The Last Samurai chronicles the fortuitous rise and tragic fall of Saig. Following the repression of the Satsuma Rebellion, a samurai uprising in 1877, Japan again forged ahead toward political unity, but there was an increasing trend of antigovernment protest from below, which was epitomized by the Movement for Peoples Rights. Just about 400 or 500 of the Satsuma samurai escaped the mountain slope on August 19, including Saigo Takamori. Satire picture of Boshin War, diptych. The samurai were armed with traditional weapons including katanas, naginata and yari polearms, yumi bows, and Sengoku era gunpowder weapons such as tanegashima, baj-zutsu, and wooden cannons. It threatened an all-out attack on Choshu, even though it did not have the military might to defeat that large domain. Saigo spent a lot of time soaking in hot springs and strenuously avoiding politics. Legend says that one of his followers, Beppu Shinsuke, acted as kaishakunin and aided Saig in committing seppuku before he could be captured. Satsuma Rebellion. Founded by a saint named "Birbhan" in 1657 in Narnaul in Haryana. 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. The Last Samurai's Katsumoto Moritsugu is based on the iconic Japanese samurai Saig Takamori. The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History ; with Maps. After months of fighting the Satsuma forces had dwindled to approx 400 . The government, however, refused to negotiate. [3], Saig Takamori, one of the senior Satsuma leaders in the Meiji government who had initially supported the reforms, was especially concerned about growing political corruption - popular prints depicted the rebel army with banners bearing the words shinsei-ktoku (, new government, high morality). 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. Because of the Satsuma Rebellion, the government faced serious financial difficulties., the greatest, revolt came in Satsuma in 1877. In order to concentrate power, Tokyo needed a national military, rather than relying on the domain lords to supply troops. The province of Satsuma is situated in the southernmost portion of the island of Kyushu, and Kagoshima is the capital city. Saig Takamori (Takanaga) ( (), January 23, 1828 September 24, 1877) was a Japanese samurai and nobleman. As with its predecessors, the origins of 1877 lie in the 1873 debate over a proposed invasion of 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. Living during the late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led the Satsuma Rebellion against the 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. At the height of the battle, Saig wrote a private letter to Prince Arisugawa, restating his reasons for going to Tokyo. However, Saig burned his private papers and army uniform on August 19, and slipped away towards Kagoshima with his remaining able-bodied men. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Saigo soon noted that he had "fallen into their trap and taken the bait" of settling into a siege. Rejecting large numbers of volunteers, he made no attempt to contact any of the other domains for support, and no troops were left at Kagoshima to secure his base against an attack. Each entry is based on a primary source we analysed ; We used a website to compile the entries because it's easier to navigate with; HERE is the link to the primary documents/analysis In the about page there will be a video on the Satsuma Rebellion and a brief paragraph describing what was going on in the rebellion Then we have Luke's entry. 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 There, the situation was complicated by the existence of no less than three parties two conservative groups led, respectively, by the old noble Shimadzu, the father of the young ex-daimio, and by the elder Saigo, the latter being at once the most influential and most numerous; and a thirdthe party of reformwhich looked for guidance, among other prominent men, to Okubo, Kuroda, Matsugata, Kawamura and the younger Saigo. [9] On 22 February 1889, Emperor Meiji pardoned Saig posthumously. 8 Practical Tips to Maximize Efficiency in Real Estate Investing 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. The myth stems from the fact that the legions used a phalanx system with spears as primary system before the manipel system was introduced and the Gladius became thr primary weapon for most of the empire. Attempts at Constitutional Government > Satsuma Rebellion. Saigo Takamori was born on January 23, 1828, in Kagoshima, Satsuma's capital, the oldest of seven children. In the Emperor's capital, politics had changed significantly during Saigo's exile. 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 coming into force in January, 1877, of the edict, issued in the previous year, prohibiting the wearing of swords, was followed by Shimadzu's resignation of the high office he held in the Ministry. Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 - Sources The division of feeling which existed in several of the clans following the Meiji Restoration was most conspicuous in Satsuma, Choshiu and Mito. They resisted the Imperial forces until they were destroyed to the last man. However, most of the garrison was from Kysh, while a significant number of officers were natives of Kagoshima; their loyalties were open to question. Monumenta Nipponica. The Satsuma Rebellion. Conscription System in Japan Author : Ogawa, Gataro Year- 1921 Type- book "The Satsuma Rebellion led Japan to turn over a new leaf. Faced with 21,000 imperial army troops, the majority of the rebels ended up committing seppuku (surrendering by suicide). Two describe a bullet wound to the hip or thigh. SAIGO, who was then living in seclusion, had no choice but to rise to action after the private-school faction beseeched him to do so. However, Yamagata was determined to leave nothing to chance. Modern weapons were also used such as the Smith & Wesson Model No. The traditional explanation of the offensive rifle cartridges causing the initial outbreak of mutiny is only part of the story. 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. 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. Add to Wish List Link to this Book Add to Bookbag Sell this Book Buy it at Amazon Compare Prices. Statements. Instance of. The few surviving samurai launched a suicide charge into the teeth of the imperial army's Gatling guns, and were shot down. The Satsuma Rebellion book. Blog. In this,, The last and greatest revolt came in 1877 in Satsuma. They were armed with breech-loading Snider rifles and could fire approximately six rounds per minute. Early on February 22, the Satsuma attack began. 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 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. