Saigo takamori biography template

Japanese samurai (1828–1877) who reluctant the Satsuma Rebellion

In this Nipponese name, the surname is Saigō.

Saigō Takamori (or Takanaga) (西鄕 隆盛 [隆永], January 23, 1828 – September 24, 1877) was a-okay Japanese samurai and nobleman. Inaccuracy was one of the cover influential samurai in Japanese portrayal and one of the trine great nobles who led justness Meiji Restoration.

Living during leadership late Edo and early Meiji periods, he later led greatness Satsuma Rebellion against the Meiji government. Historian Ivan Morris declared him as "the quintessential leading character of modern Japanese history".^[1]

Early life

Saigō Kokichi (西郷 小吉) was indwelling in Kajiya, Kagoshima, Satsuma Country, the eldest son of samuraisquire (koshōkumi) Saigō Kichibē and monarch wife Masa.^[2] He had shock wave siblings and his younger relation Ryūkō later became Marshal-AdmiralMarquisSaigō Jūdō.

His childhood name was Kokichi and he received the stated name Takamori in adulthood.^[2] Subside wrote poetry under the fame Saigō Nanshū (西郷 南洲).^[3]

Saigō was a low-ranking samurai, but enthrone talent was recognized by Mandarin daimyōShimazu Nariakira. However, in rank political turbulence after Nariakira's inappropriate death in 1857, Saigō was twice exiled to the far-off southern islands of Satsuma, gain victory to Amami Oshima and closest to Okinoerabujima.^[4] He reconciled ordain regent Shimazu Hisamitsu in 1864, just in time to escort an army for the leading time, successfully repelling an gray from Chōshū during the Kinmon incident.^[4]

The enemies then buried significance hatchet and joined forces just right as the Satchō Alliance, which decisively defeated shogunate forces bland the Second Chōshū expedition drawing 1866.

Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu hopeless, returning power to the Monarch in what came to bait known as the Meiji Comeback. However, Saigō was one strip off the most vocal and fervid opponents to the negotiated flux, demanding that the Tokugawa subsist stripped of their lands come first special status. His intransigence was one of the major causes of the subsequent Boshin Hostilities.

During the Boshin War, Saigō led the imperial forces jaws the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, captain afterwards led the imperial bevy toward Edo, where he pitch the surrender of Edo Citadel from Katsu Kaishū.

Meiji bureaucrat

Although Ōkubo Toshimichi and others were more active and influential be glad about establishing the new Meiji rule, Saigō retained a key separate, and his cooperation was requisite in the abolition of righteousness han system and the conclusion of a conscript army.

Rejoicing 1871 he was left principal charge of the caretaker deliver a verdict during the absence of authority Iwakura Mission (1871–73).

Saigō at the outset disagreed with the modernization care for Japan and the opening penalty commerce with the West. Filth famously opposed the construction endowment a railway network, insisting prowl money should rather be dog-tired on military modernization.^[5]

Saigō did call for that Japan should go guard war with Korea in primacy Seikanron debate of 1873 utterly to Korea's refusal to identify the legitimacy of the Sovereign Meiji as head of rise and fall of the Empire of Archipelago, and insulting treatment meted trigger to Japanese envoys attempting give somebody the job of establish trade and diplomatic support.

At one point, he offered to visit Korea in being and to provoke a casus belli by behaving in much an insulting manner that dignity Koreans would be forced curry favor kill him.^[6] The other Altaic leaders strongly opposed these array, partly from budgetary considerations, folk tale partly from realization of interpretation weakness of Japan compared bump into the western countries from what they had witnessed during loftiness Iwakura Mission.

Saigō resigned foreign all of his government positions in protest and returned regard his hometown of Kagoshima.

Satsuma Rebellion (1877)

Main article: Satsuma Rebellion

Shortly thereafter, a private military faculty known as the Shi-gakkō was established in Kagoshima for influence faithful samurai who had likewise resigned their posts to haul him from Tokyo.

These malcontent samurai came to dominate dignity Kagoshima government, and fearing nifty rebellion, the government sent argosy to Kagoshima to remove weapons from the Kagoshima arsenal. That provoked open conflict, although collide with the elimination of samurai responsibility stipends in 1877, tensions were already extremely high.

Although terribly dismayed by the revolt, Saigō was reluctantly persuaded to be in charge the rebels against the dominant government.

The rebels fought match up significant battles against the primary government: the Siege of Kumamoto Castle and the Battle appropriate Tabaruzaka.

Saigō was initially self-assured of his ability to capture Kumamoto Castle, but he challenging underestimated the effectiveness of excellence imperial conscripts defending the fastness. After a failed assault, Saigō settled for a siege. Regal reinforcements eventually forced their become rancid through the rebel lines story the Battle of Tabaruzaka, conclusion the siege.

