Shimabara Rebellion One Story Dark In Japanese History

Rebellion Shimabara ( Shimabara no ran ) was an armed uprising in the early Edo period . This uprising involving farmers , Christians and ronin in Shimabara Peninsula , Hizen Province . Shimabara Rebellion lasted from 1637 until early 1638 . Shimabara Rebellion was the first major uprising since the unification of Japan by the Tokugawa clan . There are two reasons behind the emergence of the Shimabara Rebellion , the excessive tax burden and oppression of Christianity .

background
In the Sengoku period Shimabara is Arima clan territory . Arima clan and most of the population in Nagasaki has embraced the spread of Christianity by the Spanish missionaries . In 1615 , Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated the Toyotomi clan , his last rival in the Battle of Osaka . As a result , Arima supporting Toyotomi clan lost their territory . Shimabara then given to Matsukura Shigemasa . Initially , Shigemasa gentle acts against Christians in Nagasaki . However , to ensure loyalty to the shogun , Shigemasa began to oppress Christians .
uprising
In the fall of 1637 , 16 farmers were arrested and sentenced to death . This is because they pray in a Christian way . This incident aroused the anger of the people . They attacked and killed a tax collector named Hayashi Hyozaemon . The unrest quickly spread to the surrounding area . The rebels attacked government offices and Buddhist temples . They also killed the officials and monks . The victim's head was brought to the castle owned by Matsukura Katsuie Shimabara . The rebels took Amakusa Shiro , who was a teenager , as their leader . Amakusa Shiro is the son Masuda Jinbei , a follower of the former daimyo Konishi Yukinaga .

Karatsu , the people took up arms and surrounded the two castles are Hondo Terazawa clan and Tomioka . When the palace was in critical condition , the government forces were brought in from other areas on the island of Kyushu . Government troops repulsed the rebels succeed . The siege led by Amakusa Shiro at Shimabara Castle also successfully broken . They retreated and kekuasaankonsolidasi in the ruins of Hara Castle . Hara Castle is a former Arima clan castle while they are still in power . As of December 3, 1637 , the number of rebels gathered at Hara Castle reached 35,000 people . They consist of a ronin , farmers , and civilians , including women , children , and parents . They build a solid defense at Hara Castle . They have enough weapons , ammunition , and food supplies .

Most of their supplies come from a warehouse owned by Matsukura .
On December 27, 1637 , the rebels defeated the governor of Nagasaki, Terazawa Katataka . From 3000 Katataka troops , only about 200 people left . Katataka back and ask for help from the central government to crush the rebels . On January 3, 1638 , government forces under the command of Itakura Shigemasa arrived in Nagasaki . This force consists of more than 30,000 people . They managed to defeat the rebels in a battle . Government forces continued to chase and encircle the rebels at Hara Castle . However , a very strong defense of Hara Castle . The first attack caused many casualties on the government side , including Shigemasa own .

end Rebellion
By mid- February 1638 , the rebels have started entering a difficult period . Food and ammunition running low . Some dare to infiltrate the rebel forces to the government camp to steal food . Unfortunately , they were caught and sentenced to death . Matsuidara ordered autopsy of their bodies . They are only found in the stomach of grass and foliage . Matsuidara felt it was time to launch a massive attack . He decided to launch the raid on February 29 . However , the day before the army led by Nabeshima Katsushige already started to attack .

On March 10, 1638 , the entire government forces have been concentrated in Shimabara . In April , a great battle broke out between 27,000 and 125,000 troops rebel government . The rebells suffered defeat and had to retreat . On April 12, 1638, troops from Hizen Kuroda Tadayuki successfully penetrate the outer defenses under Hara Castle . Amakusa Shiro was killed in battle . The uprising was laid on April 15 , after fierce fighting and much bloodshed .

After the rebellion was crushed , as many as 37,000 rebels and sympathizers massive beheaded , including women and children . Amakusa head was taken to Nagasaki and displayed in public . Hara fortress burned with the bodies of the rebels in it . Christianity was banned in Japan and Christian followers were persecuted and hunted . Western nations Portuguese , Spanish and others expelled from Japan . However , the Dutch were rewarded with a trading post at Dejima for their help during the war . Then , from the small island of Japan opened his eyes to the outside world after isolating themselves during the Edo period .