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Edo society refers to the society of Japan under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.
Edo society was a feudal society with strict social stratification, customs, and regulations intended to promote political stability. The Emperor of Japan and the were the official ruling class of Japan but had no power. The of the Tokugawa clan, the , and their retainers of the samurai class administered Japan through their Han system. The majority of Edo society were commoners divided into peasant, Artisan, and merchant classes, and various "Untouchability" or Burakumin groups.
The Tokugawa shogunate ruled by dividing the people into four main categories. Older scholars believed that there were of "samurai, peasants ( hyakushÅ), craftsmen, and merchants" ( chÅnin) under the daimyo, with 80% of peasants under the 5% samurai class, followed by craftsmen and merchants. However, various studies have revealed since about 1995 that the classes of peasants, craftsmen, and merchants under the samurai are equal, and the old hierarchy chart has been removed from Japanese history textbooks. In other words, peasants, craftsmen, and merchants are not a social pecking order, but a social classification.
The from 1853 on led to growing opposition to the Edo system and it was dismantled after the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
The Taika Reforms were the "legal glue" deemed necessary to thwart future coup d'etat attempts, and the system led to the formation of castes in Japan. Nevertheless, frequent warfare and political instability plagued Japan in following centuries, providing countless opportunities to usurp, bend, and mobilize positions within social ranks. Even the ranks themselves, especially military ranks, became more respected if only out of necessity. Confucianism ideas from China also provided the foundation for a system of strict social prescriptions, along with political twists and turns of the day.
The Ashikaga Shogunate established a loose class system when it ruled Japan as a feudal shogunate during the Muromachi period from 1338 to 1573. The final collapse of the Ashikaga worsened the effects of the Sengoku period (or "Age of Warring States"), the state of social upheaval and near constant civil war in Japan since 1467. Tokugawa Ieyasu of the Tokugawa clan and his Eastern Army emerged victorious after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, defeating the Western Army of his primary rival, Toyotomi Hideyori.
Ieyasu founded the Tokugawa Shogunate as the new government of Japan with himself as the . However, he was determined to stamp out the social mobility that had existed for centuries, given that Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of his peers and a (Imperial Regent) whom he replaced, was born into a low caste as the son of peasants, yet had forged himself into one of Japan's foremost political figures. The Tokugawa clan determined that Japanese society should be divided into specific classes, both to streamline their administration and to ensure that no potential rivals could ever gain the political or military support necessary to challenge them.
The held significant autonomy but the Tokugawa policy of required them to alternate living in Edo and their domain every year. The were separated into the , relatives of the Tokugawa, the , who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration, and the , those who only submitted to the Tokugawa after the Battle of Sekigahara. Tozama daimyo were considered disloyal and troublesome, and so were subjected to heavier civil burdens and tighter control by the shogunate, while also being denied important civil offices.
Samurai were placed at the top of society because they were enforcers of the daimyo and set a high moral example for others to follow. The system was meant to reinforce their position of power in society by justifying the high status they were afforded. However, the does not accurately describe Tokugawa society as Buddhist and Shinto priests, the outside of the Imperial Court, and outcast classes were not included in this description of hierarchy.
In some cases, a poor samurai could be little better off than a peasant and the lines between the classes could blur, especially between artisans and merchants in urban areas. Still, the theory provided grounds for restricting privileges and responsibilities to different classes and it gave a sense of order to society. In practice, solidified social relationships in general helped create the political stability that defined the Edo period.
Regardless of their personal wealth or standing, samurai were expected to hold themselves as superior to all other classes. This was reflected in the right Kiri-sute gomen with their sword anyone of a lower class who compromised their honour. Kirisute-gomen - Samurai World
Instead, the samurai maintained their fighting skills more as an art form and a symbol of their heritage. Samurai were paid a stipend from their lord but were forbidden to own land, engage in business, or earn their own money. Because of this, they were entirely dependent on their lord for survival. Samurai generally lived around their 's Japanese castle. Small towns sprang up to support their needs and provide them with consumer goods and entertainment; these would slowly evolve into the modern cities of Japan.
There were social stratifications within the samurai class: upper-level samurai had direct access to their and could hold the most trusted positions in his court, with some achieving a level of wealth that allowed them to retain their own samurai . Mid-level samurai held military and bureaucratic positions, and had some interactions with their if needed. Low-level samurai worked as guards, messengers and clerks. They could expect little more than a subsistence wage, and some were forced to borrow money from merchants just so they could eat.
Positions within the samurai class were largely hereditary and talented individuals could not rise above a few social steps beyond their birth. Samurai with no lords to support them, whether through disgrace or death, became ronin. The ronin were largely regarded as degenerate criminals, and took whatever work they could find or resorted to theft.
The peasant class owned land and were subject to taxation on their harvests by the local . Peasants worked to produce enough food for themselves and still meet the tax burden. Most agriculture during this time was cultivated by families on their own land in contrast to the plantation or hacienda model implemented elsewhere. The high value of arable land allowed shrewd peasants to enrich themselves. Wealthier families were held in much higher regard and had more political influence in village matters. However, the survival of the village depended on every household cooperating to meet the tax burden and overcome natural disasters such as famines. During the reign of the third , Tokugawa Iemitsu, farmers were not allowed to eat any of the rice they grew. They had to hand it all over to their and then wait for him to give some back as charity.
Wealthy merchant houses emerged as local rulers granted trade monopoly to certain traders and distributors, who in turn paid back part of their profits in taxes. As their wealth grew, merchants wanted to consume and display their wealth in the same manner as the samurai, but the shogun's laws prevented them from doing so overtly. Still, their consumption combined with that of the samurai served to reinforce the growth of the merchant and artisan classes.
Although technically commoners, the were victims of severe ostracism. Under the shogun's laws, they were required to live only in isolated, poverty-stricken villages that were essentially .
Marriage was not based on romantic attraction. Families tried to use marriage as a way to increase their social standing or, among wealthier groups, to increase one's influence and holdings. Most often, however, marriage occurred between two families of equal status. Female virginity at marriage was important in the samurai classes; it was much less important to the lower classes. After marriage, women were restricted from taking additional sexual partners. Males of the upper classes, however, were able to take concubines and have relations with unmarried women. Divorce was common, and a woman from a poor household could very easily leave her husband and return to her original family.
Some Japanese scholars began to question the Confucian beliefs that provided the foundation of Edo society. Additionally, numerous changes in rural areas altered the standing of low-ranking peasants. New technology which increased productivity allowed some peasant families to produce a surplus of food, creating a disposable income that could be used to support ventures beyond farming. Others lost their land or possessions as they went into debt with moneylenders and wealthier neighbors. This sparked resentment that sometimes erupted into violence towards and the village elite. In 1853, the beginning of the saw Edo society increasingly questioned by Japanese people when Western world powers used their technological superiority to force concessions from the Tokugawa in the Unequal treaties. Many Japanese people, including members of the samurai, began to blame the Tokugawa for Japan's "backwardness" and subsequent humiliation. A modernization movement which advocated the abolition of feudalism and return of power to the Imperial Court eventually overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
The new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan soon abolished the Tokugawa class system that had characterized Edo society. The and classes were merged into the aristocratic class with which formed the Meiji oligarchy. Most remaining samurai that did not become were designated as , a distinct class without class privileges that was purely a title on the government register. Commoners and the were merged into a single commoner class without restrictions or distinction for their occupation, though continued to face discrimination similar to Edo society.
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