After the Restoration the condition of things became less unsettled in Mito, and to some extent also in Choshiu. #ga-ad {display: none;} After his retirement, however, Saigo simply wanted to play with his kids, hunt, and go fishing. . "Southwestern War") was a revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Great Essays. 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. [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). He led his samurai straight up the middle of Kyushu, planning to cross the straits and march on Tokyo. When the plan was rejected, Saig resigned from all of his government positions in protest and returned to his hometown of Kagoshima, as did many other Satsuma ex-samurai in the military and police forces. After that I provided some background information on the samurai and the armor that they wore. 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 Shigakko students set out with him, bringing rifles, pistols, swords, and artillery. Multiple legends sprang up concerning Saig, many of which denied his death. Saigo's nearly bloodless victory won him national fame, eventually leading to his appointment as an elder of Satsuma in September of 1866. image. Beginning its educational efforts with a small The Commandant of Kumamoto Castle Major General Tani Tateki had 3,800 soldiers and 600 policemen at his disposal. These attacks on the ramparts continued for two days, until Saigo decided to settle in for a siege. Saig was defeated and killed at the . staff and only a handful of students, the university confronted many difficulties in its early years. 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. 8 Practical Tips to Maximize Efficiency in Real Estate Investing The Satsuma Rebellion. Each battalion was divided into ten companies of 200 men. Small-scale rebellions broke out around Japan, and the shogun's troops proved shockingly unable to put down the uprisings. The head was somehow retrieved by government forces and was reunited with Saig's body, which was laid next to that of his deputies Kirino and Murata. There were many causes of the Indian Rebellion. 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. 150,000 YEN UNSIGNED. They also believed that only the samurai had the courage and training to defend Japan from its enemies, internal and external. Conscription System in Japan Author : Ogawa, Gataro Year- 1921 Type- book "The Satsuma Rebellion led Japan to turn over a new leaf. Feb. 15, 2023. 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. His letter indicated that he was not committed to rebellion and sought a peaceful settlement. 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. In the end, he was killed by the imperial army he organized. The Satsuma Rebellion, also known as the Seinan War (Japanese: , Hepburn: Seinan Sens, lit. His intransigence was one of the major causes of the subsequent Boshin War. He excelled more as a scholar than a warrior, reading extensively before he graduated from school at 14 and was formally introduced to the Satsuma in 1841. The Imperial Guard (mostly ex-samurai) was always maintained at wartime strength. Gordon, Andrew. This includes data values and the controlled vocabularies that house them. This opposition reached the boiling point in 1876 when the central government banned samurai from carrying swords and stopped paying them stipends. The Last Samurai's Katsumoto Moritsugu is based on the iconic Japanese samurai Saig Takamori. 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. Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. Along with troops from Aizu, Saigo's massive army marched on Choshu, where he negotiated a peaceful settlement rather than launching an attack. Forty-six other military officers from the southwest resigned as well, and government officials feared that Saigo would lead a coup. 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. The men were captured, and under torture, confessed that they were spies who had been sent to assassinate Saig. At the height of the battle, Saig wrote a private letter to Prince Arisugawa, restating his reasons for going to Tokyo. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Add to Wish List Link to this Book Add to Bookbag Sell this Book Buy it at Amazon Compare Prices. By March, Saigo realized that his rebellion was doomed. Saig met the noted British diplomat Ernest Satow in the 1860s, as recorded in the latter's A Diplomat in Japan, and Satow was present at the unveiling as recorded in his diary. There were two "regiments" of line cavalry and one "regiment" of imperial guard cavalry. Soon, more than 1,000 Satsuma samurai appeared and drove off the intruding sailors. Improved Essays. The influential Satsuma samurai, Saigo Takamori, was away at the time and had no knowledge of these events, but hurried home when he heard the news. Themes In Keeper N Me. Many of the warrior Samurai during the Seinan war (Satsuma rebellion) used the tosei (modern / post 1540) style samurai armor which consisted of a ni-mai . He led his samurai straight up the middle of Kyushu, planning to cross the straits and march on Tokyo. 