The Tokugawa Shogunate had been peaceful and prosperous for many decades. However, when things started changing, and problems arose, the Tokugawa Shogunate fell and lost its glory. The Tokugawa Shogunate fell as a result of both internal and external factors. The internal factors came in the aftermath of the rise of the merchant class and the decline of power. In this case, the leadership fell since the Emperor did more of the reigning than the ruling, which means that more power is bestowed on the Shogun ("Tokugawa Period and Meiji Restoration"). Aside from the internal factors, there were external issues that increased the pressures in the Shogunate and hence the fall. It is clear that the opening of Japan to the West contributed significantly to the fall of Tokugawa Shogunate. In this paper, the primary entity of interest will entail how the opening of Japan to the West contributes to the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
The seclusion policy had been an effective strategy for the Tokugawa Shogunate but when they opened their doors to people from the West, which is when all the problems started since it put the position of the shogun at risk. It is evident that Japan had limited contact with people from the outside, especially the westerners, therefore allowing such contact would lead people to question the shogun’s authority.
In 1853, Mathew Perry, an American Commodore led a gunboat expedition of four ships into Tokyo Bay ("Milestones: 1830–1860 - Office of the Historian"). Perry had an objective to re-establish a trade discourse between Japan and the Western world. He also wanted to establish diplomatic relationships so that the U.S. whalers would get proper treatment. In 1854 the Shogunate reluctantly agreed to the treaty ("Milestones: 1830–1860 - Office of the Historian"). This decision was already a breach of the seclusion policy that had been established in the Shogunate for over 200 years. The treaty entailed the opening of trade ports to Western powers. It was not long before further concessions followed where the US successfully negotiated for more Japanese ports, fixed tariffs, and even American extraterritorial rights. Other Western powers soon followed suit.
The intrusion of the West eroded the leadership foundation of the Japanese society. For starters, the shogun defied the Emperor’s decision when signing the treaty; this is a vivid picture of how irrelevant the Emperor was in the leadership of the society. In this case, opening doors to the Western powers caused people to question the authority of Shogunate leadership, since they were seen as too weak to fend off the ‘Western barbarians,' ("Decline Of The Shogunate"). Also, they had defied the wished of the Emperor who had earlier opposed the treaty. The other leaders, especially those in the western domains, also feared that the Shogunate leadership was mainly interested in protecting their dynastic interests and not putting the country first.
The leaders questioned the shogun’s authority, and hence there were anti-foreign sentiments that swept across the samurai class. There were various rallies under the slogan; Revere, the emperor, expel the barbarians” (sonno joi) ("Decline Of the Shogunate"). In 1867, the leaders came together and decided to put an end to the Shogunate and establish a new form of leadership, hence the shogun was convinced to resign ("Decline Of The Shogunate"). The young Emperor Meiji was brought to power, and the first step he took was to abolish the shogun office. With the Meiji restoration, a new imperial government was formed. Due to the trade from the Western powers, the current administration decided to take advantage of the technological and economic development to improve the nation. This resulted in a better nation with a better military.
In conclusion, it is evident that the defiance of the Shogun by opening the country to the West was a significant external factor that led to the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. All in all, it resulted in the Meiji restoration and a country that is developed economically, technologically and even through the military.
Works Cited
"Decline of the Shogunate - The Tokugawa Shoguns - History - Japan - Asia." Countriesquest.Com, http://www.countriesquest.com/asia/japan/history/the_tokugawa_shoguns/decline_of_the_shogunate.htm
"Milestones: 1830–1860 - Office of the Historian". History.State.Gov, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1830-1860/opening-to-japan.
"Tokugawa Period and Meiji Restoration - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.Com." HISTORY.Com, 2009, http://www.history.com/topics/meiji-restoration.
