{"id":5972,"date":"2025-09-12T19:58:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T16:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/?p=5972"},"modified":"2025-12-14T19:59:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T16:59:25","slug":"meiji-japan-peasant-unrest-and-economic-hardship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/key-stage\/ib-history\/meiji-japan-peasant-unrest-and-economic-hardship\/","title":{"rendered":"Meiji Japan > Peasant Unrest and Economic Hardship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/main_area\/worksheets\/ib_meiji\/4_Remaining_Problems\/2_Peasant_Unrest_and_Economic_Hardship.docx\">Peasant Unrest and Economic Hardship<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Meiji government&#8217;s drastic economic reforms, such as the 1873 Land Tax Reform, stabilized state revenue but placed severe burdens on the rural population, leading to widespread debt and rural dissent. Moreover, the Meiji transition saw the abolition of feudal status and the elimination of hereditary stipends, stripping the samurai class of their traditional privileges and income. This led to a series of rebellions by former samurai against the government they had helped to create.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/Miscellaneous\/menus\/IB\/meiji\/\">full scheme of work on the Meiji Restoration<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5947\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Peasant Unrest and Economic Hardship The Meiji government&#8217;s drastic economic reforms, such as the 1873 Land Tax Reform, stabilized state revenue but placed severe burdens on the rural population, leading to widespread debt and rural dissent. Moreover, the Meiji transition saw the abolition of feudal status and the elimination of hereditary stipends, stripping the samurai&#8230; <\/p>\n<div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/key-stage\/ib-history\/meiji-japan-peasant-unrest-and-economic-hardship\/\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industrial-revolution","category-ib-history"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5946,"url":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/key-stage\/ib-history\/the-meiji-restoration-1853-1894-ibdp-podcast\/","url_meta":{"origin":5972,"position":0},"title":"The Meiji Restoration (1853\u2013 1894) &#8211; IBDP Podcast","author":"Russel Tarr","date":"November 20, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Meiji Restoration (1853\u2013 1894) IBDP Paper 1, Focused study 3: Political and economic transitions The Meiji Restoration (1853\u20131894) marks one of the most dramatic transformations in world history\u2014a moment when Japan catapulted from a feudal, isolated society into a modern industrial power in just a few decades. For IBDP\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;1900-2000 (GCSE History)&quot;","block_context":{"text":"1900-2000 (GCSE History)","link":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/category\/historical-periods\/20th-century\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5960,"url":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/key-stage\/ib-history\/european-countries-how-did-they-contribute-to-the-meiji-restoration\/","url_meta":{"origin":5972,"position":1},"title":"European countries: How did they Contribute to the Meiji Restoration?","author":"Russel Tarr","date":"August 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"European countries: How did they Contribute to the Meiji Restoration? After reluctantly accepting the Kanagawa and Harris Treaties, Japan quickly signed the Ansei Treaties with Russia, France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands). The resentment caused in Japan by these \u201cUnequal Treaties\u201d was compounded by further humiliation at the hands of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;1750-1900 (Year 9 History)&quot;","block_context":{"text":"1750-1900 (Year 9 History)","link":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/category\/historical-periods\/industrial-revolution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5968,"url":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/key-stage\/ib-history\/meiji-japan-land-reform-industrialization-and-trade\/","url_meta":{"origin":5972,"position":2},"title":"Meiji Japan > Land Reform, Industrialization and Trade","author":"Russel Tarr","date":"September 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Land Reform, Industrialization and Trade The Meiji Oligarchs recognized that achieving the national goal of ukoku kyohei (\"enrich the country - strengthen the military\") required fundamentally transforming Japan from a weak, agricultural, and feudal society into an industrial power. Together, these reforms strengthened the economy, helped finance government projects, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;1750-1900 (Year 9 History)&quot;","block_context":{"text":"1750-1900 (Year 9 History)","link":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/category\/historical-periods\/industrial-revolution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5964,"url":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/key-stage\/ib-history\/how-was-the-meiji-restoration-achieved-the-charter-oath-and-the-meiji-constitution\/","url_meta":{"origin":5972,"position":3},"title":"How was the Meiji Restoration achieved? > The Charter Oath and the Meiji Constitution","author":"Russel Tarr","date":"August 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"How was the Meiji Restoration achieved? The Charter Oath and the Meiji Constitution In 1866, the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance united two powerful domains against the Tokugawa. The shogunate then launched the Second Choshu Expedition, intending to crush the alliance; instead, the modernized Choshu forces won a decisive victory, exposing the shogunate's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;1750-1900 (Year 9 History)&quot;","block_context":{"text":"1750-1900 (Year 9 History)","link":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/category\/historical-periods\/industrial-revolution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5974,"url":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/key-stage\/ib-history\/the-satsuma-rebellion-online-simulation\/","url_meta":{"origin":5972,"position":4},"title":"The Satsuma Rebellion: Online Simulation","author":"Russel Tarr","date":"September 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The Satsuma Rebellion: Online Simulation Japan stands on the edge of transformation - and on the brink of chaos. In this high-stakes simulation, you become the Meiji Emperor, supreme guardian of a nation caught between centuries-old samurai honor and the unstoppable tide of modernization. The Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 erupts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;1750-1900 (Year 9 History)&quot;","block_context":{"text":"1750-1900 (Year 9 History)","link":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/category\/historical-periods\/industrial-revolution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5962,"url":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/key-stage\/ib-history\/internal-weaknesses-of-the-tokugawa-shogunate\/","url_meta":{"origin":5972,"position":5},"title":"Internal Weaknesses of the Tokugawa Shogunate","author":"Russel Tarr","date":"August 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Internal Weaknesses of the Tokugawa Shogunate For many centuries, Japan was governed through the Baku-Han system, which balanced power between a central military government (Bakufu) led by the Shogun, and the regional, largely autonomous domains (Han) ruled by the daimyo (feudal lords) and their Samurai warriors. Although the Emperor was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;1750-1900 (Year 9 History)&quot;","block_context":{"text":"1750-1900 (Year 9 History)","link":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/category\/historical-periods\/industrial-revolution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/thumnail.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5972"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5973,"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5972\/revisions\/5973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.activehistory.co.uk\/updates\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}