Christian Missionaries (dec 23, 1549 – dec 23, 1637)

Description:

Christian Missionaries: began arriving in 1549
- accepted by the Japanese because they were associated with muskets and other European goods
- religious order of Jesuits, Franciscans, & Dominicans tried to convert Japanese
- Francis Xavier (Jesuit) led the first mission to Japan- baptized 100 converts before leaving

1600: European missionaries had converted 300,000 to Christianity

Tokugawa Ieyasu found Christian invasion troublesome: they scorned Japanese beliefs & involved themselves in local politics

1612: Ieyasu banned Christianity & focused on ridding Japan of Christians

1616: Ieyasu died but repression of Christianity continued

1637: uprising in Southern Japan of 30,000 peasants led by samurai
- shook Tokugawa shogunate
- most of the rebels were Christian: the shogun decided Christianity was the root of the rebellion
- shoguns ruthlessly persecuted Christians
- European missionaries were killed or driven out of Japan
- Japanese had to be faithful to a branch of Buddhism: eliminated Christianity (led to the formation of the "exclusion policy")

Added to timeline:

Date: