Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]

Megaman EXE RPG

Staff Members:

Administrators:
{{J.G.}}
{{Agent Q}}

Global Moderators:
{{Kirote.EXE}}
{{Queen Sludge}}
{{White KnightClarent}}

Plot Moderators:
None...Yet
Megaman EXE RPG NEWS AND EVENTS

Stardate 20xx

Welcome to Megaman.EXE RPG!

Gone Forever!

Welp, we're gone. Died. Dead. Not likely to come back. Contact Agent Q if you have any questions, comments, concerns, etc. If you still need your Megaman RP fix, you can go try STAR FORCE RP! They are here


Quick Links:

{{Megaman EXE RPG Rules}}

{{Megaman EXE RPG News}}

{{Megaman EXE Plot Summary}}

{{BattleChip List}}

{{Character Template}}

{{Character Development Sandcastle}}

{{Active Topics List}}

{{Active Members List}}


We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community! Please note that after registering, you are required to validate by email as well as be validated by an administrator. If this process takes more than one day, please notify a staff member in the board Cbox.


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Assist my Research Paper
Topic Started: Mar 3 2007, 12:29 AM (164 Views)
Yoyo
Member Avatar
The Voice of Reason in an Unreasonable world

I have a research paper due on Wendsday of next week, and it's pretty much the day of Reconning for me because if i don't hand in SOMETHING that looks like i did research (which i did) and wrote a seven to ten page paper (which i have yet to do) as well as a bibliography (which i have almost done) with at least four secondary sources and two primary source documents (which i have too), I'm screwed as far as my grade goes in Global History.

So, since I want to get as much feedback as possible, I'm going to need you guys to help me out a bit as far as reading it, responding to it, grammar, punctuation, and all that fun stuff.

For the record, by the way, my topic is:
How Tokugawa Ieyasu gain the title of Shogun in 1600, Japan, and hold this power for nearly three centuries?

For information on the topic, you can check the wiki articles i found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_shogunate

By the way, guys, if i don't get this done, I'm royally screwed over as far as anything goes. That means, I won't be able to come on the site and help out, or anything. So please, HELP ME.

Introductory Paragraph:

Quote:
 
Tokugawa Ieyasu, when discussed in history, is often called a patient tactician. This title was earned over his entire life, and it lead him to great success. So great was this success, in fact, Tokugawa earned the highest title in all of Japan, just under the Emperor: the Shogun. The Shogun ruled all of Japan’s feudal lords (the Daimyo) and everyone under them. He established a Shogunate that lasted two hundred and fifty years, through fifteen of his descendants. However, how had he somehow come across such great power? It was simply a well thought out and patient maneuver, and several chance circumstances in his favor. Japan was a country ripe for the taking, and all of the pieces fell into place for Tokugawa. The Shogunate began in 1600, but the makings of it started several years earlier, when a Portuguese ship by chance came across Japanese shores. Little did the merchants aboard know that they would help cause a two hundred and fifty year rule under the man known as… The Shogun.


This needs some serious revisions, though. for instance, it needs to be bulked up some, and the first few lines I don't really like. as well as anything else you guys want to pitch in, you know. go ahead, i need all the help i can get.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Zero.exe


... Very dramatic, but fine.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Super Hurricane


Well, for starters, you could put a paragraph between "descendants. However" since it is past 3 sentences or so. Also, 'tabbing' the first sentence is a decent practice, and you probably have to double-space it so your teacher can read it properly.

'This title was earned over his entire life, which lead him to great success' is another way to put it past-tense. However, tacticians aren't exactly warriors, and the shogun itself is supposed to be a expert in combat should a war arise in his backyard.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Yoyo
Member Avatar
The Voice of Reason in an Unreasonable world

Zero: I was Aiming for dramatic, it's meant to draw the reader in and all.

SH: I tabbed and am required to double space it in Word, it just didn't transfer over when i copied it, apparently.

He was a Warlord, though, and a general before becoming Shogun. his fighting is what really got him into the Shogun's seat because of the Battle of Sekigahara.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Pancake Mix
Member Avatar
BLARGAHGRHGARR

You DID get my help on your "Animal Farm" Homework, right? I'm not going through that again, partly out of it being too late, partly becuase I dunno a damn thign on this topic.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Zero.exe


You're doing a research paper, not a story.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Yoyo
Member Avatar
The Voice of Reason in an Unreasonable world

Pancake Mix
Mar 3 2007, 01:06 AM
You DID get my help on your "Animal Farm" Homework, right? I'm not going through that again, partly out of it being too late, partly becuase I dunno a damn thign on this topic.

