Life And Battles Of Saigo Takamori History Essay

Life And Battles Of Saigo Takamori fib EssayThe Last Samurai The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori, written by Mark Ravina, chronicles Saigos life, from childhood that fashi unmatchedd his courage to his deliver death at the Satsuma Rebellion. In pre-industrial japan, samurai meant military nobility. This book is a biography of Saigo that explains some of the events spark advance up to the Restoration and the role the fighting of Satsuma played in the Restoration. Saigo Takamori is revered as ace of Japans most loyal and honorable samurai. Part of the figment for Saigo was the fate of his severed interrogative sentence. The other part of the novel is was he killed or did he commit suicide as an act of heroism.It is unclear what year Saigo was born. few references have 1827, while others have 1828. Regardless of the year, Saigo was born into a samurai family that was very low ranked in Kagoshima. He was born into wealth or rank. He was educated at a local level. His became very educated in Chinese classics and Zen, as well as swordsmanship. His first job was as an retainer clerk in a country office. In 1854, at the age of 26, he was selected to journey the Daimyo Shimazu Nariakira to nurture closer ties with the imperial court. This journey is where his semipolitical career began. Saigo went on many journeys with statesmen.In 1858, he was a part of the Ansei purge and fled with a priest. The preist and Saigo made a suicide pact. Saigo backed out of the pact, only later the priest had already committed to his destruction of the deal by drowning himself. Saigo survived the journey but was later exiled to Amami Oshima Is destroys. In 1862, he returned to political life, but was forced into exile once again. He was brought out of exile in 1864. He was called back to the main island to train a group of Satsuma warriors. Saigo was to help his lord labor for the restoration of the emperor. Saigo became one of the main leaders of the new Japan. In 1868 , Saigo and his troops led a come down to destroy and create a powerful new state. He became the leader in Meijis new judicature. Saigo was without delay an active member of the Meiji government. Although Saigo supported many of the Western-style reforms, he was torn by the sense that he was betraying his supporters. It was a desire for Saigo to die in service to his emperor. Saigo showed great loyalty to the emperor and his followers.Unsure about the government he had helped to create, Saigo wanted to end his career with one last movement. In 1873, Saigo wanted to go to Korea and pack the Korean king recognize the Meiji emperor. He had each intention to draw his sword if he had to. Saigo never was able to move forward with his plan to have the Nipponese emperor recognized. His plan was dismissed and treat as reckless. He was denied his chance to show his loyalty and courage to the emperor. He resigned from the government and returned to Satsuma, his native land Satsuma. Saig o opened up military like academy for the former samurai warriors. He trained the men in frugality, honesty, and courage. This group resented the red-brickization of Japan more so than Saigo. Saigo feared the im ad hominem, commercial and centralized nation would destroy samurai traditions of personal honor, regional loyalty, and social service.Japan in the 1870s was going through many changes of industrialization and social and political changes. This process is also known as modernization. Many people had negative views on Japan and its culture. In 1876, westerners considered the Japanese to be uncivilized people. They thought that Japan was inferior to Caucasians in culture, intelligence, and culture. Japan even nonrecreational some Westerners very well to sit on government seats. Often this visits were short lived. The views that outsiders had on lofty Japan are one reason that Japan sought to do away traditions of the samurai. Every cyclorama of traditional Japan and been t hrown to the side. Japan had begun to westernize itself not to be confused with Americanize. Saigo felt as if the traditions of the past would die out. The very hurried and colossal changes to Japanese culture, dress, and society appeared to many samurai to be a treachery. In 1876, the Meiji government stripped samurais of their swords. In defining how a modern Japan should be, members of the Meiji government unconquerable to follow the footsteps of United Kingdom and Germany, basing the country on the concept of noblesse oblige. Samurai were not to be a political force under the new order.Saigos followers and students rose in rebellion. They had a mission to allow their voice be heard with their swords. The students made Saigo their leader of this uprising. Old Japan and new Japan met in battle in 1877. Early in the uprising, the rebels seized several local armories. Many of the rebels officers were trained in modern methods. The fight initially lasted from February to September. The imperial army began its final attack around four in the dawning in September. By 530 A.M., the imperial army had destroyed all the fortifications of the rebels. At nearly seven in the morning, Saigo and his troops descended from the hill to face the Japanese army. They knew they were outnumbered. They knew they would die. Saigo died from a bullet wound, but legend has it that he died by his own sword. This was a great samurai tradition to die with honor at the end of ones life. This tradition is known as seppuku, a samurai suicide ritual. An autopsy of Saigo later revealed that he was only snap bean in the hip and would have been in too much pain to commit suicide.The imperial governments mastery was short lived. They had Saigos body, but his head was missing. His head was but off with one clean slice. If the government was futile to provide a head, then the victory is incomplete. In looking for Saigos head, the imperial army was honoring one of the oldest traditions. It i s said that severed heads were to be presented and were a celebrated part of Japanese warfare. These heads were often a tribute to the lords. No one is sure exactly what happened to Saigos head immediately following his death. Some say Saigos manservant hid the head. The head was later placed with Saigos body after a government official found it. One juiceless part of searching for Saigos head is that the imperial army was honoring a tradition that was officially banished by the emperor. The new Japanese army was to be based on modern nationalism, not feudal loyalty. So in a sense, the death of Saigo brought forth some old traditions that had been banished in early years.It is said that this rebellion, the state of war of the Southwest, was the bloodiest battle that Japan had ever seen. Saigos forces were defeated. Old Japan was defeated. Over 12,000 men on both sides were killed. This battle also nearly bankrupted the new imperial government. Financially, devastating the Satsuma Rebellion cost the government significantly, forcing Japan off the gold standard and triggering the government to print paper currency. The imperial army had to use every resource available, including shipping lines, rail transport, police forces, and volunteers. The Imperial Japanese Armies were drafted, but many samurai volunteered to be soldiers and many advanced to be trained as officers. Much of the Imperial Army officer class was of samurai offset and they were highly motivated, disciplined and exceptionally trained. The rebellion was also successfully the close of the samurai class. After this war in 1877, there were no more samurai uprisings in Japan.Twelve years after Saigos death, the imperial government, denounced Saigo as a rebel and a traitor. In 1889, the government exonerated Saigo of all his crimes, and restored him to his imperial court rank. Saigo is still a legacy today in popular culture. A modern movie that is loosely based on the history of Saigo was produced . Many people still find his actions heroic none the less. Saigo was a samurai warrior who lived and died to protect the traditions he was so fond of preserving. In life and death, Saigo exemplified all that was labeled as being admirable in the samurai. This book written by Mark Ravina gives one last look at the final eld of feudal government and the exciting career of Saigo. He gave his life to keep the samurai traditions at the forefront of the Japanese government. His efforts and loyalty have had a lasting impact on Japan and the interpretations of the samurai way and tradition.