26108(community total) + 19 (my reviews) = 26127
10 Likes
26127 + 32 = 26159
10 days to go…
10 Likes
26159(community total) + 6 (my reviews) = 26165
10 Likes
26165 (community total) + 17 (my reviews) = 26182
10 Likes
26182 (community total) + 19 (my reviews) = 26201
10 Likes
26201 (community total) + 67 (my reviews) = 26268
10 Likes
26268 (community total) + 54 (my reviews) = 26322
10 Likes
26322 (community total) + 15 (my reviews) = 26337
10 Likes
26337 (community total) + 44 (my reviews) = 26381
10 Likes
26381 (community total) + 17 (my reviews) = 26398
10 Likes
26398 (community total) + 30 (my reviews) = 26428
11 Likes
26428 (community total) + 42 (my reviews) = 26470
11 Likes
26470 + 28 = 26498
10 Likes
26498 (community total) + 65 (my reviews) = 26563
10 Likes
26563(community total) + 170 (my reviews) = 26733
10 Likes
26733 (community total) + 20 (my reviews) = 26753
About 73 years in: Late 1630’s
In 1637 the Shimabara Rebellion was a revolt by the people of the Shimabara domain against the over taxation and treatment by the local Daimyo. The area had been full of Christian converts, and after the crack-down by the Shogunate on the practice of Christianity, they were forced into hiding their activities. The Daimyo was ruthless in his hunting down and persecution of Catholics, which due to the large number of them, affected a lot of communities. He also set a huge amount of labour on the peasants to build himself a new castle in the area, support the construction of Edo castle, and other tasks for the ‘ruling elite’. This coupled with the excessive taxes he placed to pay for all of this, eventually caused the organisation of an uprising. Many local Ronin also joined the cause willingly, as they were also poor and out of work, and angry that this new daimyo had been moved to their land and was treating them so poorly.
The groups met secretly in the area, and fighting started after a tax officer was killed. The rebel army attacked two smaller local castles but were forced to retreat after shogunate reinforcements arrived. They then crossed open water to besiege the ruling Daimyo’s castle, Shimabara castle, but failed again. They gathered on an old, dismantled castle site (Hara Castle) and built up defences using the boats they came on. Shogunate forces, aided by Dutch vessels armed with cannons, bombarded the site, and made sustained attacks for months. Interestingly this is one of the few battles that Miyamoto Musashi was recorded to be present at! The rebels eventually ran out of food and supplies but continued to fight and cause casualties the attacking forces. Once they were overrun, the shogunate forces beheaded over 30,000 rebels and local supporters and burnt them all along with the remain of Shimabara castle. In the end this resulted in the expulsion of the Portuguese traders as they were suspected of helping spread Christianity and the rebel forces, and the Dutch got the monopoly on trade. The Daimyo of the domain in question was later executed in Edo once the cruel treatment of his people was revealed
18 Likes
26753 (community total) + 71 (my reviews) = 26824
10 Likes
26824 (community total) + 85 (my reviews) = 26909
10 Likes
26909 (community total) + 235 (my reviews) = 27144
10 Likes
27144 (community total) + 27 (my reviews) = 27171
10 Likes