I did get your help, yes, and i haven't actually gotten to thanking you for that yet, so i'll do it here. Thanks for the help on my Animal Farm project, it got done about twenty minutes earlier than if you hadn't helped. *nod* and for that, i thank you.

and if you dont know the topic, that's understandable if you don't want to help. it's not mandatory. >>;

Zero: Ah, but it's a story about history. your basically researching a story and telling it again. Why does it have to be flat and blah because it's just a research paper? Why cant it be somewhat dramatic and stylized?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Zero.exe


Because the examiners want facts and not a dramatic tale of how the guy got his groove on.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Absolute Zero
Member Avatar


I'm not too good with advice, but I'll give it a shot.

The best way to write a reasearch paper is to beat around the bush (needlessly extend, Zero) with the more important topics, extending them to a minimal of two paragraphs, or for larger papers higher. The less important facts should be thrown in at random, but only where they apply. Also, every few paragraphs, a paragraph stating your opinion about what has been said so far is a way to extend, and it's a key part in most reports anyway, so it may even be key to a better grade. Another thing, if you get stuck, is to mention a few things about the age he lived in, but once more only mention things that relate.

Sorry if that wasn't any help.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Soulsaber
Member Avatar
Statement: I'm plotting your deaths.

In my opinion you did a good job, nothing to change.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Yoyo
Member Avatar
The Voice of Reason in an Unreasonable world

alright, here's my updated version, now with the first body paragraph.

Quote:
 
Tokugawa Ieyasu, when discussed in history, is often called a patient tactician. This title was earned over his entire life; from his childhood through his warlord days, and it lead him to great success. So great was this success, in fact, Tokugawa earned the highest title in all of Japan, just under the Emperor: the Shogun. The Shogun ruled all of Japan’s feudal lords (the Daimyo) and everyone under them. Upon his election to the Shogun position, He established a Shogunate that lasted two hundred and fifty years, through fifteen of his descendants, and changed the face of Japan forever.

However, how had he somehow come across such great power? He had his share of problems and adversaries, as well, but they all lacked the crucial points Tokugawa had taken into account. It was simply a well thought out and patient maneuver, and several chance circumstances in his favor. The plot seemed to have started long before Tokugawa was a warlord, back when he was just a young hostage. Japan was a country ripe for the taking, and all of the pieces fell into place for Tokugawa as his plan moved forward. The Shogunate began in 1600, but the makings of it started several years earlier, when a Portuguese ship by chance came across Japanese shores. Little did the merchants aboard know that they would help cause a two hundred and fifty year rule under the man known as… The Shogun.

The story begins in the middle of the 16th century, when Portuguese ships reached Japan for the first time with missionaries and traders aboard. They were looking to trade with this new land, and wanted to get the Christian influence into it as well. They landed on Japan with three missionaries, and one rifle each to sell to the Japanese. A current Daimyo, Oda Nobunaga, saw these weapons used for the first time, and bought all three to have copies made for his Samurai, or warriors.  At the time, Japan was in a massive civil war for power among the other Daimyos, for influence and land. The introduction of firearms gave a massive increase of power to whichever side used them, and Nobunaga was the first to begin using them in war. With the addition of firearms, Nobunaga’s forces crushed his opposition, who were still using swords and close combat to fight. Nobunaga is noted for using bold military tactics and the most recent advancements in weapons to boost his power, which lead him to several landslide victories in battle (Hane 131).

But the question is, how did Nobunaga assist in forming the Tokugawa Shogunate? Indirectly, he had a great influence on it’s creation. At the time Nobunaga was gaining power, there was another Shogun in place: Shogun Yoshiaki. Yoshiaki began to gather daimyos to stand against Nobunaga. Before an attack could be made, however, Nobunaga was already striking back. At the same time, other Daimyos were engaging in rivalries which would play into Nobunaga’s quest for power. The other Daimyos would weaken each other, and then Nobunaga took them down. As he did so, his opponents began turning to his side, making him even stronger. It was just a matter of time before Nobunaga overthrew the Shogun, but he couldn’t take the Shogun’s seat without being recommended by the current Emperor. The position was open, now, but it was becoming a challenge to find out who would be the one Daimyo chosen for the ultimate seat of power in Japan.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Soulsaber
Member Avatar
Statement: I'm plotting your deaths.

