Militarism: the tendency to regard military development andefficiency as more important than any other area of govt.
Imperialism: the acquisition, administration and exploitation ofan area of land and its resources for the benefit of the power thatcontrols it.
Industrialisation: the process whereby goods are producedincreasingly by machinery rather than people and industriesbecome the basis of the economy rather than agriculture ortrade.
Capitalism: economic system based on the private ownershipand control of resources and the development of these for the
owners profit.
Nationalism: a devotion to the interests, culture and advancementof your own country and people regardless of how this mightaffect other countries.
Tokugawa Shogunate: the period immediately before, the MeijiDynasty during which members of the Tokugawa family ruledJapan.
Meiji Era: 1867-1912 period known as the modernisation of Japanand the restoring of the emperor's rule to one of power andinfluence.
Emperor: The King/ruler who prior to the Meiji era had littlepolitical power or influence. He had religious importance for theConfucian religion.
Shogun: were military commanders who were political rulers inthe regional areas. They collected taxes and ruled over thepeople.
Daimyo: were the most powerful class after the shogun. Theywere the great feudal lords in Japan prior to 1868 and they wereserved by the samurai.
Samurai: a member of the military class who served a lord inreturn for land or payment in rice.
Bakufu: the system of control by which the daimyo promisedobedience and loyalty to the shogun.
Confucianism: a system of beliefs about ethical and political lifewhich originate in China in the 5thC BC. During the Tokugawaperiod beliefs
stressed that relationships were based onobedience and loyalty to superiors such as son to father anddaimyo to shogun.
Shintoism: a belief in the presence of spirits in natural locationssuch as trees and rivers, As part of Shintoism, Japanese emperorsclaimed to be descended from the gods.
Yedo: was the capital, situated near Osaka, later becomes Tokyo.
Modernization: the process of industrialisation, trade andeconomic development, adopting ideas and methods from thewest.
