Download or read book The End of the Shoguns and the Birth of Modern Japan 2nd Edition written by Mark E. Cunningham and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did the end of the shoguns pave the way for modern Japan? Between the eighth and twelfth centuries, emperors ruled Japan. But powerful families gained the loyalty of the samurai - the emperors’ warriors. In 1185 one local lord took control as shogun, leader of the samurai armies. For the next seven hundred years, the emperors were ceremonial figures, and the shoguns ruled Japan, banning interaction with the Western world. In the nineteenth century, Westerners demanded that Japan open to trade under the threat of invasion. Japan’s shogunate realized it didn’t have the military technology to fight them. When the shogun government made concessions to the Westerners, Japanese lords were outraged and returned their support to the emperor. The shogunate crumbled. In 1868 Emperor Meiji became ruler of Japan. He opened Japan to modern technology, and his military advisers created a global fighting force. The end of the shoguns, which led to the birth of modern Japan, was one of the world’s pivotal moments.
Download or read book The Making of Modern Japan written by Marius B. Jansen and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-01 with total page 933 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Magisterial in vision, sweeping in scope, this monumental work presents a seamless account of Japanese society during the modern era, from 1600 to the present. A distillation of more than fifty years’ engagement with Japan and its history, it is the crowning work of our leading interpreter of the modern Japanese experience. Since 1600 Japan has undergone three periods of wrenching social and institutional change, following the imposition of hegemonic order on feudal society by the Tokugawa shogun; the opening of Japan’s ports by Commodore Perry; and defeat in World War II. The Making of Modern Japan charts these changes: the social engineering begun with the founding of the shogunate in 1600, the emergence of village and castle towns with consumer populations, and the diffusion of samurai values in the culture. Marius Jansen covers the making of the modern state, the adaptation of Western models, growing international trade, the broadening opportunity in Japanese society with industrialization, and the postwar occupation reforms imposed by General MacArthur. Throughout, the book gives voice to the individuals and views that have shaped the actions and beliefs of the Japanese, with writers, artists, and thinkers, as well as political leaders given their due. The story this book tells, though marked by profound changes, is also one of remarkable consistency, in which continuities outweigh upheavals in the development of society, and successive waves of outside influence have only served to strengthen a sense of what is unique and native to Japanese experience. The Making of Modern Japan takes us to the core of this experience as it illuminates one of the contemporary world’s most compelling transformations.
Download or read book Samurai Revolution written by Romulus Hillsborough and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2014-03-25 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "With his easily readable and entertaining style, Hillsborough does a great job of elucidating the complex customs that ruled Edo Period life and politics. --The Japan Times"
Download or read book A Modern History of Japan written by Andrew Gordon and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present, Second Edition, paints a richly nuanced and strikingly original portrait of the last two centuries of Japanese history. It takes students from the days of the shogunate--the feudal overlordship of the Tokugawa family--through the modernizing revolution launched by midlevel samurai in the late nineteenth century; the adoption of Western hairstyles, clothing, and military organization; and the nation's first experiments with mass democracy after World War I. Author Andrew Gordon offers the finest synthesis to date of Japan's passage through militarism, World War II, the American occupation, and the subsequent economic rollercoaster. The true ingenuity and value of Gordon's approach lies in his close attention to the non-elite layers of society. Here students will see the influence of outside ideas, products, and culture on home life, labor unions, political parties, gender relations, and popular entertainment. The book examines Japan's struggles to define the meaning of its modernization, from villages and urban neighborhoods, to factory floors and middle managers' offices, to the imperial court. Most importantly, it illuminates the interconnectedness of Japanese developments with world history, demonstrating how Japan's historical passage represents a variation of a process experienced by many nations and showing how the Japanese narrative forms one part of the interwoven fabric of modern history. This second edition incorporates increased coverage of both Japan's role within East Asia--particularly with China, Korea, and Manchuria--as well as expanded discussions of cultural and intellectual history. With a sustained focus on setting modern Japan in a comparative and global context, A Modern History of Japan, Second Edition, is ideal for undergraduate courses in modern Japanese history, Japanese politics, Japanese society, or Japanese culture.
