Difference between revisions of "Shimazu Tadayoshi"

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*''Born: [[1840]]''
 
*''Born: [[1840]]''
 
*''Died: [[1897]]''
 
*''Died: [[1897]]''
 +
*''Other Names'': 島津茂久 ''(Shimazu Mochihisa)''
 
*''Japanese'': [[島津]]忠義 ''(Shimazu Tadayoshi)''
 
*''Japanese'': [[島津]]忠義 ''(Shimazu Tadayoshi)''
  
 
Shimazu Tadayoshi was the 12th and last [[Edo period]] ''daimyô'' of [[Satsuma han]]. He was the son of [[Shimazu Hisamitsu]], adopted son of [[Shimazu Nariakira]], and is counted as the 29th head of the [[Shimazu clan]].
 
Shimazu Tadayoshi was the 12th and last [[Edo period]] ''daimyô'' of [[Satsuma han]]. He was the son of [[Shimazu Hisamitsu]], adopted son of [[Shimazu Nariakira]], and is counted as the 29th head of the [[Shimazu clan]].
  
Upon Nariakira's death in [[1858]], Tadayoshi succeeded him as ''daimyô''; his father Hisamitsu served initially as regent, wielding considerable power over domainal affairs in place of his son. Acting in his son's name, Hisamitsu reversed many of Nariakira's policies, especially those pertaining to [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]], and acted in strong support of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] and of samurai privilege through the Bakumatsu and into the Meiji period.  
+
Upon Nariakira's death on [[1858]]/7/16, Tadayoshi succeeded him as ''daimyô'', officially taking the position on 1858/12/28; his father Hisamitsu served initially as regent, wielding considerable power over domainal affairs in place of his son. Acting in his son's name, Hisamitsu reversed many of Nariakira's policies, especially those pertaining to [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]], and acted in strong support of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] and of samurai privilege through the Bakumatsu and into the Meiji period.
  
As a result of repeatedly requesting permission from the shogunate to postpone ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' obligations in [[1862]]-[[1865]] for a variety of reasons, in the end Tadayoshi became one of a relatively few ''daimyô'' in the entire [[Edo period]] who never performed ''sankin kôtai'' during his time as Lord.<ref>Marco Tinello, "The termination of the Ryukyuan embassies to Edo : an investigation of the bakumatsu period through the lens of a tripartite power relationship and its world," PhD thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia (2014), 377.</ref>
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Tadayoshi was granted an audience with the new shogun [[Tokugawa Iemochi]] on [[1859]]/2/7, and was granted the honor of taking one syllable from the shogun's name, changing his own name to Mochihisa. He would later change his name to Tadayoshi, however, on [[1868]]/1/16, and this is the name by which he is most typically known.<ref>Marco Tinello, "The termination of the Ryukyuan embassies to Edo : an investigation of the bakumatsu period through the lens of a tripartite power relationship and its world," PhD thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia (2014), 295.</ref>
 +
 
 +
As a result of repeatedly requesting permission from the shogunate to postpone ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' obligations in [[1862]]-[[1865]] for a variety of reasons, in the end Tadayoshi became one of a relatively few ''daimyô'' in the entire [[Edo period]] who never performed ''sankin kôtai'' during his time as Lord.<ref>Tinello, 377.</ref>
  
 
Following the [[1863]] [[Bombardment of Kagoshima]] by the British Royal Navy, in which much of the city was destroyed, Tadayoshi successfully represented to the Imperial Court that he had acted in accordance with the edict issued two months earlier by [[Emperor Komei|Emperor Kômei]] to [[joi|expel the barbarians]], driving the British ships away from Kagoshima in the end.<ref>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 194-195.</ref>
 
Following the [[1863]] [[Bombardment of Kagoshima]] by the British Royal Navy, in which much of the city was destroyed, Tadayoshi successfully represented to the Imperial Court that he had acted in accordance with the edict issued two months earlier by [[Emperor Komei|Emperor Kômei]] to [[joi|expel the barbarians]], driving the British ships away from Kagoshima in the end.<ref>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 194-195.</ref>

Revision as of 19:13, 2 February 2016

Bronze statue of Tadayoshi at the Tanshôen gardens in Kagoshima
This article is about the Bakumatsu/Meiji era daimyô. For others by the same name, see Shimazu Tadayoshi (disambig).
  • Born: 1840
  • Died: 1897
  • Other Names: 島津茂久 (Shimazu Mochihisa)
  • Japanese: 島津忠義 (Shimazu Tadayoshi)

Shimazu Tadayoshi was the 12th and last Edo period daimyô of Satsuma han. He was the son of Shimazu Hisamitsu, adopted son of Shimazu Nariakira, and is counted as the 29th head of the Shimazu clan.

Upon Nariakira's death on 1858/7/16, Tadayoshi succeeded him as daimyô, officially taking the position on 1858/12/28; his father Hisamitsu served initially as regent, wielding considerable power over domainal affairs in place of his son. Acting in his son's name, Hisamitsu reversed many of Nariakira's policies, especially those pertaining to Ryûkyû, and acted in strong support of the Tokugawa shogunate and of samurai privilege through the Bakumatsu and into the Meiji period.

Tadayoshi was granted an audience with the new shogun Tokugawa Iemochi on 1859/2/7, and was granted the honor of taking one syllable from the shogun's name, changing his own name to Mochihisa. He would later change his name to Tadayoshi, however, on 1868/1/16, and this is the name by which he is most typically known.[1]

As a result of repeatedly requesting permission from the shogunate to postpone sankin kôtai obligations in 1862-1865 for a variety of reasons, in the end Tadayoshi became one of a relatively few daimyô in the entire Edo period who never performed sankin kôtai during his time as Lord.[2]

Following the 1863 Bombardment of Kagoshima by the British Royal Navy, in which much of the city was destroyed, Tadayoshi successfully represented to the Imperial Court that he had acted in accordance with the edict issued two months earlier by Emperor Kômei to expel the barbarians, driving the British ships away from Kagoshima in the end.[3]

Unlike many daimyô, who adopted Western/modern ways quite quickly into the Bakumatsu or Meiji periods, Tadayoshi is known for having maintained his topknot (chonmage), samurai dress, and other aspects of samurai lifestyle far into the Meiji period.[4] His residence at Iso, similarly, is very much in the style of traditional Edo period elite samurai architecture and decor, albeit with some modern/Western-style accommodations for entertaining guests.

He married two daughters of Shimazu Nariakira, Teru-hime, and later Yasu-hime.[5]

Tadayoshi moved to Tokyo in 1877, but had the Iso Palace renovated in 1884, and lived there from 1888 until his death in 1897.[4]

Preceded by:
Shimazu Nariakira
Lord of Satsuma han
1858-1871
Succeeded by:
None

References

  1. Marco Tinello, "The termination of the Ryukyuan embassies to Edo : an investigation of the bakumatsu period through the lens of a tripartite power relationship and its world," PhD thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia (2014), 295.
  2. Tinello, 377.
  3. Robert Hellyer, Defining Engagement, Harvard University Press (2009), 194-195.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Gallery labels, Shôkoshûseikan, Kagoshima, Sept 2014.
  5. Kaiyô kokka Satsuma 海洋国家薩摩, Kagoshima: Shôkoshûseikan (2010), 58-59.