On Monday 27th February Martin Ramos (EFEO) is speaking on "Les soldats du Maître du Ciel. Ce que la révolte de Shimabara-Amakusa nous apprend sur le catholicisme japonais".

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (free admission)

Maison de l'Asie, first-floor salon, 22 avenue du Président Wilson, 75116 Paris

This seminar is integrated into the Master seminar "Asies" (EFEO - EHESS - EPHE) the subject of which is Le fait religieux en Asie.

The rebellion of Shimabara-Amakusa (December 1637-April 1638), two regions of Kyūshū near to Nagasaki, is a central episode of the Edo period in which more than 30 000 peasants participated, commanded by old warriors (rōnin) and a charismatic young chieftain. The insurgents were for the most part apostates "of the mouth" who, in a climate of eschatological anguish, took up arms it is said to please God and obtain pardon for their sins; their principal claim being the abolition of the edict of proscription against Catholicism. The movement met with defeat: in April 1638, The armies of the shogunat and of several fiefdoms of the south of the country took the castle of Hara, the strongest place of the revolt and proceeded to massacre the last survivors.
There are a number of important witnesses to this rebellion from people of different social statuses (soldiers, merchants, peasants) and of various nationalities (Japanese, Portuguese and Dutch). These documents provide us with valuable clarification on the organisation, the beliefs and the expectations of the Japanese Catholic community just when it was about to become clandestine for more than two centuries.
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