Order to expel barbarians

Order to expel barbarians
An 1861 image expressing the Joi (攘夷, "Expell the Barbarians") sentiment.
Choshu cannons firing on Western shipping in Shimonoseki. Japanese painting.

The Order to expel barbarians (攘夷勅命 or 攘夷実行の勅命 jōi chokumei or jōi jikkō no chokumei?) was an edict issued by the Japanese Emperor Kōmei in 1863 against the Westernization of Japan following the opening of the country by Commodore Perry in 1854.

Contents

The order

The edict was based on widespread anti-foreign and legitimist sentiment, called the "Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians" (尊皇攘夷 sonnō jōi?) movement. Emperor Kōmei personally agreed with such sentiments, and – breaking with centuries of imperial tradition – began to take an active role in matters of state: as opportunities arose, he fulminated against the treaties and attempted to interfere in the shogunal succession. His efforts culminated on March 11, 1863 with his "Order to expel barbarians". A deadline for the explusion was set two months later to May 11.

Consequences

The Shogunate had no intention of enforcing the order, and the Edict inspired attacks against the Shogunate itself as well as against foreigners in Japan. The most famous incident was the firing on foreign shipping in the Shimonoseki Strait off Choshu Province as soon as the deadline was reached.[1] Masterless samurai (rōnin) rallied to the cause, assassinating Shogunate officials and Westerners. The killing of the English trader Charles Lennox Richardson is sometimes considered as a result of this policy. The Tokugawa government was required to pay an indemnity of a hundred thousand British pounds for Richardson's death.[2]

But this turned out to be the zenith of the sonnō jōi movement, since the Western powers responded to Japanese attacks on western shipping with the Bombardment of Shimonoseki. Heavy reparations had earlier been demanded from Satsuma for the murder of Charles Lennox Richardson - the Namamugi Incident. When these were not forthcoming, a squadron of Royal Naval vessels went to the Satsuma port of Kagoshima to coerce the daimyō into paying. Instead, he opened fire on the ships from his shore batteries, and the squadron retaliated. This was later referred to, inaccurately, as the Bombardment of Kagoshima. These incidents clearly showed that Japan was no match for Western military might, and that brutal confrontation could not be the solution.

These events, however, also served to further weaken the shogunate, which appeared too powerless and compromising in its relations with Western powers. Ultimately the rebel provinces allied and overthrew the shogunate in the Boshin war and the subsequent Meiji Restoration.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Hagiwara, p. 35.
  2. ^ Jansen, pp. 314-5.

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bakumatsu — History of Japan Samurai of the Satsuma clan. Paleolithic 35,000–14,000 BC Jōmon period 14,000–300 BC Yayoi period 300 BC–250 AD …   Wikipedia

  • Bombardment of Shimonoseki — Infobox Military Conflict conflict=Bombardment of Shimonoseki (下関戦争・馬関戦争) partof=1863 64 Chōshū Rebellion caption= date=July 16 to August 14, 1863 and from September 5 6, 1864 place=Shimonoseki Strait, Japan result=Decisive Allied Victory… …   Wikipedia

  • Empire of Japan — This article is about the former absolute constitutional monarchy. For the current limited constitutional monarchy, see Japan. Greater Japanese Empire 大日本帝國 Dai Nippo …   Wikipedia

  • Naval battle of Shimonoseki — Infobox Military Conflict conflict=Naval Battle of Shimonoseki caption=The USS Wyoming battling in the Shimonoseki Straits against the Choshu steam warships Daniel Webster , the brig Lanrick ( Kosei ), and the steamer Lancefield ( Koshin ).… …   Wikipedia

  • Battle of Shimonoseki Straits — The USS Wyoming battling in the Shimonoseki Straits against the Choshu steam warships Daniel Webster, the brig Lanrick, and the steamer Lancefield …   Wikipedia

  • Sonnō jōi — is a Japanese political philosophy and a social movement derived from Neo Confucianism; it became a political slogan in the 1850s and 1860s in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu.OriginThe slogan sonnō jōi ( ja. 尊王攘夷 or ja. 尊皇攘夷,… …   Wikipedia

  • Emperor Meiji — Mingzhi redirects here. For other uses, see Meiji. Emperor Meiji 明治天皇 Emperor of Japan Reign 3 February 1867 – 30 July 1912 ( …   Wikipedia

  • France–Japan relations (19th century) — The development of France Japan relations in the 19th century coincided with Japan s opening to the Western world, following two centuries of seclusion under the Sakoku system and France s expansionist policy in Asia. The two countries became… …   Wikipedia

  • Emperor Kōmei — Infobox Monarch name =Emperor Kōmei title =121st Emperor of Japan caption = reign =10 March, 1846 – 30 January, 1867 coronation =10 March, 1846 othertitles = full name = predecessor =Emperor Ninkō successor =Emperor Meiji suc type = heir = queen …   Wikipedia

  • Edward St. John Neale — Lieutenant Colonel Neale in 1863. Franco Anglo Japanese …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”