Changes

The marriage of Nariakira's adopted daughter Atsu-hime to Shogun Tokugawa Iesada in 1856 contributed to Nariakira's influence within the shogunate; he was one of a number of figures who encouraged the selection of [[Tokugawa Yoshinobu]] as next in line to become shogun, as Iesada had yet to produce any heirs at that time. In the end, Iesada did produce an heir, [[Tokugawa Iemochi]], who reigned as shogun from 1858 to [[1866]], after which Yoshinobu succeeded him.

The marriage of Nariakira's adopted daughter Atsu-hime to Shogun Tokugawa Iesada in 1856 contributed to Nariakira's influence within the shogunate; he was one of a number of figures who encouraged the selection of [[Tokugawa Yoshinobu]] as next in line to become shogun, as Iesada had yet to produce any heirs at that time. In the end, Iesada did produce an heir, [[Tokugawa Iemochi]], who reigned as shogun from 1858 to [[1866]], after which Yoshinobu succeeded him.

Nariakira also took steps to acquire Western weaponry for the domain, sending [[Ichiki Shiro|Ichiki Shirô]] on a secret mission to Ryûkyû in 1858/1 with the objective of obtaining 1,000 rifles and a steam-powered warship from the French; this had to be kept secret from both the shogunate and from Beijing, but was so important to Nariakira that if the French were uncooperative, he planned to have a Ryukyuan official procure such equipment for him from the Dutch or British in Fuzhou. It has been suggested that Nariakira also planned to use his 1858 ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' mission to Edo as a means of bringing a large army to [[Kyoto]], where he would then set them up guarding the [[Kyoto Imperial Palace|Imperial Palace]], in order to put political pressure on the shogunate to undertake major policy reforms.<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), 258, 300.</ref>

Nariakira also took steps to acquire Western weaponry for the domain, sending [[Ichiki Shiro|Ichiki Shirô]] on a secret mission to Ryûkyû in 1858/1 with the objective of obtaining 1,000 rifles and a steam-powered warship from the French; this had to be kept secret from both the shogunate and from Beijing, but was so important to Nariakira that if the French were uncooperative, he planned to have a Ryukyuan official procure such equipment for him from the Dutch or British in Fuzhou. It has been suggested that Nariakira also planned to use his 1858 ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' mission to Edo as a means of bringing a large army to [[Kyoto]], where he would seek an imperial decree supporting him in marching to Edo and putting pressure on the shogunate to undertake major policy reforms.<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), 258, 300.</ref>

None of these plans were carried through, however, due to Nariakira's sudden death on 1858/7/16, said to have been the result of food poisoning. However, a factory complex he ordered constructed for the military and industrial strengthening of the domain was completed, ultimately, in [[1865]]. The complex employed 1,200 men, and included reverberating furnaces, blast furnaces, a smithy, a foundry, and a glass workshop for the industrial production of [[porcelain]]s, cannon, rifles, agricultural implements, and glassware.<ref name=hellyer166/> Parts of the complex survive today as the [[Shokoshuseikan|Shôkoshûseikan]] museum, the main hall of which has been designated an [[Important Cultural Property]].<ref>Pamphlets available on-site at Shôkôshûseikan; [http://www.shuseikan.jp/eng/index.html Shoko Shuseikan official website] (English).</ref>

None of these plans were carried through due to Nariakira's sudden death on 1858/7/16, said to have been the result of food poisoning.

==Legacy==

==Legacy==

Following Nariakira's death, his brother Shimazu Hisamitsu, acting as regent for his son, the ''daimyô'' [[Shimazu Tadayoshi]], reversed many of Nariakira's policies, especially those pertaining to Ryûkyû, and acted in strong support of the shogunate and of samurai privilege through the Bakumatsu and into the Meiji period.

Following Nariakira's death, a group of low-ranking samurai led by [[Saigo Takamori|Saigô Takamori]] and [[Okubo Toshimichi|Ôkubo Toshimichi]] and calling themselves the "Loyalists" (''Seichû-gumi''), discussed dropping their loyalties to the Shimazu, becoming [[ronin]], and pursuing the completion of Nariakira's plans; that is, they wanted to pressure or attack the shogunate, in the name of the Imperial institution. They may have plotted for the assassination of [[Ii Naosuke]], though it is unclear if they were involved in the actual event (Naosuke was killed in the [[1860]] [[Sakuradamongai Incident]]). Nariakira's heir, [[Shimazu Tadayoshi]], initially declared to all his retainers that if there were a national incident (''jihen'', 事変) he would honor Nariakira's will, mobilizing Satsuma forces in support of the Emperor.<ref>Tinello, 300.</ref>

 

However, before long, Tadayoshi and his father [[Shimazu Hisamitsu]] (who acted as regent and wielded considerable power over domain affairs) began to reverse many of Nariakira's policies, especially those pertaining to Ryûkyû, and acted in strong support of the shogunate and of samurai privilege through the Bakumatsu and into the Meiji period.

Nariakira had four biological daughters, three of whom ([[Teru-hime]], [[Nori-hime]], and [[Yasu-hime]]) married other members of the [[Shimazu clan]], and one of whom, [[Sada-hime]], married into the [[Konoe family]] of [[kuge|court nobles]].

Nariakira had four biological daughters, three of whom ([[Teru-hime]], [[Nori-hime]], and [[Yasu-hime]]) married other members of the [[Shimazu clan]], and one of whom, [[Sada-hime]], married into the [[Konoe family]] of [[kuge|court nobles]].

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