Fields burning at Shimabara.
The Shimabara RebellionWP (島原の乱, Shimabara Noran?) was an uprising in Japan in the 17th century.
History
The Shimabara Rebellion was an uprising of Japanese peasants, most of which were Christians which was an outlawed religion in Japan at the time. Led by the young Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, it lasted from December 1637 to April 1638.
The rulers of ShimabaraWP, the Matsukura clanWP, had drastically raised the taxes causing famine and overtaxation to the people. This action forced the weak to fall in despair as they were unable to even resist. As they continued to be exploited, the people found salvation in Christianity, the words filled with love that couldn’t be defeated by starvation, poverty or despair. However the Matsukura clan tried to take even that from them. For them it was no longer exploitation but it was murder. The people were provoked and they rose up and revolted. They feared of having their right to live taken away, then overcame their fear of dying in battle.[1]
Amongst them was Shirou, a young boy at the time. Nobody knew whether his presence there was a coincidence or the will of God, but before anyone realized it, Shirou was leading them, though under the instruction of several ronin.[2][1] Before long, former-vassals of Konishi YukinagaWP had him as leader established a rebel army against the Edo ShogunateWP. Together with the peasants of Shimabara, who were suffering with the harsh environment of the times, they raised a large-scale insurrection.[2]
Despite taking the uprising lightly at first, the Edo Shogunate got serious due to its punitive forces being defeated and sent out Elder Matsudaira Nobutsuna as the supreme commander.[2] Shirou led the defense of Hara CastleWP, and defeated the strongest of the Shogunate attackers in a series of coordinated defensive surges. Matsudaira Nobutsuna brought on starvation tactics to the revolting army that had shut themselves in Hara Castle, and estimated the time when they were running out of food and ammunition to start his general offensive. It has been told that 37,000 people, including Shirou were massacred by the shogunate forces, with the exception of a single betrayer (there are various theories about this).[2]
Chiemon was a civilian who survived the massacre.[3]
Notable participants
Rebellion
Tokugawa Shogunate
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fate/Apocrypha Volume 2: Round Dance of Black / Festival of Red -Chapter 2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Fate/Grand Order - Amakusa Shirou, Translation by Master of Chaos
- ↑ Fate/Samurai Remnant - Chapter 6 ("Flames of Resentment" Route)
- ↑ Fate/Grand Order - Shimosa Province: The Stage of Rivers of Blood and Mountains of Corpses - Section 13: The Stage of Carnage, Onriedo (Beginning)