I think I saw a program on PBS on this guy.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Comic Master Alpha


O.O YOU USED WIKI! NO NO NO! They won't take that as a source in most schools since it isn't completely reliable thanks to it being public edited.

You should use a search engine that gives you reliable sources. I recomend vivisimo.com as a good search engine for research sources.

I know because i have used it on many occasions to find materials for my many research papers for my Grammar and Composition class (college course English 110) which had to be college grade in quality and I got an A on it.

Also, the best way to take up space in a research paper is to make the paper 70% paraphrases (parenthetical documentation after each) 10% quotes and 20% original material.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Yoyo
Member Avatar
The Voice of Reason in an Unreasonable world

I didn't use Wiki for the actual information, I've been using books about the time period. Wiki was just so you guys would know what i was talking about.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Comic Master Alpha


oh i already know. But yea use that formula i gave you and it helps. Using paraphrasing of information helps fill in space substantially. Also, I would suggest checking out vivisimo as well
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Brian
Unregistered

Eh, at the college, yea, wiki might not be tolerated, but I know my high school allows Wiki, and a lot of other locals probably do.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Yoyo
Member Avatar
The Voice of Reason in an Unreasonable world

update: I got to writing a lot more of it, I'm just here to show it to you guys. I still need comments and critiques though, it helps keep me going and all. if anything looks awkward or needs changing or anything, just tell me. please, tell me. D:



Quote:
 
Tokugawa Ieyasu, when discussed in history, is often called a patient tactician. This title was earned over his entire life; from his childhood through his warlord days, and it lead him to great success. So great was this success, in fact, Tokugawa earned the highest title in all of Japan, just under the Emperor: the Shogun. The Shogun ruled all of Japan’s feudal lords (the Daimyo) and everyone under them. Upon his election to the Shogun position, He established a Shogunate that lasted two hundred and fifty years, through fifteen of his descendants, and changed the face of Japan forever.

However, how had he somehow come across such great power? He had his share of problems and adversaries, as well, but they all lacked the crucial points Tokugawa had taken into account. It was simply a well thought out and patient maneuver, and several chance circumstances in his favor. The plot seemed to have started long before Tokugawa was a warlord, back when he was just a young hostage. Japan was a country ripe for the taking, and all of the pieces fell into place for Tokugawa as his plan moved forward. The Shogunate began in 1600, but the makings of it started several years earlier, when a Portuguese ship by chance came across Japanese shores. Little did the merchants aboard know that they would help cause a two hundred and fifty year rule under the man known as… The Shogun.

The story begins in the middle of the 16th century, when Portuguese ships reached Japan for the first time with missionaries and traders aboard. They were looking to trade with this new land, and wanted to get the Christian influence into it as well. They landed on Japan with three missionaries, and one rifle each to sell to the Japanese. A current Daimyo, Oda Nobunaga, saw these weapons used for the first time, and bought all three to have copies made for his Samurai, or warriors.  At the time, Japan was in a massive civil war for power among the other Daimyos, for influence and land. The introduction of firearms gave a massive increase of power to whichever side used them, and Nobunaga was the first to begin using them in war. With the addition of firearms, Nobunaga’s forces crushed his opposition, who were still using swords and close combat to fight. Nobunaga is noted for using bold military tactics and the most recent advancements in weapons to boost his power, which lead him to several landslide victories in battle (Hane 131).

But the question is, how did Nobunaga assist in forming the Tokugawa Shogunate? Indirectly, he had a great influence on its creation. At the time Nobunaga was gaining power, there was another Shogun in place: Shogun Yoshiaki. Yoshiaki began to gather daimyos to stand against Nobunaga. Before an attack could be made, however, Nobunaga was already striking back. At the same time, other Daimyos were engaging in rivalries which would play into Nobunaga’s quest for power. The other Daimyos would weaken each other, and then Nobunaga took them down. As he did so, his opponents began turning to his side, making him even stronger. It was just a matter of time before Nobunaga overthrew the Shogun, but he couldn’t take the Shogun’s seat without being recommended by the current Emperor. The position was open, but now, it was becoming a challenge to find out who would be the one Daimyo chosen for the ultimate seat of power in Japan.

Now that the title of shogun was opened for the taking, the countries daimyos were at war to determine who was worthy of it. It was a constant fight for the Emperor’s acknowledgement between the many powers around Japan, and neither side was giving way. Nobunaga, however, was still just as intent at getting into the Shogun’s seat as ever. He made Toyotomi Hideyoshi a general of his forces to continue crushing his enemies. Hideyoshi was a ruthless general, and often lead sieges on other daimyo’s castles.

