The Shimabara Rebellion (1637–1638) was an armed uprising between local inhabitants; mainly peasants, Christians, and former samurai, and the ruling authorities in southwestern Japan. It is considered one of the largest uprisings of the Edo period (1603–1868) and represents a turning point in the Tokugawa shogunate’s approach to Christianity, social control, and foreign relations. In this thesis I investigated the causes and consequences of the rebellion, focusing on the key factors that led to its outbreak and on its impact on the development of social, religious, and diplomatic relations. The research is based on the finding that historians interpret the rebellion differently, while some emphasize primarily religious motivations, others emphasize economic hardships and social conditions. Based on my analysis, I concluded that the rebellion was the result of a mutual context of religious, economic, and political factors, which must be understood in relation to one another rather than separately. Among the main consequences are the complete ban on Christianity, the emergence of hidden Christians (kakure kirishitan), certain economic reforms, the expulsion of Portuguese traders, and the introduction of the sakoku isolation policy.
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