158 i PERIOD 4 Global Interactions (c. 1450–c. 1750)
Japan
While the Ming dynasty isolated itself from most foreigners, Japan went through periods of
both isolation and acceptance of Western infl uence. In 1603, the Tokugawa family gained
prominence when one of its members acquired the title of shogun. Ruling Japan from the
city of Edo (present-day Tokyo), the Tokugawa Shogunate brought a degree of centralized
authority to Japan. Large estates of many of the daimyo were broken up and taken over by
the Tokugawa family.
Europeans entered Japan in 1543 when Portuguese sailors shipwrecked and were
washed up on the shore of the southern island of Kyushu. Additional visits from European
traders and missionaries brought Western technology, including clocks and fi rearms, into
Japan. The use of fi rearms changed Japanese warfare from feudal to modern and assisted
the Tokugawa in maintaining their authority. When Christian missionaries arrived to
bring Roman Catholicism to the Japanese, the Toku gawa at fi rst protected them from
Buddhist resistance. In the late 1580s, however, the Tokugawa stifl ed Buddhist resist-
ance to their authority. Christianity was perceived as a threat to Tokugawa authority, and
Christian missionaries were ordered to leave Japan. Japanese Christians were persecuted
and executed. By 1630, foreign trade was allowed only in a few cities and Japanese ships
were banned from trading or sailing across long distances. By the 1640s, only the Dutch
and Chinese were allowed to trade through the port of Nagasaki. Contacts with the Dutch
allowed the Japanese to keep informed about Western developments (Dutch learning)and
adopt those they considered appropriate to Japanese goals.❯ Rapid Review
Western Europe developed models of both absolute and parliamentary monarchy as its
advanced technology strengthened its position as a world leader. Russia built a large empire
whose rulers continued repressive policies and a system of serfdom that perpetuated Rus-
sian backwardness begun under Mongol rule. Spain and Portugal established empires in
Mesoamerica and South America, while England and France vied for colonial dominance
in North America. The Ottoman Empire conquered the Byzantine Empire, but by the
early seventeenth century, could not keep up with Western technological advances and
was on a path of decline. Ming China and Tokugawa Japan displayed varying responses to
foreign infl uence. At the conclusion of the period, the Chinese pursued a policy of isolation
from foreigners, whereas Japan allowed limited Western infl uence in order to avail itself of
Western technology. Mughal India at fi rst brought centralized government that softened
relations between Hindus and Muslims; then later it broke up into regional governments
that created openings for foreign intervention.❯ Review Questions
- Mercantilism
(A) did not affect empires that were not based in
Europe
(B) brought long-term prosperity to Europe
(C) encouraged the importation of foreign goods
(D) supported free trade
(E) sparked further rivalries among European
nations
2. In the early eighteenth century, the politi-
cal system where citizens enjoyed the greatest
amount of self-rule was
(A) Japan
(B) Russia
(C) France
(D) England
(E) the Ottoman Empire