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The ''buke shohatto'' (lit. "Various points of laws for warrior houses") was a collection of edicts issued by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] governing the responsibilities and activities of ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' and the rest of the [[samurai]] warrior aristocracy. These formed the basis of the ''[[bakuhan taisei]]'' (shogunate-domains system) which lay at the foundation of the Tokugawa regime. The contents of the edicts were seen as a code of conduct, a description of proper honorable ''daimyô'' behavior, and not solely laws which had to be obeyed. By appealing to notions of morality and honor, therefore, the shogunate was able to see its strictures followed despite its inability to enforce them directly.

The ''buke shohatto'' (lit. "Various points of laws for warrior houses") was a collection of edicts issued by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] governing the responsibilities and activities of ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' and the rest of the [[samurai]] warrior aristocracy. These formed the basis of the ''[[bakuhan taisei]]'' (shogunate-domains system) which lay at the foundation of the Tokugawa regime. The contents of the edicts were seen as a code of conduct, a description of proper honorable ''daimyô'' behavior, and not solely laws which had to be obeyed. By appealing to notions of morality and honor, therefore, the shogunate was able to see its strictures followed despite its inability to enforce them directly.

The edicts were first read to a gathering of ''daimyô'' by the retired [[shogun]] [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], at [[Fushimi castle]] in the seventh [[Japanese calendar|lunar month]] of 1615. They had been compiled by a number of scholars in service to the shogunate including [[Ishin Sūden|Ishin Sûden]], and were aimed primarily at limiting the power of the ''daimyô'' and thus protecting the shogunate's control over the country. They drew extensively upon the [[Chinese classics]], and upon earlier Japanese law codes.

The edicts were first read to a gathering of ''daimyô'' by the retired [[shogun]] [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], at [[Fushimi castle]] in the seventh [[Japanese calendar|lunar month]] of 1615. They had been compiled by a number of scholars in service to the shogunate including [[Ishin Sūden|Ishin Sûden]], and were aimed primarily at limiting the power of the ''daimyô'' and thus protecting the shogunate's control over the country. They drew extensively upon the [[Chinese classics]], and upon earlier Japanese law codes. The language of the ''buke shohatto'' employed the character 公 (''kô''/''ôyake'') meaning "public," "official," or "governmental" to refer to matters related to the shogunate, and the character 私 (''shi''/''watakushi''), meaning "personal" or "private" to refer to the matters of ''daimyô'' households and domains (''[[han]]''), reflecting political understandings and attitudes of the time.<ref>[[Luke Roberts|Roberts, Luke]]. ''Performing the Great Peace: Political Space and Open Secrets in Tokugawa Japan''. University of Hawaii Press, 2012. p25.</ref>

The reigning shogun at the time, Ieyasu's son [[Tokugawa Hidetada]], formally promulgated the edicts shortly afterwards, and each successive shogun formally reissued them, reinforcing the restrictions on the ''daimyô'' and the control of the shogunate. Through these successive generations, however, the rules developed and changed significantly.

The reigning shogun at the time, Ieyasu's son [[Tokugawa Hidetada]], formally promulgated the edicts shortly afterwards, and each successive shogun formally reissued them, reinforcing the restrictions on the ''daimyô'' and the control of the shogunate. Through these successive generations, however, the rules developed and changed significantly.

*Sansom, George (1961). "A History of Japan: 1334-1615." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. pp401-406.

*Sansom, George (1961). "A History of Japan: 1334-1615." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. pp401-406.

*Sansom, George (1963). "A History of Japan: 1615-1867." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.

*Sansom, George (1963). "A History of Japan: 1615-1867." Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.

[[Category:Edo Period]][[Category:Historical Documents]]

[[Category:Edo Period]][[Category:Historical Documents]]

[[Category:Political Institutions]]

[[Category:Political Institutions]]