Part 2 (2/2)
With the year 461 historical events and personages appear, and, in the main, we may accept the history from this time forward as accurate.
About the middle of the sixth century began one of the most important processes in j.a.panese history--the conversion of the nation to Buddhism. For some centuries previous Chinese learning and arts had been gradually filtering into j.a.pan; but they had not as yet gained general acceptance. The Buddhist priests brought Chinese civilization, and in the course of two {41} centuries it spread over the country, influencing morality, politics, and everything. Sweeping changes were made in the government, which was then organized on the Chinese centralized plan. Arts, sciences, and literature flourished. This was the golden age of cla.s.sical j.a.pan.
In the year 670 A.D. the great Fujiwara family came upon the stage.
The mikados were in theory absolute rulers, but eventually they became mere figureheads. Their mode of life was not such as to make of them able rulers. Surrounded by an effeminate court, living in indolence and debauchery amid priests and court women, they were hardly competent to direct affairs. The emperor was often a mere child, who, when he grew up, either abdicated freely or was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of another child as weak as himself. The government was administered by the most powerful va.s.sals. The great Fujiwara family held the affairs of state in its own hands from 670 to 1050 A.D.: all the important posts were filled by its sons, while its daughters were married to the imbecile emperors.
The next important event in j.a.panese history is the rise of feudalism.
The warlike samurai cla.s.ses, disgusted with this weak petticoat government, arose in arms and overthrew it. The great clans of Taira and Minamoto appeared and alternately held the reins of government for nearly {42} two centuries. Lawlessness and disorder prevailed. The leader who could command the most men and win the victory with his sword was master of the empire. All j.a.pan became a military camp, the chieftains waging war against one another. Thus feudalism took its rise and prevailed for many centuries, powerfully affecting every form of thought and life, just as it did in Europe at a similar period.
The Taira family was finally overthrown by the Minamotos, and the chief of the latter clan, Yoritomo, was raised to the supreme power. This man was the first to obtain from the imperial court in Kyoto the t.i.tle of ”shogun”--generally spoken of in the West as ”tyc.o.o.n.” From this time forward (1190-1867) the shogun was the real ruler of j.a.pan. The mikado was still the theoretical head of the state, descendant of the sun-G.o.ddess, and fountain of all honor, but he lived in the retirement and seclusion of his court, never seen by his subjects, and all matters of government were attended to by the shogun. Yoritomo's descendants gradually degenerated, and were finally overthrown by the As.h.i.+kaga family.
This powerful clan took charge of the government in 1338 and held it until 1565. It encouraged literature and the arts, and the court became a center of elegance and refinement. Especially {43} did the intricate tea ceremonies flourish at this time. This family became weak and effeminate finally, like its predecessors, and was overthrown.
j.a.pan was first discovered by Europeans probably in 1542, when the Portuguese adventurer Mendez Pinto landed on her coasts. He brought the first definite information concerning her received in Europe, and his reports were so highly exaggerated that he was spoken of everywhere as ”mendacious Pinto.” Soon after his visit numbers of Portuguese adventurers came, who were received warmly by the impressible people.
With them came the Jesuits and the introduction of Christianity. The growth of Christianity, and the b.l.o.o.d.y persecutions it encountered, begin from this time. These interesting subjects will be treated in another chapter and hence are pa.s.sed over here.
During this period lived successively three of the greatest men in j.a.panese history--n.o.bunaga, Hideyos.h.i.+, and Iyeyasu. On these men devolved the tasks of breaking the power of the feudal lords and bringing them into more complete subjection to the shogun; of unifying the empire and of strengthening the central government. The plan was conceived by n.o.bunaga, begun by Hideyos.h.i.+, and completed by Iyeyasu.
The former was the friend and patron of the Christians, the two latter their bitter persecutors.