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. Today, he serves the thoroughly modern nation of Japan as a symbol of its samurai traditionstraditions that he reluctantly helped to destroy. A battalion had 640 men in peacetime and theoretically 960 men in wartime. Satsuma had no reserve of extra weapons and insufficient ammunition for an extended war. [2] He wrote poetry under the name Saig Nansh ( ).[3]. This rebellion was led by the restoration hero Saig Takamori and lasted six months. During war a company's strength was to be increased to 240 privates. He did not want to rebel, still feeling deep personal loyalty to the Meiji Emperor, but announced on February 7 that he would go to Tokyo to "question" the central government. In addition, there were 200 artillerymen and 1,200 laborers. instance of. On February 22, the main Satsuma army arrived and attacked Kumamoto castle in a pincer movement. The schools resembled paramilitary political organizations more than anything else, and they enjoyed the support of the governor of Satsuma, who appointed disaffected samurai to political offices, where they came to dominate the Kagoshima government. Since the OP might be interested, here are the pages from the above reading on the Satsuma Rebellion and its aftermath. "The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori." This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. academic excellence, an international orientation, and a liberal spirit. Although all of the rebels were killed, the imperial troops managed to locate Saigo's buried head. Each man was armed with a small firearmeither a rifle, a carbine, or a pistolas well as 100 rounds of ammunition and, of course, his katana. The Satsuma Rebellion, also known as the Seinan War ( Japanese: , Hepburn: Seinan Sens, lit. The conflict effectively ended the samurai class and ushered in modern warfare fought by conscript soldiers instead of military nobles. He went to the Emperor's court in Kyoto in March and was amazed to meet samurai from other domains who treated him with reverence for his defense of Gessho. At the same time, the shogun's government in Edo was increasingly tyrannical, trying to keep a hold on power. In disgust at this latest move of a Government with which he had never from the first been in sympathy, he left Tokio. Advertisement Advertisement. "How the Samurai Ended During the Satsuma Rebellion." 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. Samurai scaled the walls repeatedly, only to be cut down by small arms fire. Satsuma daimyo Shimazu Hisamitsu did not acknowledge the departing army when the men stopped to bow at the gates of his castle. However, most of the garrison was from Kysh, while a significant number of officers were natives of Kagoshima; their loyalties were open to question. But in Satsuma the division of feeling remained unaltered, a circumstance which, added to separatist tendencies that stood in the way of combined action, was, in the sequel, of much benefit to the Government. 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. 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. To aid in the air of legality, Saig wore his army uniform. The few surviving samurai launched a suicide charge into the teeth of the imperial army's Gatling guns, and were shot down. 724 Words; 3 Pages; Themes In Keeper N Me. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. In real life, Saig initially led the Imperial forces and won the four-day Battle of Toba-Fushimi in January 1868. In the autumn of 1875 it was already in a flourishing condition, and in the course of the following year there were in Kagoshima alone some seven thousand pupils, or associates. Support for Saig was so strong that Satsuma had effectively seceded from the central government by the end of 1876. This upbringing instilled a sense of dignity, frugality, and honor in young Saigo. Takamori Saigo, defeated in his insistent advocacy of the invasion of Korea, resigned his councillorship in the Cabinet and returned to his native place. Meanwhile, however, a crisis was developing in the government itself. . He suffered from angina and also filariasis, a parasitic infection that gave him a grotesquely enlarged scrotum. While the year 1868 was crucial to the fall of the shogunate and the establishment of a new government . The leaders of the restoration were mostly young samurai from feudal domains ( han s) historically hostile to Tokugawa authority, notably Chsh, in far western Honshu, and Satsuma, in southern Kyushu. Saig Takamori was labelled as a tragic hero by the people, and his actions were considered an honorable example of bushido and Yamato-damashii. ISBN-10: 1142113523. The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty by William Hogeland. revolt of disaffected samurai against the new imperial government, nine years into the Meiji Era. Illustration of the Navy Landing at Sukuchi Village (battle of Tabaruzaka Hill), Kagoshima Shinbun: Illustration of the Battle of Yamagaguchi, March 1877. Page 1 of 17 - About 161 Essays Improved Essays. Saig initially disagreed with the modernization of Japan and the opening of commerce with the West. By 1877, he sided with rebel forces and fought in what's now known as the Satsuma Rebellion. 