It is called "sword hunt".

Thursday, 4 October 2012

for effort together

Although the Mori clan was able to escape the destruction caused by their defeat in the Battle of Sekigahara、their territory was reduced to one-third of what it was before the war.

As a corollary、they became unable to pay their stipends (in the form of fiefs or otherwise) to many of their vassals.

In such cases、it goes without saying that samurai often seek out other daimyo clan for their affiliations.

Simply put、the same number of daimyo that were destroyed in this battle resulted in the birth of new daimyo.

So of course it wasn't easy、but there was a place for them to be re-hired.

However、at this time、a strange thing happened in the Mouri clan.

"Neither I nor my family want a salary (own's fief).

Please take us to Choshu together.

That's all we want."

※Until then、the capital of the Mouri clan was the present-day Hiroshima city.

Saying so、many Mori samurai went to Choshu with their lord.

They abandoned the samurai class and became farmers.

In addition、the Mori clan continued to support the former Mori samurai who became ronin (masterless samurai).

Of course、the life of the head of the Mori family was also in a difficult situation.

"Please come back to the Mouri clan again.

Let's get through this difficult situation together."

Also、that's what the Mori clan said to those who couldn't find a new lord.

※I don't think this is my fiction(lol)、but at the moment I don't know what kind of status guarantee was the proposal. 2023072015:51(japantime).

Land reclamation、promotion of the industry、etc.

After a while、the Mohri clan almost recovered its previous economic situation.

On the contrary、surplus money began to pile up in their coffers.

(This surplus money will later become the funds to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate.)

But this is only the result.

In the beginning、it seems that the burden on the original Choshu farmers was particularly very heavy.

Yes、I think their friction and contradiction would not have been small.

"Let's get through this difficult situation together."

To tell you the truth、I felt something frivolous when I wrote those words.

However、250 years later.

"We were once the Mori clan's samurai.

Choshu is our dear hometown." 

Many people in Choshu had think so.

The future history will prove it.

※I'm not familiar with economics、but for example、create a "special account" for tax revenue from a certain industry、and it was not included in the annual budget、but was used as a reserve fund in preparation for emergencies.※

・・・・・・・・・　

"I think the defensive facilities in this port are too inadequate."

One day、a Westerner who came to Nagasaki said to a Japanese merchant.

"Those kinds of things are for samurai to think about.

Nothing to do with us."

The merchant replied with a laugh.

Over the past 250 years、in Japan、roles have changed according to the social class to which a person belongs.

Of course、there were many exceptions for each person、but in general、military issues were issues that only the samurai had to think about.

When Hideyoshi ended Japan's Warring States period (as a result、it was only temporary)、he confiscated the weapons of non-samurai people.

The Toyotomi government actively pursued this policy to restore public order in Japan.

And this policy was inherited by the Tokugawa shogunate、which overthrew the Toyotomi government and was established.