Tumult and Turnover in Joseon
The Kings of Joseon were faced with many difficult decisions throughout the 1600s as their nation faced Manchurian invasion, internal military coups, and a tumultuously factional political class.
Tag: Japan
The Rise of the Qing Dynasty
As the Ming Dynasty faced utter collapse in the face of famines, plagues, and peasant rebellions, the Qing Dynasty of Manchuria would surge and, eventually, take its place as the ruling dynasty of China.
The Fall of the Ming Dynasty
Under pressure from outside and within, the Ming Dynasty of China gradually lost control after a series of famines, plagues, and peasant rebellions. By the early 1600s, however, the Later Jin Dynasty began to take charge after unifying Manchuria and soon set its sights on claiming the Mandate of Heaven for themselves.
Iemitsu’s Marvelous Machine
The reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu proved to be a stabilizing force in Japanese politics, as he defined the duties of the various office-holders throughout the Bakufu which helped make the Edo Shogunate the longest-lasting samurai government in Japanese history.
A State of Emergency
The reign of Tokugawa Iemitsu was marked by a general trend toward increasing the shogunate’s power through self-perpetuating bureaucracy. His son Ietsuna’s reign would prove to be a test of the Bakufu’s machinery.
The Shimabara Rebellion
As the Bakufu continued to persecute Christianity, and certain daimyo continued taxing their subjects at punitive rates, a rebellion broke out in Kyushu in 1637 which would prove to be the end of any remaining tolerance the Shogunate had for foreign elements in Japan.
The Siege of Osaka
When conflict erupted at last between Toyotomi Hideyori and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the resulting battles would decide the political future of Japan for hundreds of years to come. However, in spite of the reduction they had experienced at the Shogun’s hands, the Toyotomi Clan was still able to raise significant numbers of troops.
To Osaka and Beyond
After the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu continued carefully and gradually accumulating his own power and was named Seii-tai-shogun in 1603. This episode also features the adventures of William Adams, the first Englishman to come to Japan.
The Battle of Sekigahara
Ishida Mitsunari gathered the various factions that composed his Western Army, hoping to face off against Tokugawa Ieyasu in Mikawa Province. Ieyasu had other plans, however, and confronted Mitsunari in Mino Province instead. The battle that ensued was legendary, and the winner would gain control over the entire nation.
A Game of Succession
After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Go-Tairo, or Council of Five Elders, would contend with one another over how best to interpret and execute the Taiko’s final commands.
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