Religion, Social Hierarchy, and Change in Tokugawa, Japan

A Research Proposal By James. W. Greer

Buddhism and Confucianism

Buddhism Main religion after Shinto

Nobunaga vs Hideyoshi

Status of merchant class

Attitudes towards westerners

Religion

Confucianism The ideal moral principles

Leadership and example

Chu-Hsi Confucianism Visions of Virtue Not a religion

Social Hierarchy

class structure before Tokugawa rule vs after Samurai -Samurai Merchants -Peasants Artisans -Artisans Peasants -Merchants Why did this happen? Why is this important?

Socioeconomic change and Response

Merchant and Buddhism “The Buddhist belief in universal human capacity for

compassion, for example was used to counter the claim that merchants were somehow incapable of such action because of their work.”

Buddhism and social control “The Tokugawa government patronized Buddhism for its

emphasis on rites of passage and its ability to control its members”.

Socioeconomic change and Response pt. 2

Peasant Riots Persecution and excommunication of European Christian merchants

New laws/systems of taxation and control of villages

Danka System