“The general who was placed in charge of this campaign was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who effectively used the siege, one of his favorite tactics of the contending warlords of this era, against his enemies. Hideyoshi turned two castles into veritable hells as he starved the defenders to death. He had placed still another Mori fortress under siege…” (Hane, 133)

The quote above shows just what Hideyoshi was like in a warring environment. In short, any tactic possible was utilized, and Hideyoshi didn’t care about the consequences of such strikes.

It wasn’t long after Hideyoshi was made a general before an ally of Nobunaga rebelled against him and overwhelmed the once powerful Daimyo, then set fire to his palace. This left the area Nobunaga controlled in turmoil, and on top of that, he was the first in line to become Shogun. (Robertson, 29) Keeping the fact Nobunaga was dead hidden, Hideyoshi continued to take land for himself under Nobunaga’s feared name. After defeating the traitor of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi deemed Nobunaga’s grandson the Daimyo’s heir. Things were once again beginning to fall into place, as it seemed Hideyoshi was going to become more powerful than even Nobunaga was. And he would have, If it wasn’t for one little road black in his path; Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Tokugawa had been a general in Nobunaga’s army after he came of age at fifteen. Ieyasu had been in the Eastern side of Japan, defending Nobunaga’s territory as a general, while Hideyoshi had gone to the west. Now that Nobunaga was gone, Ieyasu had returned to his own providence to increase his strength. He began building his own power, with Hideyoshi unable to stand up to him at the time. The two negotiated a peace treaty to protect Hideyoshi and strengthen Ieyasu, because Hideyoshi knew he had little chance of fighting and winning against Ieyasu. Hideyoshi continued to bring Ieyasu closer to him by marrying off his sister to the Daimyo. In return for the great amount of support Hideyoshi showed Ieyasu, he helped Hideyoshi in campaigns and battles. Ieyasu began building a castle in Edo, to show his power was not controlled by Hideyoshi but himself. This proved that they were allies, not Ieyasu working under Hideyoshi. (Hane, 135)

It was 1585 when Hideyoshi became regent of the emperor. He earned this position through his “superior generalship and his ability to make bold decisions and take resolute action.” (Hane, 135) He had been aiming for the esteemed position of Shogun. When Hideyoshi was elected regent, he stopped aiming for the position of Shogun to focus on his duties instead.

Furthermore, it was a rule that only a descendant of the Minamoto family could hold the position of Shogun by recognition of the Emperor, one of the clan members. That is the fatal error Hideyoshi made when he attempted to become the Shogun; he hadn’t bore a son who he could have married into the Emperor’s house. Ieyasu saw his chance and made a move, and had his san married to the Emperor’s granddaughter. Meanwhile, Hideyoshi had a son too late. He went to his deathbed telling four daimyo he had aligned himself with to keep his five year old son, Hideyori, safe until he was old enough to rule. Ieyasu was one of the four. He might not have expected it at the time, but this agreement would cause him major problems in the future. (PBS)

After Hideyoshi’s death, no one could match Ieyasu’s tactical abilities. He went on several campaigns around Japan, and gained support and land as he went. However, before we get into how he gained the title of Shogun, let us look at the year 1600. It was at this time a man named William Adams traveled to Japan as a pilot for a Dutch ship. Rumors had been spread around Europe of Portugal’s trade with Japan. Adams wanted to find this mysterious land and wrestle trade and religion control back from the Portuguese. By now, Japan had closed off its land to foreigners. The usual procedure was to kill any foreigner who set foot on Japanese soil, but Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was still a daimyo at the time, met with Adams. Adams wished to begin trade between Japan and Spain, and Ieyasu saw another useful circumstance he could gain power with. He asked Adams for two war ships, which up until this point were non-existent in Japan, in exchange for allowing trade with Spain. He also took Adams as his personal Interpreter and allowed him to become a Samurai (This was the highest title given to any foreigner at the time). After making Adams his interpreter, he ordered all Portuguese missionaries out of Japan, finding that their outside influence might ruin his peace. This also all but eliminated Christianity from Japan, and they once again turned to Confucianism as the major religion of the country. Ieyasu was almost in complete control by this point.

