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. Just about 400 or 500 of the Satsuma samurai escaped the mountain slope on August 19, including Saigo Takamori. }, Page last modified: Although greatly dismayed by the revolt, Saig was reluctantly persuaded to lead the rebels against the central government. Format: Paperback. In the end, he was killed by the imperial army he organized. In all, about 12,000 Satsuma men marched north toward Tokyo, starting the Southwest War, or Satsuma Rebellion. 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. In 1873, the central government began to conscript commoners as soldiers, replacing the samurai. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Saig was a strong proponent of war with Korea in the Seikanron debate of 1873. 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 Saig was defeated and killed at the . Battle of Tabaruzaka: Imperial troops on the left, rebel samurai troops on the right, Saigo's army clashes with the government's forces. After centuries of samurai rule, however, many members of the warrior class were understandably reluctant to give up their status and power. With Portrait, Maps, and. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. 1868-1912 -- Sources. The Imperial Guard (mostly ex-samurai) was always maintained at wartime strength. In addition to the army, the central government also used marines and Tokyo policemen in its struggle against Satsuma. 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. Soon 132 branches were established all over the prefecture. After his retirement, however, Saigo simply wanted to play with his kids, hunt, and go fishing. Conscription System in Japan Author : Ogawa, Gataro Year- 1921 Type- book "The Satsuma Rebellion led Japan to turn over a new leaf. 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. 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. "Southwestern War") was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. Soon, Saigo was Daimyo Shimazu Nariakira's closest adviser, consulting other national figures on affairs including the shogunal succession. Japan. This costly defeat put Saigo on the defensive for the remainder of the rebellion. Japan Currency Museum. imported from Wikimedia project. Along with troops from Aizu, Saigo's massive army marched on Choshu, where he negotiated a peaceful settlement rather than launching an attack. 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. The main Imperial Army, under General Kuroda Kiyotaka with the assistance of General Yamakawa Hiroshi arrived in Kumamoto on April 12, putting the now heavily outnumbered Satsuma forces to flight. 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. By this time much uneasiness prevailed. Complete Chronicle of the Subjugation of Kagoshima: Illustration of Government Forces Attacking Miyazaki, Illustration of the Rebels Being Suppressed at Kagoshima, October 4, 1877. (2021, September 7). The survivors were out of ammunition, so had to rely on their swords. Szczepanski, Kallie. However, other evidence contradicts this, stating that Saig in fact died of the bullet wound and then had his head removed by Beppu in order to preserve his dignity. Public apprehension found free expression in the Press, which said that the nation was divided into two parties, one being for the Government, the other for Satsuma, and asked what could be done to preserve peace. Modern weapons were also used such as the Smith & Wesson Model No. Satsuma Rebellion Part of the ShizokuRebellions Map of the campaign Belligerents Empire of Japan Satsuma Domain Commanders and leaders Emperor Meiji Prince Arisugawa Yamagata Aritomo Kuroda Kiyotaka Tani Tateki Saig Takamori Kirino Toshiaki Beppu Shinsuke Strength 227,000 10 warships 25,000-35,000 Casualties and losses 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. Szczepanski, Kallie. Primary Sources 1. During the latter years of the Tokugawa shogunate, just prior to the Meiji Restoration, the Satsuma clan began to invest heavily in armaments, building a new shipyard at Kagoshima, two weapons factories, and three ammunition depots. traffic source, etc. The first thing about which historians often comment is the period's stability. 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. 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. The situation was especially desperate for the defenders as their stores of food and ammunition had been depleted by a warehouse fire shortly before the rebellion began. 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. The Meiji government, with an army numbering 300,000 to 350,000 and was able to cripple the Satsuma rebellion in a matter of months. . Themes In Keeper N Me. Location. His father, Saigo Kichibei, was a low-ranking samurai tax official who only managed to scrape by despite his samurai status. 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. A primary source of its causes and events. Tabaruzaka was one of the most intense campaigns of the war. It was believed by some that he had fled to Russia, or ascended to Mars. "How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion." 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. The artillery battalion was divided into 2 batteries with 130 men per battery. Decent Essays. The men were captured, and under torture, confessed that they were spies who had been sent to assassinate Saig. 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. They also believed that only the samurai had the courage and training to defend Japan from its enemies, internal and external. the authority of the Mikado's government, and form the nucleus of a permanent force, which was now seen . Imperial reinforcements eventually forced their way through the rebel lines at the Battle of Tabaruzaka, lifting the siege. Meanwhile, however, a crisis was developing in the government itself. A myth persists that the head was never found. He funded but was not directly involved with the schools, so did not know that the students were becoming radicalized against the Meiji government. The rebellion also effectively ended the samurai class, as the new Imperial Japanese Army built on heimin conscripts had proven itself in battle. In October, the prime minister announced that Saigo would not be allowed to travel to Korea as an emissary. Upload media. 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. The cavalry regiment consisted of 150 men. On December 25, 1866, the 35-year-old Emperor Komei suddenly died. As a peer-reviewed international forum for researchers across the globe, it carries original scholarly contributions on premodern and modern history, literature, art history, religion, and thought; translations of important Japanese literary and historical sources; and authoritative reviews of recent books on Japan. revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. The major religious activity of this sect is to chant and meditate the true names (Sat-Nam) of God, specially Rama and Krishna. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Tokyo intended to confiscate the weapons and take them to an imperial arsenal in Osaka. [8] It was even recorded that his image appeared in a comet near the close of the 19th century, an ill omen to his enemies. [9] On 22 February 1889, Emperor Meiji pardoned Saig posthumously. As a result, Takamori and his siblings all shared a single blanket at night even though they were large people, sturdy with a few standing over six feet tall. 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. A primary source of its causes and events. In this,, The last and greatest revolt came in 1877 in Satsuma. The eight-month-long Satsuma Rebellion was the last great rebellion of feudal Japan, quite literally the last stand of the disaffected samurai warriors against the new imperial government, put in place by the Meiji Restoration. 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.. ThoughtCo, Sep. 7, 2021, thoughtco.com/the-satsuma-rebellion-195570. 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