Changes

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 ''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 lost control of Ôsumi and Hyûga in wars with the [[Hiki clan]], regaining them only under [[Shimazu Motohisa]] ([[1363]]-[[1411]]).<ref name=takatsu255>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>

The Shimazu lost control of Ôsumi and Hyûga in wars with the [[Hiki clan]], regaining them only under [[Shimazu Motohisa]] ([[1363]]-[[1411]]).<ref name=takatsu255>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]]), with Sadahisa's third son [[Shimazu Morohisa]] becoming ''shugo'' of Satsuma and heading the Sôshû branch, while his fourth son [[Shimazu Ujihisa]] became ''shugo'' of Ôsumi and head of the Ôshû branch of the family. The Sôshû branch met its end with the suicide of [[Shimazu Hisamori]] in [[1430]] at [[Takamitsu castle]],<ref>"[http://www.shuseikan.jp/toushu/toushu09.html Shimazu Tadakuni]," ''Satsuma Shimazu-ke no rekishi'', [[Shokoshuseikan|Shôkoshûseikan]] official website.</ref> while the Ôshû branch went on to become the main line of the clan, reunited all three provinces under its rule.

 

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 death of [[Shimazu Tatsuhisa]] in [[1474]] led to increased tensions and conflict between factions of the clan led by [[Shimazu Kunihisa]] and [[Shimazu Suehisa]], and by [[1484]], outright war broke out in southern Kyushu, in conjunction with conflicts between [[Isaku Hisatoshi]] and [[Niiro Tadatsugu]]. [[Kimotsuki Kanehisa]] rose up in rebellion in [[1506]], contributing to the decision of [[Shimazu Tadamasa]], clan head at that time, to commit suicide the following year.<ref name=takatsu255/>

The death of [[Shimazu Tatsuhisa]] in [[1474]] led to increased tensions and conflict between factions of the clan led by [[Shimazu Kunihisa]] and [[Shimazu Suehisa]], and by [[1484]], outright war broke out in southern Kyushu, in conjunction with conflicts between [[Isaku Hisatoshi]] and [[Niiro Tadatsugu]]. [[Kimotsuki Kanehisa]] rose up in rebellion in [[1506]], contributing to the decision of [[Shimazu Tadamasa]], clan head at that time, to commit suicide the following year.<ref name=takatsu255/>