The final step, however, was the Battle of Segigahara. By now it was clear Tokugawa Ieyasu was the “strongest man in Japan” (Robertson, 40), and the battle of Segigahara was his final step to the Shogun position. When fighting against a group of rivals in the valley of Segigahara, he was outnumbered and outmatched. Thinking on his feet, however, Ieyasu was quick to convince a large number of daimyos on the opposing side to join him. His opponents defeat was crushing after nearly half of the opposing forces turned to Ieyasu. Not only did he make several powerful allies, but he caught the eye of the emperor. In 1603, the emperor deemed Tokugawa Ieyasu the most powerful general in Japan: the Shogun.

As Ieyasu began his rule as Shogun, Japan began to change. Not only had the introduction of a shogun, which hadn’t been done since the 12th century, come as a momentous event in the people’s eyes, but it also united the Daimyos under one chief general. The age of civil wars ended not long after the Shogun came into power. He was on a level much higher than the daimyo, and now they all began to try and get closer to his palace in Edo to gain his approval.  Japan was now in a “military rule in which political peace and social stability were maintained” (Hane, 151)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Absolute Zero
Member Avatar


Ahheeeeeee!!! This looks good enough to me! I didn't know half of that shit! ....or any of it...except Nobunaga.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Yoyo
Member Avatar
The Voice of Reason in an Unreasonable world

good to hear! C<

except i still need at least two more pages to keep it in the range my teacher demands it to be, then i need to write the title page and then the bibliography then scan my primary sources to add! D:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Yoyo
Member Avatar
The Voice of Reason in an Unreasonable world

IT. IS. COMPLETE. D:

Quote:
 
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) was often called a patient tactician. This title was earned over his entire life; from his childhood through his warlord days, and it led him to many of his noteworthy accomplishments, such as his excellent tactical ability and his rise to power. So great was this success, in fact, Tokugawa earned the highest title in all of Japan, just under the emperor: the Shogun. The Shogun ruled all of Japan’s feudal lords (the Daimyo) and everyone under them from 1603 to 1606. Upon his election to the Shogun position, He established a Shogunate that lasted two hundred and fifty years, through fifteen of his descendants, and changed the face of Japan forever.

It was simply a well thought out and patient maneuver, and several chance circumstances in his favor. The plot seemed to have started long before Tokugawa was a warlord, back when he was just a young hostage in 1546. Around the same time, a Portuguese ship came across Japanese shores by chance. Little did the merchants aboard know that they would help cause a two hundred and fifty year rule under the man known as… The Shogun.

The story begins in the middle of the 16th century, when Portuguese ships reached Japan for the first time with missionaries and traders aboard. They were looking to trade with this new land, and wanted to get the Christian influence into it as well (PBS). They landed on Japan with three missionaries, and one rifle each to sell to the Japanese. A current Daimyo, Oda Nobunaga, saw these weapons used for the first time, and bought all three to have copies made for his Samurai, or warriors.  At the time, Japan was in a massive civil war for power among the other Daimyos, for influence and land. This was referred to as the “Warring States period”, or the Sengoku Period. (Wikipedia) The introduction of firearms gave a massive increase of power to whichever side used them, and Nobunaga was the first to begin using them in war. With the addition of firearms, Nobunaga’s forces crushed his opposition, who were still using swords and close combat to fight. Nobunaga is noted for using bold military tactics and the most recent advancements in weapons to boost his power, which lead him to several landslide victories in battle (Hane 131).

Nobunaga assisted in forming the Tokugawa Shogunate Indirectly. As Nobunaga was gaining power in the 1550’s, there was another Shogun in place: Shogun Yoshiaki. Yoshiaki began to gather daimyos to stand against Nobunaga. Before an attack could be made, however, Nobunaga was already striking back. At the same time, other Daimyos were engaging in rivalries which would play into Nobunaga’s quest for power. The other Daimyos would weaken each other, and then Nobunaga took them down. As he did so, his opponents began turning to his side, making him even stronger. It was just a matter of time before Nobunaga overthrew the Shogun, but he couldn’t take the Shogun’s seat without being recommended by the current emperor. The emperor was a figurehead, while the Shogun held the true power over the country. The problem was, though, the Shogun could only be elected by the reigning emperor. As explained by John R. Roberson, 

“Japan also had an emperor. He was believed to be a direct descendant of the god and goddess who had created the islands of Japan many centuries before, and as such was worthy of great respect. But he had even less power than the queen of England has today, and far less wealth. In fact, lack of funds had forced the current emperor to delay for several years the ceremonies to mark the beginning of his reign. A daimyo finally contributed the money for the ceremonies and received a handsome title in return- the power to confer titles was about the only power the emperor had.” (Roberson, 12)

