1 Matching Annotations
  1. Jul 2017
    1. 2. If one receives a province, a d strict, or a village as his fief, and forces farmers in his domain who are properly registered under certain temples to become followers of the padre against their wishes, then he has committed a most unreasonable illegal act.

      This second limitations shows just how much Hideyoshi feared the use of Christianity as a subversive political tool. By publishing and enforcing this document Hideyoshi kept more control. In turn, by giving the farmers a choice to believe in what they had already been believing it sets up the farmers separately from the vassal or daimyo, thus dividing more power the vassal or daimyo would have in case they wanted to overthrow Hideyoshi. It is easy to see this anxiety in the 4th and 5th points where the larger fiefs (as they presumably have more power) must be approved to follow the "padre", as God is called.