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==History==

==History==

The Shimazu, who may have been descended from the [[Koremune clan]], were founded by [[Shimazu Tadahisa]] (d.[[1227]]), who was appointed as military commander of southern [[Kyushu]] by [[Minamoto no Yoritomo]] in [[1187]]. It was once believed that Shimazu Tadahisa was an illegitimate child of Yoritomo's, a story that has largely been abandoned since the end of the Edo Period.

The Shimazu clan was founded by [[Koremune clan|Koremune Tadahisa]] ([[1179]]-[[1227]]), who was granted the Shimazu ''[[shoen|shôen]]'' in [[1185]], and took on the name [[Shimazu Tadahisa]]. He was then appointed as military commander of southern [[Kyushu]] by [[Minamoto no Yoritomo]] in [[1187]]. It was once believed that Shimazu Tadahisa was an illegitimate child of Yoritomo's, a story that has largely been abandoned since the end of the Edo Period.

The clan took its name from the Shimazu ''[[shoen|shôen]]'' (estate) it was granted in southern Kyushu by Yoritomo. This ''shôen'' had been established by [[Taira no Suemoto]] in the 11th century, and had grown to encompass as much as half the territory of Satsuma, Ôsumi, and Hyûga provinces. The estate was taken away from the Taira and given by Yoritomo to the Shimazu, who then became ''[[shugo]]'' in that territory; though they originally appointed ''[[daikan]]'' to administer this territory for them, following the [[Mongol Invasions]], the Shimazu, like many other clans, relocated from [[Kamakura]] to Kyushu, where they began to exercise more direct control over their estates. Militarily and politically fighting off rivals, the Shimazu began to consolidate their power in southern Kyushu.<ref name="reimei">Gallery labels, permanent exhibits, [[Reimeikan Museum]], Kagoshima.</ref>

The Shimazu ''shôen'' from which the clan takes its name had been established by [[Taira no Suemoto]] in the 11th century, and had grown to encompass as much as half the territory of Satsuma, [[Osumi province|Ôsumi]], and [[Hyuga province|Hyûga provinces]]. The estate was taken away from the Taira and given by Yoritomo to the Shimazu, who then became ''[[shugo]]'' in that territory; though they originally appointed ''[[daikan]]'' to administer this territory for them, following the [[Mongol Invasions]], the Shimazu, like many other clans, relocated from [[Kamakura]] to Kyushu, where they began to exercise more direct control over their estates. Militarily and politically fighting off rivals, the Shimazu began to consolidate their power in southern Kyushu.<ref name="reimei">Gallery labels, permanent exhibits, [[Reimeikan Museum]], Kagoshima.</ref>

The Shimazu were splintered into two contending factions following the death of [[Shimazu Sadahisa]] ([[1265]]-[[1351]]) and remained fractured into the [[Sengoku Period]]. Throughout this period, the Shimazu maintained elite samurai practices, e.g. banquets, in the style of the [[Kamakura period]], expressing pride at their adherence to tradition, even as practices changed elsewhere in the archipelago. Still, they also maintained connections to new cultural developments, despite their remote geographic location, through connections to the [[Konoe family]] and others, even as Kyoto fell into chaos.<ref name=shoko>Gallery labels, [[Shokoshuseikan|Shôkoshûseikan]], Kagoshima.</ref>

The Shimazu lost control of Ôsumi and Hyûga in wars with the [[Hiki clan]], regaining them only under [[Shimazu Motohisa]] ([[1363]]-[[1411]]).<ref>Takatsu Takashi, “Ming Jianyang Prints and the Spread of the Teachings of Zhu Xi to Japan and the Ryukyu Kingdom in the Seventeenth Century,” in Angela Schottenhammer (ed.), ''The East Asian Mediterranean: Maritime Crossroads of Culture'', Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. 255.</ref> Meanwhile, the clan itself was splintered into two contending factions following the death of [[Shimazu Sadahisa]] ([[1265]]-[[1351]]) and remained fractured into the [[Sengoku Period]]. Throughout this period, the Shimazu maintained elite samurai practices, e.g. banquets, in the style of the [[Kamakura period]], expressing pride at their adherence to tradition, even as practices changed elsewhere in the archipelago. Still, they also maintained connections to new cultural developments, despite their remote geographic location, through connections to the [[Konoe family]] and others, even as Kyoto fell into chaos.<ref name=shoko>Gallery labels, [[Shokoshuseikan|Shôkoshûseikan]], Kagoshima.</ref>