As you can see, the emperor of the time was only a symbol of divine right, yet wielded none of his own power. Everything rode on the emperor’s approval. Now it was a competition between the Daimyo to prove themselves to the emperor.
Now that the title of Shogun was opened for the taking, the countries daimyo were at war to determine who was worthy. It was a constant fight for the emperor’s acknowledgement between the many powers around Japan, and no side was giving way. Nobunaga, however, was still just as intent at getting into the Shogun’s seat as ever. He made Toyotomi Hideyoshi a general of his forces to continue crushing his enemies. Hideyoshi was a ruthless general, and often lead sieges on other daimyo’s castles.

“The general who was placed in charge of this campaign was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who effectively used the siege, one of his favorite tactics of the contending warlords of this era, against his enemies. Hideyoshi turned two castles into veritable hells as he starved the defenders to death. He had placed still another Mori fortress under siege…” (Hane, 133)

Hane describes just what Hideyoshi was like in a warring environment. In short, any tactic possible was utilized, and Hideyoshi didn’t care about the consequences of such strikes.

It wasn’t long after Hideyoshi was made a general before an ally of Nobunaga rebelled against him and overwhelmed the once powerful Daimyo, then set fire to his palace. This left the area Nobunaga controlled in turmoil. As Nobunaga was the frontrunner for the Shogun position, it also created problems for the selection of a new Shogun. (Roberson, 29) Keeping the fact Nobunaga had died hidden, Hideyoshi continued to take land for himself under Nobunaga’s feared name. After defeating the traitor of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi deemed Nobunaga’s grandson the Daimyo’s heir after Nobunaga’s second and third sons (the first had perished in the fire that killed their father) could not agree on who was the proper selection. Things were once again beginning to fall into place, as it seemed Hideyoshi was going to become more powerful than even Nobunaga was. And he would have, If it wasn’t for one little road black in his path; Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Tokugawa had been a general in Nobunaga’s army after he came of age at fifteen. Ieyasu had been in the Eastern side of Japan, defending Nobunaga’s territory as a general, while Hideyoshi had gone to the west. Now that Nobunaga was gone, Ieyasu had returned to his own providence to increase his strength. He began building his own power, with Hideyoshi unable to stand up to him at the time for fear of Tokugawa’s growing power. The two negotiated a peace treaty to protect Hideyoshi and strengthen Ieyasu, because Hideyoshi knew he had little chance of fighting and winning against Ieyasu. Hideyoshi continued to bring Ieyasu closer to him by marrying off his sister to the Daimyo. In return for the great amount of support Hideyoshi showed Ieyasu, he helped Hideyoshi in campaigns and battles. Ieyasu began building a castle in Edo, to show his power was not controlled by Hideyoshi but himself. This proved that they were allies, not Ieyasu working under Hideyoshi. (Hane, 135)

It was 1585 when Hideyoshi became regent of the emperor. He earned this position through his “superior generalship and his ability to make bold decisions and take resolute action.” (Hane, 135) He had been aiming for the esteemed position of Shogun. When Hideyoshi was elected regent, he stopped aiming for the position of Shogun to focus on his duties instead.

Furthermore, it was a rule that only a descendant of the Minamoto family could hold the position of Shogun by recognition of the emperor, one of the clan members. That is the fatal error Hideyoshi made when he attempted to become the Shogun; he hadn’t bore a son who he could have married into the emperor’s house. Ieyasu saw his chance and made a move, and had his san married to the emperor’s granddaughter. Meanwhile, Hideyoshi had a son too late. He went to his deathbed telling four daimyo he had aligned himself with to keep his five year old son, Hideyori, safe until he was old enough to rule. Ieyasu was one of the four. He might not have expected it at the time, but this agreement would cause him major problems in the future. (PBS)