{44}
After the rulers had succeeded in stamping out Christianity the country was closed to foreign influence, and for two hundred years remained hermetically sealed. Even s.h.i.+pwrecked foreign sailors found on her coasts were executed, and no j.a.panese was permitted to leave the country on pain of death. The only communication with the outside world reserved was through the Hollanders, a small band of whom were permitted to reside at Nagasaki. Through them various arts and sciences, including medicine, were introduced.
This calm seclusion was rudely broken in upon by the coming of Commodore Perry, in 1853-54, with his big guns. He came to establish treaties of commerce and trade, and to secure better treatment for American s.h.i.+ps and sailors--peaceably if possible, forcibly if necessary. Here it is needful, in the interests of truth, to disprove another pretty story, to the effect that Perry and his crew were very pious, G.o.dly men, and that they secured the concessions desired by peaceable methods--by praying and singing psalms. The fact is that the concessions gained were _forced_ from j.a.pan by intimidation, by threats, and by a show of strength. Commodore Perry also used the same tactics in Liukiu. He effected his purpose, it is true, without using his guns, except for intimidation, but it is safe to say that he would not have accomplished it without them.
{45}
The treaties then forced from the government were humiliating to j.a.pan; for example, granting exterritoriality, by virtue of which foreigners should live under their own consuls and in no sense be amenable to the laws of the land. Such concessions are demanded by civilized states of the uncivilized only, and their very existence implies inferiority.
But nothing else was possible at that time, nor did j.a.pan object.
The coming of Perry, and his forced opening of the country, marked the birth of new j.a.pan, so different from the old, and the beginning of an era of unprecedented prosperity. The j.a.panese now recognize this, and speak of Perry as one of their greatest benefactors.
During the years immediately preceding this there was a great revival of learning. A school of literati arose, which zealously studied the antiquities of its own country as opposed to the imported Chinese cla.s.sics. A revival of s.h.i.+nto sprang up, and with it grew again that great reverence and esteem for the ancient imperial line, the divine mikados, as against the upstart shoguns. In this way began the movement which ended in the revolution of 1868 and the overthrow of the shogunate.
When Perry came the shogun's government was already tottering to its fall, and when this government made treaties with foreign countries, {46} admitting the ”barbarians” to this ”land of the G.o.ds,” a loud cry arose against it over all the land. Finally the imperial court at Kyoto, prompted by the mighty daimios of Choshu, Satsuma, and Tosa, decided upon the abolition of the shogunate. The shogun himself submitted to the decree of the mikado, but many of his followers did not. The War of the Revolution ensued, and after much fighting the imperial troops were victorious; the shogunate was forever abolished, and the emperor once more took personal charge of the government.
The literary party had triumphed. Buddhism was largely supplanted by s.h.i.+nto; the shogunate, which had admitted the foreigners, was abolished; and the literati fondly supposed that the court would now expel the intruders, abolish the treaties, again shut up the country, and affairs would go on as in the ”good old times.” But they were deceived. The mighty lords of Tosa, Satsuma, and Choshu now declared in favor of foreign intercourse and the adoption of European civilization. These princes were too powerful not to be heard. Their advice was heeded; the foreigners were welcomed, the country was opened more and more, old abuses were corrected, and the Europeanization of j.a.pan was begun.
The reformation was ably a.s.sisted from the very quarter where we would expect to find it {47} most bitterly opposed. The young and able emperor Mutsuhito, coming out of the obscurity which had enshrouded his ancestors for ages, and putting aside the traditions of centuries, ably seconded the efforts of his ministers in every reform. The unparalleled progress during his long and enlightened reign is due in no small part to his wisdom and prudence. He has shown himself a liberal, enlightened monarch, and I am sure that I express the sentiment of every friend of j.a.pan in saying, Long live his Majesty Mutsuhito!
The reformation of the country, the a.s.similation of Western civilization and inst.i.tutions, and the gradual opening and development of the empire have gone on uninterruptedly since the restoration of the emperor to the supreme power.
In 1871 the daimiates were abolished and the old daimios retired to private life. Thus feudalism was at last broken up and the central government strengthened. In this same year the postal and telegraph systems were introduced and a mint was established.
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