Meiji Tenno
Mutsuhito, known by his posthumous name as Meiji Tennō (明治天皇, Meiji Tennō?) (Kyoto, November 3, 1852-Tokyo, July 30, 1912), was the son of Kōmei Tennō and consort Nakayama Yoshiko, and the 122nd Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of Japanese imperial succession, reigning from February 3, 1867, until his death in 1912.
When Mutsuhito was born, Japan was an isolated, pre-industrial, feudal country, dominated by the Tokugawa shogunate and the daimyō, who controlled the country's more than 250 decentralized domains.
Like all of his predecessors, since his death he has been called by his posthumous name. Since his death, the tradition of giving the emperor the era name in conjunction with his reign was established. Having ruled it in the Meiji period, he is now known as the Meiji Emperor. His personal name was Mutsuhito. Outside of Japan, he is sometimes referred to as Emperor Mutsuhito, however, in Japan, emperors are only called by his posthumous name. Calling an emperor by his personal name could be considered overconfident and even derogatory.
Background
The Tokugawa shogunate had been established in the early 17th century century. Under his rule, the shōgun ruled Japan. Some 180 lords, known as daimyōs, ruled autonomous kingdoms under the shōgun, and the shōgun occasionally asked the daimyōs for gifts but did not levy taxes. The shōgun also controlled the daimyōs in other ways; only the shōgun could approve daimyō's marriages, and the shōgun could remove a daimyō from his land.
Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had officially retired from office in 1605, was the first Tokugawa shōgun. Retiring from him, Tokugawa Ieyasu and his son Tokugawa Hidetada, the titular shōgun, issued a code of conduct for the nobility in 1605. According to the code, the Emperor was to spend his time in scholarship and the arts. Emperors under the shogunate seem to have adhered closely to this code, studying the Confucian classics and spending time on poetry and calligraphy. The emperors were only taught the rudiments of Japanese and Chinese history and geography. The shōgun did not seek the Emperor's consent or advice for his actions.
Shortly after taking control at the turn of the 17th century, officials of the shogunate (known generically as bakufu) ended much of the western trade with Japan and banned missionaries from the islands. In addition to the important Chinese trade, only the Dutch continued to trade with Japan, maintaining a post on the island of Dejima in Nagasaki Bay. However, in the early 19th century, European and American ships appeared in the waters around Japan with increasing frequency. elderly.
Consanguineous marriages were common in early upper-class Japanese history as a way to protect ideal or royal lineage. However, this brought unexpected consequences. Meiji had hereditary diseases that were the result of inbreeding. These genetic defects included, among others, jaw prognathism and spinal deformity, which can also be found in his children.In addition to congenital diseases, Meiji also suffered from beriberi and could barely walk. He had fifteen children with his concubines. Ten of them died prematurely. Prince Yoshihito (later Emperor Taishō) was the only male heir to reach adulthood, but he was weak in body and mind, suffering from meningitis, diabetes, cerebral thrombosis, and mental illness.
Biography
Prince Mutsuhito was born on November 3, 1852, in a small house on his maternal grandfather's estate at the north end of the Palace. Prince Mutsuhito's mother, Nakayama Yoshiko, was a concubine of his father, Emperor Kōmei, and the daughter of acting chief advisor Nakayama Tadayasu.The young prince was given the name Sachinomiya, or Prince Sachi.
Much of the Emperor's childhood is known only through later accounts, which his biographer Donald Keene notes are often contradictory. A contemporary described Mutsuhito as healthy and strong, somewhat intimidating, and exceptionally talented in sumo. Another claims that the prince was delicate and often ill. Some biographers claim that he fainted when he first heard gunshots, while others deny this.On August 16, 1860, Sachinomiya was proclaimed prince of the blood and heir to the throne and was formally adopted by the consort of Sachinomiya's father. he. Later that year, on November 11, he was proclaimed crown prince and given an adult name, Mutsuhito. The prince began his education at the age of seven. He proved an indifferent student, and in the later stages of his life he wrote poems, regretting not having applied more in the practice of writing.
Reign
Emperor Kōmei fell seriously ill at the age of 36 and died on January 30, 1867.
In a brief ceremony in Kyoto, the crown prince formally ascended the throne on February 3, 1867. The new emperor continued his classical education, which did not include matters of politics. Meanwhile, the shogun Yoshinobu struggled to maintain power. He repeatedly requested the emperor's confirmation of his actions, which he eventually received, but there is no indication that the young emperor was involved in the decisions. The shishi and other rebels continued to shape their vision of the new Japan, and while they revered the Emperor, they had not thought of him being actively involved in the political process.
