From the early seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth century; the Tokugawa shogunate enacted and enforced myriad laws and ordinances to control nearly every aspect of Japanese life; including observance of a person’s death. In particular; the shoguns Tsunayoshi and Yoshimune issued strict decrees on mourning and abstention that dictated compliance throughout the land and survived the political upheaval of the Meiji Restoration to persist well into the twentieth century. Atsuko Hirai reveals the pivotal relationship between these shogunal edicts and the legitimacy of Tokugawa rule. By highlighting the role of narimono chojirei (injunctions against playing musical instruments) within their broader context; she shows how this class of legislation played an important integrative part in Japanese society not only through its comprehensive implementation; especially for national mourning of major political figures; but also by its codification of the religious beliefs and customs that the Japanese people had cherished for innumerable generations.
#12555 in Books Ingramcontent 2017-04-10Original language:English 7.00 x 1.00 x 4.70l; #File Name: 0674057767240 pagesThe Crucible of Islam
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Where it all started...By CustomerThis is a book of prodigious scholarship; with a wealth of detail; much of which will escape the non-specialist. Nonetheless; the story it tells us of great importance to our world today; plagued by rampant misunderstanding of the complex interrelationships amongst the Abrahamic faiths and; especially in the modern West; widespread ignorance of Islam; sometimes even on the part of avowed Muslims. At a price of $15 or so; it's rather too expensive for a slim volume; fully 20% of which not text but scholarly apparatus; i.e. index; footnotes; etc. However; personally I regret neither the expenditure nor the effort of the reading; and recommend this book to anyone whose interests are thus inclined.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A book worth readingBy Jeff SmithThis is the third of three short books about the shifts among the civilizations vieing for control of the Arabian Peninsula before and up to the beginning of the Muslim era. If you already know a lot about it you don't need to read any of them; and if you know nothing about the times and the place it's not going to be of much use. But if your existing knowledge is slight and your curiosity is strong these books have much to learn from. The view is from a height with only the slightest attention to the historical details that resulted in the ascendency of Muhammad on the Peninsula; but unfortunately the history of the rise and decline of the other empires active in that time and place hovers just beyond the scope of the books. Nor should the reader expect description of the cultures; their interactions of the actual battles involved in the shifting relations among them. Still; Bowersock's authoritative coverage of his topic is well worth spending time with.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Outlines a part of history that many of us have ...By NoneOutlines a part of history that many of us have not been taught; especially in the US. The geopolitical interactions of that location go back to the late Roman empires. It's an eye opener and might help to explain the history of today's conflicts in a location where memories span centuries.Another interesting book THE CRUSADES THROUGH ARAB EYES; by Amin Maalouf ISBN 0-8052-0898-4 might be worth a purchase too.
