Question

overview
read and highlight the linked article from ocr world history project, then answer the following questions.
q what is a shogun?
a a military ruler
q how did the role of the daimyo change during the tokugawa shogunate?
a brought back order
q how did the alternate residence system help the shogun gain control of the daimyo?
a
q what was the role of the emperor?
a
q how did the shogun use food production and distribution to gain power?
a
q unlike empires, japan was mainly ethnically and religiously homogeneous (one community identity) in 1750 but it had lots of different classes. how did the shoguns keep order in this situation?
a
q according to the author, how successful were the tokugawa shoguns, and how should we measure that success?
a

Explanation:

1. What is a Shogun? - Historically, a shogun was a military - ruler in Japan.
2. How did the role of the daimyo change during the Tokugawa Shogunate? - The Tokugawa Shogunate brought a period of stability, and the daimyo's role was adjusted to maintain order, such as through increased control and regulation by the shogunate.
3. How did the Alternate Residence System help the Shogun gain control of the daimyo? - The Alternate Residence System (Sankin - kotai) required daimyo to spend alternate years in Edo (modern - day Tokyo) and their home domains. This kept the daimyo under the shogun's watch in Edo and also drained their resources due to the cost of maintaining two households, thus weakening their potential to rebel.
4. What was the role of the emperor? - During the Tokugawa Shogunate, the emperor was a symbolic figurehead with little real - political power. The shogun held the actual military and political authority.
5. How did the Shogun use food production and distribution to gain power? - The shogunate controlled land and rice production. By regulating the amount of rice (the main currency in a sense) that daimyo and peasants could produce and distribute, the shogun could influence the economic and social stability, thus consolidating power.
6. How did the Shoguns keep order in a situation with many classes but ethnic/religious homogeneity? - The shogunate implemented a strict social hierarchy (the four - class system of samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants) and a set of laws and regulations. Samurai were used to enforce order, and Confucian values were promoted to maintain social harmony.
7. According to the author, how successful were the Tokugawa shoguns, and how should we measure that success? - Success can be measured by the length of peace and stability (about 250 years) they maintained, economic growth, cultural development, and the establishment of a centralized feudal system. However, their isolationist policies (Sakoku) and rigid social structure also had long - term negative impacts.

Answer:

1. A shogun is a military ruler.
2. The role of the daimyo changed as the Tokugawa Shogunate brought back order, regulating and controlling their power.
3. The Alternate Residence System helped the Shogun gain control of the daimyo by requiring them to spend alternate years in Edo, weakening their resources and keeping them under surveillance.
4. The emperor was a symbolic figurehead with little real - political power during the Tokugawa Shogunate.
5. The Shogun controlled food production and distribution by regulating land and rice output, influencing economic and social stability to gain power.
6. The Shoguns kept order by implementing a strict social hierarchy, using samurai for enforcement, and promoting Confucian values.
7. Success of the Tokugawa shoguns can be measured by the length of peace, economic and cultural growth, and establishment of a centralized system, but their policies also had drawbacks.