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. 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 . Kyushu, Kysh region, Japan. The rebels' momentum soon stalled when they settled into a months-long siege of Kumamoto Castle, just 109 miles north of Kagoshima. 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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. [3], To help support and employ these men, in 1874 Saig established a private academy known as the Shi-gakk in Kagoshima. A myth persists that the head was never found. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/figures-and-events-in-asian-history-s2-3896549. He hoped to raise the samurai of other domains along the way. Datasets available include LCSH, BIBFRAME, LC Name Authorities, LC Classification, MARC codes, PREMIS vocabularies, ISO language codes, and more. They resisted the Imperial forces until they were destroyed to the last man. ISBN-13: . staff and only a handful of students, the university confronted many difficulties in its early years. 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. Japanese samurai (18281877) who led the Satsuma Rebellion. The Satsuma Rebellion, also known as the Seinan War was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era.. ISBN-13: 9781437338997. Format: Paperback. The division of feeling which existed in several of the clans following the Meiji Restoration was most conspicuous in Satsuma, Choshiu and Mito. Although the samurai were heavily outnumbered, they made a heroic stand and counterattack against the Japanese Army and showed their legendary skills off to the world in their final fight. Next, I stated the cause of the rebellion and the reaction of the Japanese government. The artillery battalion was divided into 2 batteries with 130 men per battery. Publish Date: Oct 08, 2018. Feb. 15, 2023. Has part or parts. On September 1, Saigo and his 300 surviving men moved to Shiroyama mountain above Kagoshima, which was occupied by 7,000 imperial troops. By 6 a.m., only 40 rebels were still alive. 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 . Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. Then I introduced the leader of the rebellion. [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. 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. }, Page last modified: country. They had, they considered, paid the piper, and they wished to call the tune. While the year 1868 was crucial to the fall of the shogunate and the establishment of a new government . Yamagata also landed a detachment with two infantry brigades and 1,200 policemen behind the rebel lines, so as to fall on them from the rear from Yatsushiro Bay. Over the next three days, more than 1000 students staged raids on the naval yards and other arsenals.[3]. 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. ThoughtCo, Sep. 7, 2021, thoughtco.com/the-satsuma-rebellion-195570. 7. As tensions increased, in January 1877, the central government sent a ship to seize munitions stores from Kagoshima. Forty-six other military officers from the southwest resigned as well, and government officials feared that Saigo would lead a coup. 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. Not being allowed to travel by sea, he went back to Satsuma by land, following the historic route he and other nobles had so often taken before. Like all other times in his life, though, his retirement was short-livedin January of 1869, the Satsuma daimyo made him a counselor of the domain's government. By 1861, Saigo was well-integrated into the local community. 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. https://www.thoughtco.com/figures-and-events-in-asian-history-s2-3896549 (accessed March 1, 2023). 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. After the Boshin War, Saigo retired to hunt, fish, and soak in hot springs. List Price: $31.95. Saig resigned from all of his government positions in protest and returned to his hometown of Kagoshima. by W. W. McLaren (page images at HathiTrust) This upbringing instilled a sense of dignity, frugality, and honor in young Saigo. 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. 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. 0 Reviews. 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. 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%. Most of Saig's remaining forces either surrendered or committed seppuku. The Satsuma Rebellion. 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. During the conflict, the government side expended on average 322,000 rounds of ammunition and 1,000 artillery shells per day. 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. A primary source of its causes and events. Determined not to let the rebels escape again, Yamagata sent in a large force which outnumbered the Satsuma army 7:1. The Meiji Era controlled most of Japan, except for a small area in the southwestern part of Japan, which was the Satsuma. By early 1873, Japanese militarists who interpreted this as a grave affront called for an invasion of Korea but in a July meeting that year, Saigo opposed sending warships to Korea. Dr. Kallie Szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in Asian history and culture. Undeniably, it was one of the most noteworthy incidents during Japan's transition from a feudal regime to a modern state. 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. . Japanese Government Documents, 1867-1889 (special issue of Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan; 1914), by Japan, ed. The spy leader confessed under torture that he was supposed to assassinate Saigo. The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History (1879) Author: Augustus Henry Mounsey. Saig was defeated and killed at the . Then, Japan attacked forcing the Joseon king to sign an unequal treaty, which eventually led to the outright annexation of Korea in 1910. 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 . She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. Unable to overcome the affection that the people had for this paragon of traditional samurai virtues, the Meiji-era government pardoned him posthumously on February 22, 1889. Saig was severely wounded. Call Number: E315 .H64 2006. to undertake publication of Monumenta Nipponica despite these problems symbolized the founders' commitment to ode to the vampire mother results; national asset mortgage lawsuit; green tuna paper; mary davis sos band net worth Satsuma Rebellion. Updates? They were followed two days later by the rear guard and artillery unit, who left in the midst of a freak snowstorm. By . [1], Saig Kokichi ( ) was born in Kajiya, Kagoshima, Satsuma Domain, the eldest son of samurai squire (koshkumi) Saig Kichib and his wife Masa. Saigo Takamori: The Last Samurai. This was witnessed by the American sea captain John Capen Hubbard. However, most of the garrison was from Kysh, while a significant number of officers were natives of Kagoshima; their loyalties were open to question. Instance of. Although much of his history has been lost, recent scholars have discovered clues to the true nature of this illustrious warrior and diplomat. Soon, more than 1,000 Satsuma samurai appeared and drove off the intruding sailors. 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. It did not bother him, thoughhe welcomed the opportunity to die for his principles. Few would return. Saigo soon noted that he had "fallen into their trap and taken the bait" of settling into a siege. He also married a local woman namedAigana and fathered a son. Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned, returning power to the Emperor in what came to be known as the Meiji Restoration. After Saig rejected a letter dated September 1 from Yamagata drafted by a young Suematsu Kench asking him to surrender, Yamagata ordered a full frontal assault on September 24, 1877. However, the Satsuma army was able to cut its way free from encirclement. 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. In the final battle, the Battle of Shiroyama, 30,000 imperial troops bore down upon Saigo and his few hundreds of surviving rebel samurai. However, the imperial government gradually sent more than 45,000 reinforcements to relieve Kumamoto, finally driving the Satsuma army away with heavy casualties. Saigo was getting accustomed to the second island when he was transferred to a desolate penal island further south, where he spent more than a year on that dreary rock, returning to Satsuma only in February of 1864. Bibliolife DBA of Bibilio Bazaar II LLC, 2014 - 358 pages. Fighting continued into the night. Saig's rebellion was the last and most serious of a series of armed uprisings against the new government of the Empire of Japan, the predecessor state to modern Japan. Small-scale rebellions broke out around Japan, and the shogun's troops proved shockingly unable to put down the uprisings. [11], Modern weapons that were used by the Imperial Army include the Smith and Wesson Model 3, Colt 1851 Navy Revolver, Winchester Model 1873, Enfield Pattern 1853, Mauser Model 1871, as well as the Gatling and Armstrong guns. The Last Samurai's Katsumoto Moritsugu is based on the iconic Japanese samurai Saig Takamori. By May, Saigo's army had surrounded Edo and threatened to attack, forcing the shogun's government to surrender. [4], Word of Saig's academies was greeted with considerable concern in Tokyo. Japan. Saig Takamori Gunmusho () banknote, issued in 1877 to finance his war effort. The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History ; With Maps. "How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion." Just about 400 or 500 of the Satsuma samurai escaped the mountain slope on August 19, including Saigo Takamori. In peacetime, each company had approximately 160 privates and 32 officers and non-commissioned officers. English Wikipedia. Saig did insist, however, that Japan should go to war with Korea in the Seikanron debate of 1873 due to Korea's refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the Emperor Meiji as head of state of the Empire of Japan, and insulting treatment meted out to Japanese envoys attempting to establish trade and diplomatic relations. The surviving rebels made a stand on the slopes of Mount Enodake, and were soon surrounded. 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. In 1873, the central government began to conscript commoners as soldiers, replacing the samurai. Saigo Takamori of Japan is known as the Last Samurai, who lived from 1828 to 1877 and is remembered to this day as the epitome of bushido, the samurai code. Ravina, Mark J. Some legends say Saig's manservant hid the head, and it was later found by a government soldier. 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