The political struggle reached its climax in late 1867. An agreement was reached whereby Yoshinobu would retain his title and part of his power, but legislative power would be vested in a bicameral legislature based on the British model. The agreement fell apart and on November 9, 1867, Yoshinobu officially submitted his resignation to the Emperor and formally resigned ten days later.The following month, the rebels marched on Kyoto, seizing control of the Imperial Palace. On January 4, 1868, the Emperor ceremoniously read a document before the court proclaiming the "restoration" from imperial rule, and the following month, documents were sent to foreign powers:
"The Emperor of Japan announces to the sovereigns of all foreign countries and their subjects that permission has been granted to the shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu to return the power of government in accordance with his own request. Henceforth, we will exercise the supreme authority in all internal and external affairs of the country. Consequently, the title of Emperor must be replaced by that of Taikun, in which the treaties have been made. Officers are being appointed by us for the conduct of foreign affairs. It is desirable that representatives of the treaty powers acknowledge this announcement".
Yoshinobu resisted only briefly, but it was not until late 1869 that the last groups of bakufu were finally defeated in the Boshin War. In the ninth month of the following year, the era was changed to Meiji, or &# 34;enlightened government", which was later used for the posthumous name of the Emperor. This marked the beginning of the custom of posthumously naming the Emperor after the era during which he ruled.
Meiji Restoration and consolidation of power
Meiji Tennō was the symbolic leader of the Meiji Restoration, where the Tokugawa shogunate was abolished by Imperial forces in a brief internal upheaval known as the Boshin War. Following this, the Meiji Emperor proclaimed the conversion of Japan to a Western-style democratic government. However, the Japanese Parliament lacked real powers, and neither did the Meiji Emperor, since power then passed from the Tokugawa to a new genrō nobility made up of the daimyō and samurai who had helped to restoration. This new oligarchy placed its men in the political and military spheres of the new government.
Restoration and consequent modernization made Japan an industrial power, placing it above other nations in the Pacific. Although the role of the Emperor in the restoration is disputed, his influence may have been really important in the wars that Japan was involved in at the beginning of the 20th century. Among the measures that he took are, in addition to those already mentioned, the transfer of the capital from Kyoto to Tokyo, the implementation of a new system of studies (1872), the institution of the Senate, Genroin (1875), the inauguration of the National Assembly (1890) and the annexation of Korea (1910). The Meiji Emperor demonstrated great longevity on the throne, remaining in power for more than 40 years, after which, the economic and political development of Japan was consolidated, rising as the dominant power in Asia.
On September 19, 1868, the Emperor announced that the name of the city of Edo should be changed to Tokyo, meaning 'eastern capital'. He was formally crowned in Kyoto on October 15 (a ceremony that had been postponed from the previous year due to civil unrest). Shortly before the coronation, he announced that the new age, or nengō, would be called Meiji or "enlightened government." Until now, the nengō had often been changed several times in an Emperor's reign; from now on, it was announced that there would only be one nengō per reign.
Shortly after his coronation, the Emperor traveled to Tokyo by road, visiting him for the first time. He arrived at the end of November and began an extended stay distributing sake to the population. The population of Tokyo was eager for an imperial visit. Tokyo had been the site of the shōgun court, and the city's population feared that with the abolition of the shogunate, the city might fall into decline. It would not be until 1889 that the final decision was made to move the capital to Tokyo. While in Tokyo, the Emperor boarded a Japanese naval ship for the first time, and the next day gave instructions to study how the Japanese navy could be strengthened. Shortly after his return to Kyoto, a rescript was issued in the Emperor's name (but probably written by court officials). It indicated his intention to become involved in government affairs. And, in fact, he attended cabinet meetings and countless government functions, though he rarely spoke, almost until the day he died.
Political reform
Successful revolutionaries organized themselves into a Council of State and later into a system in which three chief ministers led the government. This structure would last until the establishment of a prime minister, who would lead a cabinet in a Western fashion, in 1885. Initially, even the retention of the Emperor was not certain; Revolutionary leader Gotō Shōjirō later stated that some officials "feared that extremists might go further and abolish the Mikado." Japan's new leaders sought to reform the patchwork system of domains ruled by daimyōs. In 1869, several of the daimyōs who had supported the revolution gave their land holdings to the Emperor and were reappointed as governors, with considerable salaries. By the following year, all the other daimyō had followed his lead.
In 1871, when Japan was organized into 72 prefectures, the Emperor announced that the dominions would be completely abolished. The daimyō would be compensated with annual salaries equal to ten percent of their previous income (from which they now did not have to deduct the cost of ruling), but were required to move to the new capital, Tokyo. Most of the daimyō withdrew from politics.