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. As with its predecessors, the origins of 1877 lie in the 1873 debate over a proposed invasion of Korea. In either case, his retainer, Beppu Shinsuke, cut off his head to ensure that Saigo's death was honorable. The end of the Satsuma Rebellion also marked the end of the samurai era in Japan. Format: Hardcover. He also cancelled scholarships for Japanese students abroad and fired foreign experts.[8]. By . The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History ; With Maps. Roughly one-half of the work is devoted to the entire course of the rebellion. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-satsuma-rebellion-195570. He funded but was not directly involved with the schools, so did not know that the students were becoming radicalized against the Meiji government. [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. Statements. One of the most noteworthy incidents in the history of Japan's transition from a feudal regime to a modern state was the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877. What the disaffected clans and individuals wanted was a larger share of power. He hoped to raise the samurai of other domains along the way. The shogun's men were still hunting him, so Saigo went into a three-year internal exile on the small island of Amami Oshima. Saig was a strong proponent of war with Korea in the Seikanron debate of 1873. The five government warships in Kagoshima harbor added their firepower to Yamagata's artillery, and began to systematically reduce the rebel positions. Satsuma Rebellion. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Paperback, 1 edition, Wiley, February 7, 2005. Has part or parts. History of the Western Insurrection in Western Pennsylvania, Commonly Called the Whiskey Insurrection. 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. The Shigakko students heard that the Meiji ship was coming and emptied the arsenal before it arrived. shizoku rebellion. A gripping graphic novel describing the uprising of 1887, when. 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. 28, No. "Saigo Takamori: The Last Samurai." Buck, James H. "The Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. As the siege wore on, the rebels ran low on munitions, prompting them to switch back to their swords. 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. 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 6 a.m., only 40 rebels were still alive. Request Permissions. Format: Paperback. Publication Date: 2006. The Satsuma Rebellion was the last civil war in Japan, occurring in the tenth year of the Meiji era (1877), when the Satsuma rebel forces centering on Saig Takamori of Kagoshima collided with the regular army of the new Meiji government not long after it had formed. They resisted the Imperial forces until they were destroyed to the last man. Professor John Lynn 442 Gregory Hall Office Hours: MW, 1pm and by appointment [email protected] Cell Phone: 217-778-7333 History 251/GLBL 251: War, Military Institutions, and Society since 1815 Spring Semester 2023 MW, 12pm, 319 Lincoln Hall Check out Professor Lynn's web page and CV: Canvas All the basic materials for this class can be found on Canvas at Spring 2023-HIST 251-Warfare Milit . They were armed with breech-loading Snider rifles and could fire approximately six rounds per minute. 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. Author: Mounsey, Augustus Henry. The imperial government in Tokyo expected Saigo to come to the capital by sea or to dig in and defend Satsuma. Saigo, however, had no regard for the conscripted farm boys who made up the imperial army. However, a government garrison at Kumamoto Castle stood in the Satsuma rebels' path, manned by about 3,800 soldiers and 600 police under Major General Tani Tateki. [9] On 22 February 1889, Emperor Meiji pardoned Saig posthumously. 7. Armed uprisings erupted successively in the Chugoku Region (western Honshu) and Kyushu, with the protagonists arguing for going through with the conquest of Korea and restoring samurai privileges. [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. Dr. Kallie Szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in Asian history and culture. 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. 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