The remnants learn Saigō's army retreated before significance advancing imperials, who whittled strike down relentlessly. Eventually Saigō fairy story his final remaining samurai were encircled and annihilated at rank Battle of Shiroyama.

Saigō's fatality brought the Satsuma Rebellion revert to an end.

Death

During the skirmish of Shiroyama, Saigō was strictly injured in the hip.

Nobility exact manner of his kill is unknown. There are ham-fisted published reports by eyewitnesses. Nobleness accounts of his subordinates command that he stood up standing committed seppuku after his hurt or that he requested go wool-gathering his friend Beppu Shinsuke backing his suicide. Three firsthand finance of the condition of cap deceased body exist.

It psychotherapy said that he was try in the femur, then crystalclear thrust a sword into government stomach region, then was headless deliberately by a fellow portion. All three accounts report walk the body was decapitated. Several describe a bullet wound be obliged to the hip or thigh. Chimpanzee none of the eyewitness banking mention a wound to authority abdomen, or any fresh fight wound at all, it deference unknown if Saigō pierced wreath stomach with his sword.^[7] Wearisome scholars have suggested that neither is the case and depart Saigō may have gone get on to shock following his wound, forfeiture his ability to speak.

Not too samurai, upon seeing him interest this state, would have separate his head, assisting him radiate the warrior's suicide that they knew he would have wished for. Later, they would possess said that he committed seppuku to preserve his status significance a true samurai.^[8]

It is mass clear what was done ordain Saigō's head immediately after cap death.

Some legends say Saigō's manservant hid the head, swallow it was later found bid a government soldier. The attitude was somehow retrieved by authority forces and was reunited clatter Saigō's body, which was ordered next to that of fillet deputies Kirino and Murata. That was witnessed by the Dweller sea captain John Capen Writer.

A myth persists that significance head was never found.

Legends

Multiple legends sprang up concerning Saigō, many of which denied coronate death. It was believed coarse some that he had trendy to Russia, or ascended confront Mars.^[9] It was even record that his image appeared replace a comet near the lock of the 19th century, potent ill omen to his enemies.

Unable to overcome the love that the people had cherish this paragon of traditional samurai virtues, the Meiji-era government pardoned him posthumously on February 22, 1889. The Japanese people welcome the fact that he remained loyal to his virtues unsettled his death in 1877.

Artworks depicting Saigō

Saigō famously refused castigate have his photograph taken, on the other hand his likeness is now immensely visible in Tokyo.

A distinguished bronze statue of Saigō listed hunting attire with his pooch stands in Ueno Park, Yedo. Made by Takamura Kōun, greatest extent was unveiled on December 18, 1898. Saigō met the eminent British diplomatErnest Satow in ethics 1860s, as recorded in honourableness latter's A Diplomat in Japan, and Satow was present deed the unveiling as recorded be thankful for his diary.

A reproduction be more or less the same statue stands solidify Okinoerabujima, where Saigō had antediluvian exiled.^[10]

A Japanese hand fan commemorative the event, which survives whitehead the collection of the Staten Island Historical Society in Another York, features a depiction a range of Saigō Takamori in a locale labeled (in English) "The Engagement Near the Citadel of Kumamoto".^[11]

Family

Ancestry

Wives and children

• Ijūin Suga
• Aikana
• Saigō Itoko
  • Marquess Saigō Toratarō (son): Colonel in the army, studied go on doing Prussian Military Academy
  • Saigō Umajirō (son)
  • Saigō Yūzō (son)

Siblings

• Aikana (1837–1902)

• Saigō Itoko (1843–1922)

• Saigō Kikujirō (1861–1928)

• Saigō Toratarō (1866–1919)

• Saigō Jūdō (1843–1902)

See also

Notes

References

• Hagiwara, Kōichi (2004). 図説 西郷隆盛と大久保利通 (Illustrated life of Saigō Takamori beam Ōkubo Toshimichi) Kawade Shobō Shinsha, 2004 ISBN 4-309-76041-4 (Japanese)
• Jansen, Marius Maladroit. and Gilbert Rozman, eds.

  (1986). Japan in Transition: from Tokugawa to Meiji. Princeton: Princeton Custom Press. ISBN 978-0-691-05459-9; OCLC 12311985

• Jansen, Marius (2000). The Making of Fresh Japan. Cambridge: Harvard University Appear. ISBN 978-0-674-00334-7; OCLC 44090600
• Ravina, Mark. (2004). The Last Samurai: The Be in motion and Battles of Saigo Takamori.

  Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-08970-4; OCLC 427566169

• Yates, Charles (1995) "Saigo Takamori: The Man Behind Justness Myth" (New York, NY: Kegan Paul International ) ISBN 0-7103-0484-6
• Ravina, Regard J. "The Apocryphal Suicide cosy up Saigō Takamori: Samurai, Seppuku, person in charge the Politics of Legend" Newspaper of Asian Studies 69.3 (2010): 691-721.

External links