After Hideyoshi’s death, no one could match Ieyasu’s tactical abilities. He went on several campaigns around Japan, and gained support and land as he went. However, before we get into how he gained the title of Shogun, let us look at the year 1600. It was at this time a man named William Adams traveled to Japan as a pilot for a Dutch ship. Rumors had been spread around Europe of Portugal’s trade with Japan. Adams wanted to find this mysterious land and wrestle trade and religion control back from the Portuguese. At this point, the late 1500s, Portugal and Spain were of different strains of Christianity, and each considered others religion to be wrong. By now, Japan had closed off its land to foreigners. The usual procedure was to kill any foreigner who set foot on Japanese soil, but Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was still a daimyo at the time, met with Adams. Adams wished to begin trade between Japan and Spain, and Ieyasu saw another useful circumstance he could gain power with. He asked Adams for two war ships, which up until this point were non-existent in Japan, in exchange for allowing trade with Spain. He also took Adams as his personal Interpreter and allowed him to become a Samurai (This was the highest title given to any foreigner at the time). After making Adams his interpreter, he ordered all Portuguese missionaries out of Japan, finding that their outside influence might ruin his peace. This also all but eliminated Christianity from Japan; the missionaries were the ones spreading the religion around, and the daimyo preferred a different religion. They once again turned to Confucianism as the major religion of the country. Ieyasu was almost in complete control by this point. (Clavell)

The final step, however, was the Battle of Sekigahara. By now it was clear Tokugawa Ieyasu was the “strongest man in Japan” (Roberson, 40), and the battle of Sekigahara was his final step to the Shogun position. When fighting against a group of rivals in the valley of Sekigahara, he was greatly outnumbered. Thinking on his feet, however, Ieyasu was quick to convince a large number of daimyos on the opposing side to join him. His opponents defeat was crushing after nearly half of the opposing forces turned to Ieyasu due to the immense power behind him. Not only did he make several allies, but he caught the eye of the emperor. In 1603, the emperor deemed Tokugawa Ieyasu the most powerful general in Japan: the Shogun.
As Ieyasu began his rule as Shogun, Japan began to change. Not only had the introduction of a shogun, which hadn’t been done since the 12th century, come as a momentous event in the people’s eyes, but it also united the Daimyos under one chief general. He was on a level much higher than the daimyo, and now they all began to try and get closer to his palace in Edo to gain his approval.  Japan was now in a “military rule in which political peace and social stability were maintained” (Hane, 151). The country was ruled by the shogun, but he allowed the tradition of the emperor and his court remaining as the figureheads of Japan, and even increased his support of this system. He also allowed Daimyos to continue ruling their own fiefs with the same title, as long as they swore allegiance to him. He also developed a bureaucratic system of government, run by an appointed group of officials that governed the nation under him.

In 1605, just three years after Tokugawa Ieyasu gained his title as Shogun, he stepped down from it to allow his son to rule in his place. This was to make sure that the transition from rulers was cleanly done, to prevent his Shogunate from falling in the future. While this step down would have made him seem weaker in power, no one went against his orders even after becoming advisor to his thirty six year old son, Tokugawa Hidetada. He continued to act as shogun for eleven more years, and most of his changes were made then.

The age of civil wars ended not long after the Shogun came into power, when it was clear to the other Daimyo that their quest for power was futile now that someone had claimed it. By the end of the warring times, daimyo were at peace with each other under the Tokugawa Shogunate rule. But, this created a problem for the caste system Japan had followed for centuries. The Samurai, who acted as the keepers of the peace and the loyal warriors of the daimyo, were out of jobs. They still served the daimyo, but when an era of peace suddenly came about, they could not serve their lords how they wished; in battle. The samurai began to teach their techniques and write their teachings in guidebooks as the samurai’s code. Through the years, the Samurai code became translated, such as the translation by Thomas Cleary, called “Code of the Samurai.” An excerpt showing the style of the code is below.

“One who is supposed to be a warrior considers it is his foremost concern to keep death in mind at all times, every day and every night, from the morning of New Year’s Day to the night of New Year’s Eve.
As long as you keep death in mind at all times, you will also fulfill the ways of loyalty and familial duty. You will also avoid myriad evils and calamities, you will be physically sound and healthy, and you will live a long life. What is more, your character will improve and your virtue will grow.” (Cleary, 3)

The first segment of their code shows just how serious the samurai were when faced with war or death. They were meant to fight, but when no fighting was needed, they were capable artists, writers, and aristocrats. However, Tokugawa’s caste system (see appendix B), based on Hideyoshi’s original system, allowed them to keep themselves in their positions when not actually fighting.

