The was an Ainu rebellion against Japanese authority on Hokkaidō between 1669 and 1672 in the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. It was led by Ainu chieftain Shakushain against the

Matsumae clan The was a Japanese aristocratic family who were daimyo of Matsumae Domain, in present-day Matsumae, Hokkaidō, from the Azuchi–Momoyama period until the Meiji Restoration. They were given the domain as a march fief in 1590 by Toyotomi ...

, who represented Japanese trading and governmental interests in the area of Hokkaidō, then controlled by the Japanese ('' Yamato people'').

Background

The Matsumae clan were given the area around present-day Matsumae, Hokkaidō, what would become the Matsumae Domain, as a march fief in 1590 by

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

. They were charged with defending it, and by extension the whole of Japan, from the Ainu "barbarians" of the north. Trade between the Ainu and the Yamato changed greatly over time. In the early days, the Ainu traveled to Matsumae Domain to carry out transactions. However, in the first half of the 17th century, the Matsumae began to grant the trading right with the Ainu to their

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

as a substitute for a

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

. The samurai were assigned trading posts set up in various parts of Hokkaidō to trade with the Ainu. The samurai began to force trade goods on the unwilling Ainu, and to overfish salmon using large nets. Furthermore, in 1665, the Matsumae set the exchange rate at a disadvantage to the Ainu. It is believed that this type of trade caused growing dissatisfaction among the Ainu towards the Yamato.

Revolt

The war began as a fight for resources between Shakushain's people and a rival Ainu clan in the Shibuchari River ( Shizunai River) basin of what is now Shinhidaka, Hokkaidō. The war developed into a last-dich effort by the Ainu to keep their political independence and regain control over the terms of their trade relations with the Yamato. The Ainu began to attack Yamato people and ships in Hokkaidō, and they also aimed to capture the colonial cities in the Matsumae Domain. According to scholar Brett Walker:

The war of Shakushain stands out as a watershed event in the history of the conquest of Ezo. Shakushain exploded onto the scene as a charismatic leader who proved able to bridge regional differences among Ainu communities, threatening to unite them against the Japanese intrusion from the south. The
Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
reacted by solidifying its own united front of military allies in the northeast, replacing local Matsumae generals with men of its own choosing, thus illustrating its self-appointed role as defender of the realm.

At the end of 1669, Shakushain's forces surrendered to the Matsumae, assassinated by Matsumae warriors. Afterwards, the war lasted for about three years, but the leaderless rebels eventually surrendered to the Matsumae.

Aftermath

After suppression of the revolt, Japan consolidated its control of Hakkaidō. The peace treaty bound the Ainu to swear

allegiance An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed, or freely committed, by the people, subjects or citizens to their state or sovereign. Etymology The word ''allegiance'' comes from Middle English ' (see Medieval Latin ', "a liegance"). The ...

to Matsumae. The Ainu tribes remained autonomous, but trade relations between the Ainu and Matsumae turned into a trade monopoly, which means the Ainu lost their pricing power in goods and labor transactions with the Yamato. Those unable to support themselves had no choice but to work as forced labor in fish factories in

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

on a salary about a seventh of the rate paid to the Yamato.

References

External links

Military history of Hokkaido Ainu history Rebellions in Japan Conflicts in 1669 Conflicts in 1670 Conflicts in 1671 Conflicts in 1672 17th-century rebellions 1669 in Japan 1670 in Japan 1671 in Japan 1672 in Japan 17th-century military history of Japan Asian resistance to colonialism Genocides in Asia {{Ainu-stub

Background

Revolt

Aftermath

See also

References

External links