Beginning in [[1550]], [[Shimazu Takahisa]], along with his sons [[Shimazu Yoshihisa|Yoshihisa]] and [[Shimazu Yoshihiro|Yoshihiro]], expanded the clan's domains considerably. By [[1574]], they had secured control of Satsuma province by defeating the [[Shibuya clan|Shibuya]] and [[Hishigari clan]]s, and Ôsumi province by defeating the [[Kimotsuki clan|Kimotsuki]], [[Kamo clan|Kamo]], and [[Ijichi clan]]s. They defeated the [[Ito clan|Itô clan]] in [[1577]] to claim control over parts of [[Hyuga province|Hyûga province]], and [[Otomo Sorin|Ôtomo Sôrin]] the following year, at the [[battle of Mimigawa]]. The Shimazu had even defeated [[Sagara Giyo|Sagara Giyô]] and [[Ryuzoji Takanobu|Ryûzôji Takanobu]] of [[Higo province|Higo]] and [[Hizen province]]s, expanding into northern Kyushu, before they suffered defeats at the hands of [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], whose [[1587]] [[Kyushu Campaign]] ended in him securing control of the entire island.<ref name=reimei/> In preparing banquets for Hideyoshi, and receiving or entertaining him otherwise, the Shimazu, though proud of having upheld older samurai traditions, were forced more than ever before to adopt and perform newer forms of elite samurai practices.<ref name=shoko/>

Beginning in [[1550]], [[Shimazu Takahisa]], along with his sons [[Shimazu Yoshihisa|Yoshihisa]] and [[Shimazu Yoshihiro|Yoshihiro]], expanded the clan's domains considerably. By [[1574]], they had secured control of Satsuma province by defeating the [[Shibuya clan|Shibuya]] and [[Hishigari clan]]s, and Ôsumi province by defeating the [[Kimotsuki clan|Kimotsuki]], [[Kamo clan|Kamo]], and [[Ijichi clan]]s. They defeated the [[Ito clan|Itô clan]] in [[1577]] to claim control over parts of Hyûga province, and [[Otomo Sorin|Ôtomo Sôrin]] the following year, at the [[battle of Mimigawa]]. The Shimazu had even defeated [[Sagara Giyo|Sagara Giyô]] and [[Ryuzoji Takanobu|Ryûzôji Takanobu]] of [[Higo province|Higo]] and [[Hizen province]]s, expanding into northern Kyushu, before they suffered defeats at the hands of [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], whose [[1587]] [[Kyushu Campaign]] ended in him securing control of the entire island.<ref name=reimei/> In preparing banquets for Hideyoshi, and receiving or entertaining him otherwise, the Shimazu, though proud of having upheld older samurai traditions, were forced more than ever before to adopt and perform newer forms of elite samurai practices.<ref name=shoko/>

The Shimazu remained a powerful house through the end of the [[Edo Period]], controlling [[Satsuma han]], with a ''[[kokudaka]]'' of 770,000 ''[[koku]]'', the second-largest of any domain (''[[han]]''). Members of the family continued to be powerful and influential in government and business from the [[Meiji period]] onwards, through the 20th century and today.

The Shimazu remained a powerful house through the end of the [[Edo Period]], controlling [[Satsuma han]], with a ''[[kokudaka]]'' of 770,000 ''[[koku]]'', the second-largest of any domain (''[[han]]''). Members of the family continued to be powerful and influential in government and business from the [[Meiji period]] onwards, through the 20th century and today.