Part 1: Viewpoint Essay
Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the Tokugawa Shogunate where he established a political peace that lasted from 1600 to 1868; he was also the third of the three great unifiers of Japan. The Tokugawa period is a period of many years, which was characterized by political peace. The Tokugawa period came after the Sengoku period, which was characterized by warring states. It started in the 1600s after the Battle of Sekigahara. Tokugawa Ieyasu dedicated all he had to solidify the kingdom and ensuring that peace reigned. It is evident that he did quite a good job since he laid the foundation for many generations after him and that is why this period lasted for more than 250 years, which is quite impressive (Yonemoto). In any case, there are quite some things that Tokugawa Ieyasu had to put in place to ensure that the goals of stability and unification became a reality.
Ieyasu gained victory in the battle of Sekigahara, which granted him control of the Western daimyo. At this position, he was able to abolish all the enemy daimyo houses and those that he could not destroy; he made them become his allies and family (Yonemoto). After making these steps towards achieving a peaceful dynasty, the Toyotomi as still a significant threat, hence he dedicated everything he had to eradicate it and in 1615, he surpassed this milestone. Therefore, in this case, it is noteworthy that Ieyasu was devoted to establishing a peaceful dynasty especially since the previous unifiers had failed.
Tokugawa Ieyasu established a stable feudal system whereby the domain government was responsible for collecting taxes, controlling other cities, Samurai classes, maintaining civil order and also limiting the kind of businesses in the dynasty ("Tokugawa Political System"). Punishments were also severe for people who threatened to compromise the peace in the region hence this led to a stable government which was magnified further through the whole Tokugawa period.
Part 2: Summary
The Four-Tiered Class System of Feudal Japan
The class system in Japan between the 12th and 19th century was as follows: Samurai class, Farmers/Peasants, Artisans, and Merchants (Szczepanski). The societal class in Japan was quite different from the Europeans; this is because they placed the merchants at the bottom of the tier while the Europeans placed the peasants at the bottom level. The Samurai class took up about 10 percent of the population, and they were highly respected to the extent that should a person fail to bow to a Samurai then their heads (Szczepanski). Farmers come second in the tier because they are seen as productive and although they were honored, they were overburdened with taxes. Artisans lived in segregated sections, and they created beautiful products like clothes and cooking utensils. Merchants were at the bottom of the tier yet ironically; they amassed a lot of wealth, but they were seen as parasites in the community. This system came to an end in 1868 as a result of some radical shocks that brought change to the Japanese society.
Article: Tokugawa Political System
The Tokugawa political system was called Bakuhan, and it was significantly similar to the European feudal system since it was comparable to the Shogun, Samurais, and Daimyo. The territory was divided into more than 250 domains where the domain administration was responsible for collecting taxes, controlling commerce, maintaining civil order and controlling the samurai class among other functions ("Tokugawa Political System"). The domains were a different entity from the Shogunate government since they had a different internal working structure. The Shogunate government also established a monopoly on accessing the imperial court and rule over foreign affairs. In conclusion, the Tokugawa political system contributed to the stability of the nation and also to the peaceful nature of living which is reflected up to date.
Works Cited
Szczepanski, Kallie. "Learn About The Four-Tiered Class System Of Feudal Japan." About.Com Education, 2016, http://asianhistory.about.com/od/japan/p/ShogJapanClass.htm.
"Tokugawa Political System." Nakasendo Way, 2017, https://www.nakasendoway.com/tokugawa-political-system/.
Yonemoto, Marcia. "Tokugawa - Essay | Imaging Japanese History." Colorado.Edu, 2010, http://www.colorado.edu/cas/tea/curriculum/imaging-japanese-history/tokugawa/essay.html.
