Japan: The Peasant Rebellion

In 1428, the uprising swept through the cities of Kyoto and Nara, prov. Kawati, Izumi, Ise. Peasants thundered houses and offices of usurers, producers of rice vodka (sake), also engaged in usury. Insurrections arose in many parts of the country, but more often in the most developed economically central regions. Some of the insurrections passed with the demand to issue decrees on the cancellation of debts not only for samurais, but also for peasants. Requirements were demanded for the abolition of labor service, tax cuts. The insurgents opposed the arbitrariness of feudal lords and officials.

Such a wave of peasant uprisings became possible only as a result of the increased decentralization of power and feudal disunity, since the insurgents were now opposed not by the entire state apparatus, but by individual feudal lords who constantly fought among themselves. Japan: Peasant uprising ...

A century from the end of the XV to the end of the XVI century. Japanese scientists call the "Age of Warring States" ("Sengoku Jidai"). As a result of internecine wars, the majority of governors' houses perished, and they gave way to new feudal houses.

The possessions of the latter were not always greater than those of the syugo, but they were in the same area, and the remnants of the local system were liquidated, and vassal relations were established with all the small and medium feudal lords living in these domains. Therefore, the possessions of new feudal princes (daimyo) were more stable. The full independence of the new daimyo is indicated by the fact that they began to introduce their own legislation.

One of the reasons for the sharp rise of the peasant movement in the 15th and 16th centuries. Was the unification of the peasants into self-governing communities, which in exchange for paying the established amount of taxes to the feudal lords were given the right to decide their internal affairs concerning the use of land, the distribution of taxes and duties to members of the community, and the observance of public order. Many villages of this time had their own written rules. Important issues were resolved by a general meeting of all villagers, and those who evaded participation in it were fined.

In the event of a speech against feudal lords or their officials, usurers, peasants gathered in a local church and swore an oath of universal participation in the speech. Even the very term denoting peasant uprisings - "ikki" originally had the meaning of "organizing mutual assistance" and was transferred to insurrections precisely because of the participation of similar organizations in them. But in the final analysis, one of the causes of the defeats of peasant uprisings was the disunity of the interests of the peasants in the districts and villages.

Japan: Peasant uprising