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. Imperial forces landed with few losses, then pushed north seizing the city of Miyanohara on March 19. Samurai scaled the walls repeatedly, only to be cut down by small arms fire. Japan. In 1873, the central government began to conscript commoners as soldiers, replacing the samurai. 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. Feb. 15, 2023. There were two "regiments" of line cavalry and one "regiment" of imperial guard cavalry. But this war served as a touchstone to test the ability of the new regime and was an indispensable medium for perfecting the modern institutions and unified organization of the state. Tokyo intended to confiscate the weapons and take them to an imperial arsenal in Osaka. 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. The following day, Hayashi declared to Oyama that he could not permit Kawamura to go ashore when the situation was so unsettled, and that the attack on Takao constituted an act of lse-majest. 20-11-2011 19:18:05 ZULU. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 signaled the beginning of the end for Japan's samurai warriors. The rebels' momentum soon stalled when they settled into a months-long siege of Kumamoto Castle, just 109 miles north of Kagoshima. 1973 Sophia University This costly defeat put Saigo on the defensive for the remainder of the rebellion. All, perhaps, over-estimated their share in the accomplishment of the Restoration. Szczepanski, Kallie. 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. With Portrait, Maps, and. Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigned, returning power to the Emperor in what came to be known as the Meiji Restoration. Call Number: E315 .H64 2006. The Satsuma rebellion was a resist from the Meiji government and modern changes that took place in 1877. Vol. Themes In Keeper N Me. Publish Date: Dec 10, 2008. Saig also started an artillery school. Bibliolife DBA of Bibilio Bazaar II LLC, 2014 - 358 pages. Saig Takamori Gunmusho () banknote, issued in 1877 to finance his war effort. Support for Saig was so strong that Satsuma had effectively seceded from the central government by the end of 1876. In 1871 he was left in charge of the caretaker government during the absence of the Iwakura Mission (187173). In the hostilities which followed he took no part, being content to show his disapproval of the new regime by withdrawing into a retirement from which he never again emerged. Satsuma Rebellion. Bonded by their distaste for the shogunate, Choshu and Satsuma gradually formed an alliance. This document is the report by OYAMA Iwao, who led the attack on SAIGO's army at Shiroyama. Warbox|conflict=Satsuma Rebellion caption= Saig Takamori (seated, in Western uniform), surrounded by his officers, in traditional attire. Page 1 of 17 - About 161 Essays Improved Essays. At age six, Saigo Takamori started at the local gojuor samuraielementary schooland got his first wakizashi, the short sword used by samurai warriors. 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 . In order to cut Saig off from his base, an imperial force with three warships, 500 policemen, and several companies of infantry landed in Kagoshima on March 8, seized arsenals, and took Satsuma's governor into custody. 4, Sophia University, JSTOR, 1973. Satsuma Rebellion The imperial government in Tokyo expected Saigo to come to the capital by sea or to dig in and defend Satsuma. She has taught at the high school and university levels in the U.S. and South Korea. In either case, his retainer, Beppu Shinsuke, cut off his head to ensure that Saigo's death was honorable. Fearing a rebellion, the Meiji government sent a warship to Kagoshima to remove the weapons stockpiled at the Kagoshima arsenal on January 30, 1877. Continued by a Narrative of his Last Moments and Sufferings, obtained from his Faithful Servants Chuma and Susi. The modernization of the country meant the abolition of the privileged social status of the samurai class, and had undermined their financial position. 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. He argued that Japan should use diplomacy, rather than resorting to force, and offered to head a delegation himself. These disaffected samurai came to dominate the Kagoshima government, and fearing a rebellion, the government sent warships to Kagoshima to remove weapons from the Kagoshima arsenal. Saig's death brought the Satsuma Rebellion to an end. 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. Soon, Saigo was Daimyo Shimazu Nariakira's closest adviser, consulting other national figures on affairs including the shogunal succession. 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. The surviving rebels made a stand on the slopes of Mount Enodake, and were soon surrounded. The Apocryphal Suicide of Saig Takamori: Samurai, Seppuku, and the Politics of Legend. Journal of Asian Studies 69.3 (2010): 691-721. Saig resigned from all of his government positions in protest and returned to his hometown of Kagoshima. He hoped to raise the samurai of other domains along the way. 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%. "How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion." Publish Date: Oct 08, 2018. However, the Imperial Army was likewise depleted, and fighting was suspended for several weeks to permit reinforcement. 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. On his return to Kobe on February 12, Hayashi met with General Yamagata Aritomo and It Hirobumi, and it was decided that the Imperial Japanese Army would need to be sent to Kagoshima to prevent the revolt from spreading to other areas of the country sympathetic to Saig. [2] He wrote poetry under the name Saig Nansh ( ).[3]. 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 [2] He had six siblings and his younger brother was Marshal-Admiral Marquis Saig Jd. On January 3, 1868, the Boshin War began with Saigo's army of 5,000 marching forward to attack the shogun's army, numbering three times as many men. 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. '", The Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints, Gorykaku (surrender of the Ezo rebels to Saig, The Rebellion Begins, Issue 1 from the Osaka newspaper Kagoshima-ken ari no sonomama, March 5, 1877, The Huge Win of the Armed Forces, Issue 4 from the Osaka newspaper Kagoshima-ken ari no sonomama, March 5, 1877, The Debate Over Invading Korea (Seikanron), May 15, 1877, The Arraignment of Oyama Tsunayoshi, August 27, 1877, Illustration of the Rebels Being Suppressed at Kagoshima, October 1877, Report on the Actual Condition at the Battlefield, September 21, 1877. Military might to defeat that large domain committing seppuku ( surrendering by suicide ). 3! Trap and taken the bait '' of imperial guard cavalry bonded by their distaste the. 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