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Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉;
1536-1598),
was a Japanese general who united
Japan. He succeeded his former liege,
Oda Nobunaga. Later he invaded
Korea. He is known for a number of cultural legacies, including the
restriction that only members of the
samurai class could bear arms.
The period of his rule is called the
Momoyama period, after his castle. It lasted from
1582 to his death in 1598, or (according to some scholars) until
Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power after the
Battle of Sekigahara in
1600.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born at the place now called
Nagoya. His given name was plainly "Hiyoshi". He was born with no
traceable samurai lineage. As a youth, he joined the Oda clan as a lowly
servant. He quickly was noticed for his resourcefulness and rose high
enough to be given a full name: Kinoshita Tokichiro. Despite his peasant
lineage, he quickly became one of
Oda Nobunaga's most distinguished generals, eventually taking the name
Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After Oda Nobunaga's death in
1582, Hideyoshi took control of all Oda territory within a year and
was pronounced to succeeded him as military ruler and, aided by
Tokugawa Ieyasu , had by
1590 ended the
Sengoku period by reunifying
Japan.
Hideyoshi wanted the title of
shogun because it was then considered the title of the practical ruler
of Japan. However, the
emperor was unable to grant such a title to someone of Hideyoshi's
lowly lineage. Then he wanted the
Muromachi shogun,
Ashikaga Yoshiaki to accept him as an adopted son, and was refused.
Unable to become
shogun, in
1585 Hideyoshi took the position of regent or
kampaku just as the
Fujiwara had. In
1591, he resigned as kampaku and took the title of
taiko (retired regent). His adopted son
Hidetsugu (actually his nephew) succeeded him as kampaku.
Before gripping control of Japan, he employed a friendly diplomatic
stance with the
Ming Dynasty and helped the Chinese government combatting the Japanese
piracy along the coasts of
Yellow Sea,
South China Sea and
Taiwan. Now with his country secured, he began the
Battle of Bunroku to annex
Korea. On April
1592, his generals invaded Korea. Within a month, the Japanese
controlled almost the entire country. However, the Koreans soon rebelled,
aided by the Chinese
Ming dynasty. Resistance led by
Yi Sun-shin forced the Japanese army to retreat from
Korea in December,
1592.
Unsatisfied, in
1596 Hideyoshi unwisely attempted to invade Korea again in the
Battle of Keicho. This time the Japanese encountered a well-prepared
joint defence of Korea and China. The result was a stalemate.
In 1598 Hideyoshi died. The Japanese army withdrew and the battle
ended.
This futile war caused the government to be led by another son, who
succeeded him as regent, to collapse and be taken over by
Tokugawa Ieyasu before power could pass to his underaged son and
designated successor
Hideyori.
Cultural legacy
It is important to note the many ways in which Toyotomi Hideyoshi's
changed Japanese society. During the
Sengoku period, it became common for peasants to become warriors, or
even for samurai to farm due to the constant uncertainty of no centralized
government. Upon taking control, Hideyoshi decreed that all peasants be
disarmed completely. This solidified the social class system for the next
300 years. Furthermore, Hideyoshi ordered all of Japan to be surveyed,
including a census. Once this was done and all citizens were registered,
Hideyoshi required all Japanese to stay in their respective provinces (or
'han')
without official permission to go elsewhere. These steps were taken to
ensure a modicum of peace in a period of time where bandits still roamed
the countryside and peace was still new. But also by surveying the
countryside, Japanese land and resources could be utilized properly.
In
1590 Hideyoshi completed construction of the huge
Osaka castle, the largest and most formidable in all Japan, to guard
the western approaches to
Kyoto. His contributions were not all military, however. Inspired by
the dazzling
Kinkaku ("golden pavilion") temple in northwestern Kyoto, Hideyoshi
constructed a fabulous portable tea room, known as kigame no zashiki
("golden chamber"), covered with gold leaf and lined inside with red
gossamer. Using this mobile innovation, Hideyoshi was able to practice the
Japanese tea ceremony wherever he went, powerfully projecting his
unrivaled power and status upon his arrival.
Politically, he set up a governmental system that balanced out all of
the most power Japanese warlords (or
daimyo). A council was created to include the most influential
and powerful lords. At the same time, a regent was designated to be in
command. The combined polity functioned in some ways like a president with
a parliament.
At the time of his death, Hideyoshi had hoped to set up a system stable
enough to survive until his adopted son became old enough to be the next
leader. Tokugawa Ieyasu became the temporary regent. As the son neared
maturity, however, Ieyasu, through skillful political maneuvering, was
able to seize control of the country, preventing a Hideyoshi dynasty.
Nonetheless Togukawa Ieyasu left in place the majority of Hideyoshi's
decrees thus ensuring his cultural legacy.
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