HIEA 112 Medium Post #1 (Week 1)
Meiji leader’s depiction of their predecessors
After reading documents and lectures, here is my comprehension about the discussion question.
Meiji leaders desired to incorporate the traditional aspects of leadership with the new (modern) elements and use them to unite their country, which was highly classified and divided. The two documents presented for week two depict the state of leadership during this era and how the leaders brought the desired change to unite the people through a change of policies. For instance, in the Meiji restoration document, Lu explains that when the Tokugawa family rose to power, many other families also sprang in other parts of the country to a lot of wealth and land ownership. This, according to Meiji leaders in unjust because these families grabbed public land, and nothing was done to them when other thieves and simple act offenders are punished and subjected to heavy judgments.
In the unification document, Lu presents arguments where the Meiji leadership ruled and expelled Christian missionaries because they associated them with the division among the people arising from religious affiliation. According to Meiji leaders, this is one area which they think Tokugawa leadership got wrong by allowing Christianity to divide the people, thus reducing their productivity and unity as one people representing one nation. This shows that the leaders were determined to bring the harmony required for the people to stay together and work towards developing their country and economic growth.
The significant changes that the Meiji leaders made in policy and reorganization of the society show how they legitimized their right to rule. The changes they brought made them renown and earned respect among the people as it restored the unity that they had lost and made their country more productive than before. Their desire to be modern leaders is seen through their policy structure which outlawed leaders from taking public property. It also promoted industrialization, making it a center of modernity in terms of production and manufacturing.
