Explore the different approaches to imperial rule in Japan, China, and Russia between 1500 and 1800. What sorts of political structures emerged to administer and incorporate the different peoples of these regions? What were the infrastructural needs of these empires?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
An empire creates an overarching governmental structure that rules over diverse peoples. In Japan a fragmented, almost feudal order existed under the daimyo, although there was an emperor as figurehead in Kyoto. Hideyoshi's conquest, followed by the Tokugawa Shogunate, created a more tightly unified, autocratic empire with a central figure in control of the economy, administration, and military, three factors that must be present for centralized authority. The maintenance of power necessitates a tightly controlled infrastructure as well, including roads to facilitate trade. In Japan this was somewhat easy to accomplish because of the relatively small territory and a fairly homogeneous population. However, fragmentation on a geographic basis continually presented a problem to the shogun because the outlying lords could keep a better grip on trade and production, despite government edicts. Loss of control of the economy led to alienation of the samurai, undermining the central authority of the shogun. The Russian and Chinese empires were considerably larger and had to incorporate a much broader range of territory and people. Russia's extension to Siberia and points eastward, as well as its attempts to gain a warm-water port (primarily under Peter), necessitated incorporating Turkish, Siberian, and Mongol tribes of different linguistic, religious, and even racial characteristics. To create and maintain such a large empire, Russia needed a large army.