Download or read book The Black Death 2nd Edition written by Diane Zahler and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Could a few fleas really change the world? In the early 1300s, the world was on the brink of change. New trade routes in Europe and Asia brought people in contact with different cultures and ideas, while war and rebellions threatened to disrupt the lives of millions. Most people lived in crowded cities or as serfs tied to the lands of their overlords. Conditions were filthy, as most people drank water from the same sources they used for washing and for human waste. In the cramped and rat-infested streets of medieval cities and villages, all it took were the bites of a few plague-infected fleas to start a pandemic that killed roughly half the population of Europe and Asia. The bubonic plague wiped out families, villages, even entire regions. Once the swollen, black buboes appeared on victims’ bodies, there was no way to save them. People died within days. In the wake of such devastation, survivors had to reevaluate their social, scientific, and religious beliefs, laying the groundwork for our modern world. The Black Death outbreak is one of world history’s pivotal moments.
Download or read book The Conquests of Alexander the Great 2nd Edition written by Alison Behnke and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As legend has it, a young prince, Alexander, once subdued a wild stallion others couldn’t control. Impressed by the youngster’s bravery, his father, King Philip of Macedonia, predicted that Alexander would need to find a kingdom big enough for his ambitions. And when Alexander became king, that’s exactly what he did. Alexander and his well-trained armies first gained the support of the Greek city states. Then in the mid-300s B.C., he conquered Egypt and the Persian Empire. With his brilliant military tactics, Alexander took over lands including modern-day Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India. Although he lived only thirty-three years, Alexander and his armies spread Greek culture and customs to these conquered lands, joining Western and Eastern ideas to produce a new culture called Hellenism, which influenced the ancient world for centuries to come.
Download or read book The Signing of the Magna Carta 2nd Edition written by Debbie Levy and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can one document really change the world? In June, 1215 King John of England met with a group of nobles in a meadow on the banks of the Thames River. There, John affixed his royal seal to a document designed to bring about peace between the king and a group of rebellious nobles. This attempt failed miserably, and the two parties were soon at war again. Yet the ideas laid out in the document—which would later be called Magna Carta—lived on, and would become the foundation for many of the freedoms people enjoy in modern times. They include the right to a fair trial and the requirement that the punishment fit the crime. The signing of the Magna Carta is truly one of history’s most pivotal moments.
Download or read book The Spanish Conquest of Mexico 2nd Edition written by Sylvia A. Johnson and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can the conquest of one city change the world? In 1519, two powerful empires - Spain and Mexica (Aztec) - were hungry for expansion in central Mexico. Led by emperor Motecuzoma II, the Mexica people had subdued their native enemies and now controlled a sprawling territory with the great city of Tenochtitlán at the center. Then the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés led an attack on the Mexica empire. Although the Spaniards had horses and guns, both unknown in the Americas, the Mexica outnumbered them five hundred to one. The Spaniards had no chance of success without the help of native allies unhappy with Mexica rule. What followed was a desperate war that lasted two years, cost thousands of lives, and left Tenochtitlán in ruins. In 1521 Cortés declared Mexico a colony of New Spain. In so doing, he laid the groundwork for the expansion of European power throughout the Americas and changed the world forever. The Spanish conquest of Mexico is one of world history’s pivotal moments.
Download or read book The Arab Conquests of the Middle East 2nd Edition written by Brendan January and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2013-01-01 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can one man’s religious experience change the whole world? In the A.D. 600s, in the Arabian city of Mecca, a merchant named Muhammad began to receive and share messages from God. Muhammad attracted many followers. Eventually the revelations formed the basis for a new religion, Islam. By the time of Muhammad’s death, the Islamic religion had spread across the Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad’s successors continued to bring Islam to surrounding lands. Often, they used peaceful means to win converts. Other times, they imposed the religion through forceful conquests. Within one hundred years of Muhammad’s death, Arab Muslim armies had achieved stunning victories over two major empires, the Persians and the Byzantines. By the mid-700s, Islam was established from India to North Africa and Spain. Converts adopted the Arabic language, studied Arab poets and scholars, and built grand mosques for worship. Today more than one billion people worldwide practice Islam. The Arab conquests of the Middle East, which introduced a new world religion across geography and cultures, is one of world history’s pivotal moments.