The new administration gradually abolished most of the samurai's privileges, including his right to a government stipend. Unlike the daimyōs, however, many samurai suffered financially from this change. Most other class distinctions were abolished. Legalized discrimination against the burakumin ended. However, these classes continue to suffer from discrimination in Japan to this day.
Although a new parliament was formed, it had no real power. Power had passed from the Tokugawa into the hands of those daimyōs and other samurai who had led the Restoration. Japan was thus controlled by the Genrō, an oligarchy comprising the most powerful men in the military, political, and economic spheres. The emperor displayed greater political longevity than his recent predecessors, as he was the first Japanese monarch to remain on the throne more than 50 years after Emperor Ōgimachi's abdication in 1586.
The Japanese take pride in the Meiji Restoration, as along with the industrialization that came with it, it enabled Japan to become the preeminent power in the Pacific and a major player in the world within a generation. However, the Meiji Emperor's role in the Restoration, as well as the amount of personal authority and influence he wielded during his reign, remains debatable. He kept no journals, wrote almost no letters (unlike his father), and left "no more than three or four" behind. Photographs. Accounts from people who knew or were close to him generally contain little substantive information or are mutually contradictory.
Later Life and Death
Near the end of his life, several anarchists, including Shūsui Kōtoku, were executed (1911) accused of having conspired to assassinate the sovereign. This conspiracy was known as the High Treason Incident (1910).
Emperor Meiji, who suffered from diabetes, nephritis, and gastroenteritis, died of uremia. Although the official announcement said that he died at 00:42 on July 30, 1912, the actual death was at 22:40 on July 29.
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By 1912, Japan had undergone a political, economic, and social revolution and emerged as one of the world's great powers. The New York Times summed up this transformation at the Emperor's funeral in 1912 as: 'The contrast between what preceded the hearse and what followed it was truly striking. Before it became old Japan; after the new Japan".
After the Emperor's death in 1912, the Japanese Diet passed a resolution commemorating his role in the Meiji Restoration. An iris garden in an area of Tokyo where the Meiji Emperor and Empress were known to visit was chosen as the building location for the Meiji Jingū Shinto shrine. The shrine does not contain the Emperor's tomb, which is located in Fushimi Momoyama, south of Kyoto.
In fiction
In the movie The Last Samurai, he is played by Shichinosuke Nakamura. The emperor is represented as a weak and easy-to-manage man, without mentioning the risk of a coup d'état, under pressure from the rebellious shogunates who saw economic interests with the United States. The Emperor's determination is only shown at the end when he enforces his ideas by breaking the treaty with the Americans, after consolidating his power after the battle.
The Emperor Meiji is played by Toshirō Mifune in the 1980 Japanese war drama film The Battle of Port Arthur (sometimes referred to as 203 Kochi). Directed by Toshio Masuda, the film depicts the siege of Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War, and also stars Tatsuya Nakadai (as General Nogi Maresuke) and Tetsuro Tamba (as General Kodama Gentarō).
Degrees and honors
Titles
- 3 November 1852-11 November 1860: His Imperial Highness Prince Sachi
- 11 November 1860 - 3 February 1867: His Imperial Highness The Crown Prince
- February 3, 1867 - July 30, 1912: Your Imperial Majesty The Emperor
- Posthumous title: His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Meiji
National Honors
- Supreme Order of Chrysanthemum, Great Cord and Necklace
- Order of the rising sun with paulownia flowers
Foreign Honors
- Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen, 1881
- Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant, May 18, 1887
- German Empire: Knight of the Order of Black Eagle, with necklace, 1896
- Bavaria: Knight of the Order of St. Huberto, 1894
- Duchy Ernestinos: Grand Cross of the Order of the Ernestine House of Saxony, 1873
- Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach: Grand Cross of the Order of White Hawk, 1882
- Kingdom of Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer
- Kingdom of Hawaii: Grand Cross of the Order of Kamehameha I, with Necklace, March 15, 1881
- Kingdom of Italy
- Knight of the Annunciation Order, 1879.
- Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, 1879
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy, 1879.
- Russian Empire: Knight of the Order of Saint Andrew, 1879
- Spain: Knight of the Order of the Golden Duty, November 14, 1883
- Thailand: Knight of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri, December 22, 1887
- Sweden-Norway: Knight of the Order of Seraphim, with Necklace, December 11, 1881
- United Kingdom: Strange Knight of the League Order, May 15, 1906
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