Another major effect Tokugawa had on Japan was his closure of the country to foreigners entirely. Earlier, before he earned his shogun position, Tokugawa had sent out the Jesuit missionaries in Japan, but allowed trade to continue. After becoming Shogun, he disallowed all foreign influences into Japan to keep the peace. The trade with Spain and Portugal was stopped, and missionaries were sent away. This kept Japan closed off from the outside world for the entire Shogunate, to grown and become entirely self-sufficient. Several sources are in disagreement as far as how beneficial this movement was for Japan, however. Some sources believe that by closing off the country to foreigners, it assisted in keeping Japan under complete control politically and socially. Meanwhile, its economy greatly declined due to almost complete lack of trade, aside from the Dutch route in Nagasaki that Tokugawa kept in place. This was the only connection to the outside world, and it remained the only connection for the entire Shogunate. (Prentice Hall, 644)

Tokugawa also had the major currency of Japan changed. Before his rule, the status people were depended on how many bushels of rice, called Koku, could be produced in the land they owned. Taxes and payments were paid out by the exchange of rice. Tokugawa, however, began to mint coins. Now that the country was united, there would be a united system of exchange. This created problems with debt in the future, however, but the united system of money was beneficial to the development of the country. (Roberson, 54)

Another major change in Tokugawa’s regime was the changing of the capital. Under Tokugawa’s orders, the capital was shifted from Kyoto, where the emperor kept his palace, to the city of Edo where Tokugawa made his great castle some years earlier. In honor of Tokugawa, the capital city was renamed Tokyo, and the center of government shifted to the once small port, transforming it into the great city it is known as today. (Roberson, 41)

Tokugawa fought a final battle in 1613, which was to ensure that the ghost of Hideyoshi did not come back to haunt him. He began a war against Osaka castle, where Hideyoshi once ruled. This was also where the long forgotten son of Hideyoshi, Hideyori, was hiding out. Tokugawa went against his promise to Hideyoshi to protect his son and waged a two year war on the castle. The Daimyo who supported Hideyori and wished to overthrow Ieyasu were at work, and several of these daimyo were Christians. After the destruction of Osaka castle, he ordered Hideyori to commit ritual suicide, seppuku, and sealed his Shogunate into the seat of power. Now, no one was left to challenge him. (Roberson, 48)

Ieyasu acted as an “advisor” to his son for another year, before his death in 1616. On his deathbed, Ieyasu made his son swear to rule for the good of the country, not themselves. The Shogunate continued on this principle. (PBS)

Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa are all referred to as the Three Unifiers. They all had a part in helping to unite Japan after years of civil war. Nobunaga began the process by overthrowing the former shogun and introducing firearms to Japan. Hideyoshi was resourceful, and became a great power that opposed even Tokugawa in the race for the shogun position. Yet the perseverance of Tokugawa and his clever strategies in battle earned him the esteemed position. When in power he continued to show his craftiness, making several changes in only two years. He ended years of civil wars, with all of the daimyo under him answering to the control of the national government. Furthermore, he closed off the country to outside influences, which expanded its internal trades and made the merchant class become richer. His peace was preserved for over two and a half centuries for many reasons. His strategies in battle were commendable. New technology from the west enhanced his power further. Perhaps it was his policy on isolationism that kept his power absolute for so long. And above all other reasons, His own planning and the coincidences that befell him were all influential to his eventual rise to power. His descendants followed his guiding words from his deathbed, to rule for the people and not themselves, and this led his house to rule for two hundred and sixty six more years, through fifteen descendants. That is how such a powerful government was created and maintained by one man.

Works Cited Page


Clavell, James. Shogun: A novel of Japan.
New York: Atheneum, 1980.

Cleary, Thomas. Code of the Samurai.
Boston, MA: Tuttle Publishing, 1999.

De Mente, Boy Lafayette. Japan made easy. 2nd.
Chicago, IL: Passport Books, 1995.

Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor, and Anthony Esler. World History: Connections to Today.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001.

Hane, Mikiso. Japan: A Historical Survey.
Knox College: Charles Scribner's sons, 1972.

"Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire." Empires. Empires. Nar. Richard Chamberlain. PBS,
Hollywood, CA. 2003.

Roberson, John R.. Japan meets the world: the birth of a superpower. 2nd.
Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1985.


Minor Research:
"Sengoku Period." 06 Mar 2007 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_Period>.

"Tokugawa Ieyasu." 06 Mar 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_Ieyasu>.

"Tokugawa Shogunate." 06 Mar 2007 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokugawa_shogunate>.


... well, what say you? I need to hand it in tomorrow no matter what you say, but please, any last suggestions or opinions? D:
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Free Forums. Reliable service with over 8 years of experience.
Learn More · Register for Free
« Previous Topic · General Discussion · Next Topic »
Add Reply



.Wiredvage Theme created by Zeus00 and converted by Wolt of the ZetaBoards Theme Zone - EXE Wired modification completed by Roji