Buke Shohatto — Wikipedia

THE BUKE SHOHATTO ( Samurai legal ^? , bed. “Various laws for warlike families” ) are a collection of publishers, promulgated from 1615 to 1710 by the Tokugawa Shogunat, in order to regulate the powers and activities of the Daimyos (provincial governors) and the Samurai warrior aristocracy. They were the basis of Bakuhan Taisei (System of domains) which led to the foundation of the Shōgunat in 1603. These edicts are today considered more as codes of conduct which explained the appropriate behavior of an honorable daimyō than as laws which were to be respected. By calling on values ​​such as morality and honor, shōgunat managed to enforce these edicts despite its inability to impose them directly.

The edicts are first read in front of a Daimyō rally by the Shogun withdrawn Tokugawa Ieyasu at the castle of Fushimi in the seventh month lunar of the year 1615. They had been written by several scholars in the service of the Shōgunat like Ishin Sūden and mainly aimed at Limit the powers of daimyōs and to strengthen shirt’s control over the country.

The shōgun prevailing at the time, Tokugawa Hidetada, Ieyasu’s son, officially promulgates publishers shortly after reading, and each shōgun will officially reinstate by strengthening the restrictions on daimyōs and shōgunat control. From generation to generation, however, the rules were changed significantly.

1. The class of samurai will have to devote itself to activities appropriate to its rank of warrior aristocracy, such as archery, handling saber, horse riding and study of classical literature.
2. Leisure and entertainment will have to remain reasonable, at no excessive costs.
3. THE he (Provinces areas) are no longer allowed to accommodate fugitives and outlaws.
4. The areas will have to withdraw the rebels and murderers from their services and expel them from their territories.
5. Daimyōs should not have social interaction with people from other areas (samurai as simple citizens).
6. Repairing the castles will have to be reported to the Shōgunat. The structures improvement and enlargement work is prohibited.
7. The training of bands to defraud or conspire in neighboring fields will have to be reported to the Shōgunat as soon as possible, as is the extension of defenses, fortifications, or military forces.
8. Daimyōs weddings and other important people linked to power on individual initiative or without authorization are prohibited.
9. Daimyōs will have to be present in person in Edo for SHōgunat services.
10. Uniform conventions will have to be followed.
11. Only certain categories of people will be allowed to be transported in palanquins.
12. Samurai will have to live in a frugal way in the areas.
13. Daimyōs will have to select people on their skills to serve as administrators or bureaucrats.

The edict of 1615 contained the heart of the philosophy of the shōgunat on the code of conduct of the samurai. Other similar policies were imposed on simple citizens, reissued and reinforced several times during the EDO time.

Several articles recall the need to live frugally, an important concept in confuceen concepts on good governance. Others spoke of sumptuous laws, which required certain individuals to be in person in a specific place.

Other articles were added to prevent the formation of alliances against shōgunat, for example, articles on social interactions between areas and marriages between families of Daimyōs. Shōgunat had great confidence in fudai daimyo Not very powerful, which could be easily punished by abolition of their privileges and their areas. However, he had less confidence in the TOZAMA DAIMYO more powerful and did not have the strength to impose its policies on Tozama and legitimately feared the military potential of an alliance between several areas Tozama .

The rules on constructions, expansions, and repairs of the fortifications also used to prevent the strengthening of a military power which could turn against the Shōgunat, in reference to the policy of SANKIN-KōTai according to which the daimyōs had to go regularly in person to Edo.

The edicts were reissued in 1629, then again in 1635, by the third Shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu. Although there are many changes in this third promulgation, most of the additions were only simple details on the same themes. Daimyōs were prohibited from quarrels, to train alliances or parties, and to take oath towards each other. The system of SANKIN-KōTai was reinforced at that time and other sumptuous laws were added.

This year also marks the implementation of several policies called in all (maritime prohibitions) and which are often appointed edict sakoku of 1635. Although trips abroad are not mentioned in the 1635 version of BUKE SHOHATTO , similar policies concerning internal journeys and religion are present there.

Among the new stipulations are the following:

1. A treatment will be taken to the maintenance of roads, boats, bridges, and docks in order to facilitate exchanges.
2. Private toll barriers are prohibited, as is the abolition of existing sea routes.
3. Ships that can carry a load of a value greater than 500 tree are prohibited for construction ^{[ first ]} .
4. The lands owned by Shintō sanctuaries and Buddhist temples should not be distant.
5. Christianity is prohibited.

The edicts were reissued by each successive shōgun. The style of Tokugawa Ietsuna, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi and Tokugawa Ienobu’s style of Tokugawa, respectively in 1663, 1683 and 1710, was very different, but with quite a few changes on the bottom. The new stipulations prohibited the practice of junshi (Ritual suicide after the death of the Lord), abuses of power, bribes and regulated the succession of daimyōs in a clan or domain.

The following seven shōguns re -edited the BUKE SHOHATTO In their form of 1683 with only a small difference in style. Although they were promulgated at the same time as the SHOSHI HATTO (laws for samurai), these were largely obsolete after 1683 and were absorbed in general prohibitions ( Kinrei-ko But hosh was the right to be holy.

Bibliography [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• John Carey Hall, The Tokugawa Legislation , Yokohama, 1910, p. 286-319 (Accessed July 30, 2007).
• John Whitney Hall, Cambridge History of Japan , vol.  4, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1991 (OCLC  0-521-22355-5 ) .
• George Sansom, A History of Japan : 1334-1615 , Stanford, Californie, Stanford University Press, 1961 , p. 401-406 .
• George Sansom, A History of Japan : 1615-1867 , Stanford, Californie, Stanford University Press, 1963 .