Download or read book Early Modern Japan written by Conrad Totman and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1995-08 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A survey of Japan's early modern period (1568-1868) that blends political, economic, intellectual, literary, and cultural history. It also introduces a fresh ecological perspective, covering natural disasters, resource use, demographics, and river control.
Download or read book Japan a Modern History written by James L. McClain and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2002 with total page 760 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Japan: A Modern History provides a comprehensive narrative that integrates the political, social, cultural, and economic history of modern Japan from the investiture of Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603 to the present.
Download or read book The Emergence of Modern Japan written by Janet Hunter and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-06-06 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The main emphasis of this book is upon political, social and economic developments, as conditioned by Japan's interaction with the outside world, the advance of industrialisation and the emergence of the Japanese nation state. Unlike previous textbooks on the history of modern Japan, Janet Hunter's book adopts a thematic approach which makes the period much more accessible for readers who wish to pursue their particular interests throughout the period. Moreover, it will also establish a greater awareness of the cultural and institutional continuities which are crucial to any proper understanding of modern Japan.
Download or read book Breaking Barriers written by Constantine Nomikos Vaporis and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2020-03-23 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Travel in Tokugawa Japan was officially controlled by bakufu and domainal authorities via an elaborate system of barriers, or sekisho, and travel permits; commoners, however, found ways to circumvent these barriers, frequently ignoring the laws designed to control their mobility, in this study, Constantine Vaporis challenges the notion that this system of travel regulations prevented widespread travel, maintaining instead that a “culture of movement” in Japan developed in the Tokugawa era. Using a combination of governmental documentation and travel literature, diaries, and wood-block prints, Vaporis examines the development of travel as recreation; he discusses the impact of pilgrimage and the institutionalization of alms-giving on the freedom of movement commoners enjoyed. By the end of the Tokugawa era, the popular nature of travel and a sophisticated system of roads were well established: Vaporis explores the reluctance of the bakufu to enforce its travel laws, and in doing so, beautifully evokes the character of the journey through Tokugawa Japan."
Download or read book The Making of Modern Japan written by Kenneth B. Pyle and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Analyzing the dynamics of historical change, the text discusses the major forces in Japan's development from 1600 to the present day, including samurai officialdom, industrialization, militarism, and social values.
Download or read book Modern Japan written by Elise K. Tipton and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ranging from the Tokugwa period to the present day, this text provides a concise and fascinating introduction to the social, cultural and political history of modern Japan. Tipton covers political and economic developments and shows how they relate to social themes and developments. Her survey covers traditional political history as well as areas growing in interest: gender issues, labor conditions and ethnic minorities.
Download or read book Punishment and Power in the Making of Modern Japan written by Daniel V. Botsman and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2013-10-24 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The kinds of punishment used in a society have long been considered an important criterion in judging whether a society is civilized or barbaric, advanced or backward, modern or premodern. Focusing on Japan, and the dramatic revolution in punishments that occurred after the Meiji Restoration, Daniel Botsman asks how such distinctions have affected our understanding of the past and contributed, in turn, to the proliferation of new kinds of barbarity in the modern world. While there is no denying the ferocity of many of the penal practices in use during the Tokugawa period (1600-1868), this book begins by showing that these formed part of a sophisticated system of order that did have its limits. Botsman then demonstrates that although significant innovations occurred later in the period, they did not fit smoothly into the "modernization" process. Instead, he argues, the Western powers forced a break with the past by using the specter of Oriental barbarism to justify their own aggressive expansion into East Asia. The ensuing changes were not simply imposed from outside, however. The Meiji regime soon realized that the modern prison could serve not only as a symbol of Japan's international progress but also as a powerful domestic tool. The first English-language study of the history of punishment in Japan, the book concludes by examining how modern ideas about progress and civilization shaped penal practices in Japan's own colonial empire.
Download or read book Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan written by William E. Deal and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2007 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an introduction the Japanese history, culture, and society from 1185 - the beginning of the Kamakura period - through the end of the Edo period in 1868.
