Japan-Meiji Revolution



Abstract

This study highlights the positive and negative impact of Meiji revolution on the social, political and economic aspects, which has various advantages and disadvantages. This study discusses each impact separately with revolutionary impact. Education and industrializations advancements were the major advantages, which resulted in increase in growth and success of the economy. This assist in Japan, making an economic power, as the financial growth was utilized in the improvement of defense and military system. Japan became one of the leading political and economic powers with advancement of technology. This revolution also has various disadvantages as it resulted in the negative relations with other countries and use of major portion of economic resources on defense. It also resulted in increase in military force with samurai and this resulted in crisis and revolts.

Japan-Meiji Revolution

Introduction

The Meiji Restoration was one of the most important historical era of the Imperial rules in Japan. It was under the rule of Emperor Meiji during1868, whose name was Mutsuhito and he was only sixteen year old when he had the rein of Japan (Bowman, 2001). He made various restorations under the government system, which resulted in various changes in Japan's constitutional and political structure. This period was the beginning of the Japan's revolution and modernizations and it has major impact on the history of Japan. This period was the end of feudal system under Tokugawa Shogunate and new approach towards the modern and technological development of Japan (Hansen & Curtis, 2008). This was the great revolutions which made Japans as leading industrialist country in the world of modern technology. Japan not only became a world's major economy, but it also had the expansion in the political and social power influence all over the world. Japan also progressed in the automobile and weapon technologies (Sumikawa, 1999). These have major impact at the national and international level. There was increase in the imperial rule and dominance and these factors resulted in various disadvantages in Japan. During this era there were riots and land reformations and various other changes.

Thesis Statement

Meiji Revolution had major influence because, it affected every individual on social and political grounds and there were a number of positive and negative aspects, which have strong impact on the social and political conditions of Japan.

Discussion

Impact on Political and Legislative Structure

One of the major impacts of political and social system is on the major political and social system. In the beginning there was traditional feudal system, but with the young command there were changes in the old and traditional practices and this led towards the political empowerment of Japan. It became an alliance between the two most dominating powers, Satsuma and Choshu, which resulted in the end of Tokugawa Shogunate era. The worst negative impact of these major revolutionary changes resulted in the civil war Tokugawa force was defeated and then finally shogunate capital of Edo became known as Tokyo (Hansen & Curtis, 2008). After major changes in the social and political structure of Japan under ...