 strong, set out on February 15, marching north. Just four days after his return, he had an audience with the daimyo, Hisamitsu, who shocked him by appointing him commander of the Satsuma army in Kyoto. Decent Essays. His childhood name was Kokichi and he received the given name Takamori in adulthood. After months of fighting the Satsuma forces had dwindled to approx 400 . In real life, Saig initially led the Imperial forces and won the four-day Battle of Toba-Fushimi in January 1868. Because of the Satsuma Rebellion, the government faced serious financial difficulties. opposition to the Meiji Restoration In Japan: Abolition of feudalism the greatest, revolt came in Satsuma in 1877. However, the imperial government gradually sent more than 45,000 reinforcements to relieve Kumamoto, finally driving the Satsuma army away with heavy casualties. The first thing about which historians often comment is the period's stability. instance of. [9] On 22 February 1889, Emperor Meiji pardoned Saig posthumously. 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. Roughly one-half of the work is devoted to the entire course of the rebellion. https://www.thoughtco.com/figures-and-events-in-asian-history-s2-3896549 (accessed March 1, 2023). Undeniably, it was one of the most noteworthy incidents during Japan's transition from a feudal regime to a modern state. Rebellions by the samurai, which had broken out sporadically since 1868 (Meiji 1), including the 1869-70 conflict between irregular military units and upper rank samurai commanders in the Choshu domain, gained steam with the collapse of the "conquer Korea debate". He was born on May 26 th in the fourth year of Keian (, 1651). academic excellence, an international orientation, and a liberal spirit. He led his samurai straight up the middle of Kyushu, planning to cross the straits and march on Tokyo. When the offensive was resumed, Saigo retreated to Miyazaki, leaving behind numerous pockets of samurai in the hills to conduct guerilla attacks. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Meiji Restoration leader's lessons of sincerity", Names, Romanizations, and Spelling (page 1 of 2), On Saig and the establishment of a railway, "The Apocryphal Suicide of Saig Takamori: Samurai, "Seppuku", and the Politics of Legend", Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saig_Takamori&oldid=1130843774, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking in-text citations from January 2018, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Saig Kichijir (younger brother): Killed in action in the, Saig Kohei (younger brother): Killed in action in the, This page was last edited on 1 January 2023, at 07:05. ISBN-13: 9781437338997. Eventually Saig and his final remaining samurai were encircled and annihilated at the Battle of Shiroyama. Format: Hardcover. Officially, the Meiji Emperor's government had authority over those facilities after 1871, but Satsuma officials actually retained control of them. Has part or parts. He was settling happily into island life but reluctantly had to leave the island in February of 1862 when he was called back to Satsuma. Tabaruzaka was held by some 15,000 samurai from Satsuma, Kumamoto and Hitoyoshi against the Imperial Army's 9th Infantry Brigade (some 9,000 men). This was the end of the so-called Satsuma Rebellion. 4, Sophia University, JSTOR, 1973. OutOfFighters 3 yr. ago. His letter indicated that he was not committed to rebellion and sought a peaceful settlement. 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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. #ga-ad {display: none;} He also married a local woman namedAigana and fathered a son. [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 true story that inspired the 2003 Tom Cruise film The Last Samurai, the Satsuma Rebellion (seinan sens, or "Southwestern War" in Japanese) was an 1877 rebellion of disaffected ex-samurai from Satsuma domain against the newly constituted Meiji government of Japan.Led by an erstwhile member of the government's highest circle, the legendary samurai Saigo Takamori, the . The conflict of opinions between the conservative internal policy party and the strong foreign policy party resulted in a vehement controversy over the question of an invasion of Korea, and finally led to the great Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. Main article: Satsuma Rebellion Portrait of Saig Takamori, faithful depiction by the acquaintance Tokonami Masayoshi in 1887 Saig preparing for war 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. List Price: $32.75. Request Permissions. Roused from his seclusion, Saigo felt that this treachery and wickedness in the imperial government required a response. 0 references. Later, they would have said that he committed seppuku to preserve his status as a true samurai.[7]. 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. The traditional explanation of the offensive rifle cartridges causing the initial outbreak of mutiny is only part of the story. Notwithstanding the great sacrifices it was called upon to make, the Imperial Government was fortunately able to give proof of its ability to maintain the unified rule over the nation, and was left virtually free to proceed on its way toward administrative reforms and general public improvements. The government, however, refused to negotiate. Soon, Saigo was Daimyo Shimazu Nariakira's closest adviser, consulting other national figures on affairs including the shogunal succession. 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 . "How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion." Meanwhile, the remnants of the militaristic faction that supported Saigo's invasion proposal evolved into Japanese right-wing groups such as the genyosha and kokurykai. Founded by a saint named "Birbhan" in 1657 in Narnaul in Haryana. Secretary of the British Legation in Tokyo during the rebellion, Mounsey relied on the 'most authentic sources, oral and documentary'. In the 7th century, Japan took a . 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. He led his samurai straight up the middle of Kyushu, planning to cross the straits and march on Tokyo. In October, the prime minister announced that Saigo would not be allowed to travel to Korea as an emissary. On December 25, 1866, the 35-year-old Emperor Komei suddenly died. In the meantime, on March 9 Saig, Kirino, and Shinohara were stripped of their court ranks and titles.[3]. A myth persists that the head was never found. Saigo Takamori likely was killed in the initial barrage, although tradition holds that he was just gravely injured and committed seppuku. This document is the report by OYAMA Iwao, who led the attack on SAIGO's army at Shiroyama. Saigo privately cheered on the rebels in other provinces, but stayed at his country house rather than returning to Kagoshima for fear that his presence might spark yet another rebellion. Maebara Ikkaku, from Bumbu komei den (Story of famous figures for military and literary) 20,000 YEN TOSHIMOTO. The local community Data values and the shogun 's troops proved shockingly to... His death, Saigo and officials from Choshu and Satsuma gradually formed alliance. Was likewise depleted, and were soon surrounded he also married a local namedAigana! Came in Satsuma in 1877 many cultures in the U.S. and South Korea numerous of! Cover of night, locals raised the alarm by OYAMA Iwao, who led the way in reforms... Also encouraged the development of modern industry this treachery and wickedness in the Imperial gradually., locals raised the alarm up the middle of Kyushu, planning to cross straits. 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