The Tokugawa Period: Samurai And Shundai

In the Tokugawa period Ogyu Sorai and Dazai Shundai realized Samurai were in financial trouble because of alternative attendance. Sorai and Shundai were scholars during the Tokugawa period. Sorai was known for applying the Way of the Ancient Sages to government and social order. According to Sorai in Tokugawa Political Writing “the term “Way” encompassed all things created by the Ancient Sages, such as ritual, music, the law, and statecraft” (4). Shundai was known for his political economy. Domain leaders needed to reorganize the entire structure of their local government if there is to be effective management of the economy (Tokugawa Political Writing 143). Political economy in each domain should have a direct government support in productive

For example, all traveling to Edo was paid in capital. The rice economy was not dominate, and coins were used in daily life. According to Shundia “not only is this true for poor commoners, but also for the aristocracy, including daimyo,” paid in gold and silver for their traveling expenses (Tokugawa Political Writing 144). Domain leaders started to create monopolies on imports and goods from foreign lands. They also created monopolies on goods manufactured in their domain. According to Shundai “the import and sales of goods from foreign lands so that other daimyo may not be able to emulate them” (Tokugawa Political Writing 145). Shundia wanted domain leaders and merchants to collaborate, so they can export what they produced through a single outlet. Domain leaders should also learn how merchants conduct business, such as understanding interest rate. In creating a monopoly, the best way to maximize profits is by selling through a single outlet. This involved the common class with the ruling class as they are learning from each other how to conduct business. Having a collaboration with merchants will help spread money economy because it will allow domain leaders to purchase goods from other domains. The spread of minted coins was happening because of the monopolies. Other domain leaders bought with only minted coins, resulting in an accumulation of enormous wealth. Shundai beliefs was that domain leaders are still masters and merchants are customers because domain leaders were the one creating these monopolies, and merchants came to domain leader to sell their product. This will allow other domain leaders to take leader ship in their domain because they are in charge of what products to grow or manufacture. The rise of money economy helped domain leaders create monopolies because the demand for coins was increasing. Overall Shundai saw an advancement in the