After the arrival of Commodore Perry, Japan was thrown into chaos
and fear. Many samurais, especially those of lower ranks, began to
doubt the power of the Shogunate in defending the country against
foreign powers, especially when they had seen the armed blackships.
The slogan "Sonno-Joi" (Rever the emperor, dispel the barbarians)
was winning more and more support, such that samurais desert their
hans to come to Kyoto to join the revolutionary movements. (In those
days deserting your han can be one of the most condemned sins - once
you desert, you can never return to it, on pain of death.)
Such roshis (masterless samurais, but not ronins and definitely not
rurounis) increased in Kyoto, causing more and more disturbances at
the capital. In those early days of unsatisfied feelings, most of
the roshis still did not have a clear idea of what movement or who
they should follow. All they knew was that they were impatient and
eager to do something to defend Japan. There were myriads of schools
of thought - Sonno-joi, open up the country to learn from the gaijin
and in turn attact them using the same technologies, support the
Bakufu - as Watsuki once remarked, it was an era where 100 people
may hold 100 different arguments and you can't say who's wrong. It's
one factor which makes this era as tumultuous and interesting as it
is. The Bakufu decided that it would be to their advantage if they
took such roshis without any stand yet into their service, rather
than letting them roam about the capital. Hence, Roshi-tais (bands
of wave samurais) were formed and roshis enlisted under respective
Bakufu samurais, where the "entry requirements" were one's sword
skills (kenjutsu matches, something like an exam, were held.) This
happened in 1863 or 3rd Year of Bunkyuu, one year after Kaoru's
birth.
*note direct from a website
--- In
samuraihistory@yahoogroups.com, "merridewe"
wrote:
> Thanks for this. OK then I have one more question: What is the
> Roshitai?
>
> Thanks again,
>
> St. John Lord Merridewe
>
> --- In samuraihistory@yahoogroups.com, "serizawakamo" <
> serizawakamo@y...> wrote:
> > Shinchogumi is not Shinsengumi. Shinchogumi was also
> derived from the
> > Roshitai, just like the Shinsengumi, but the Shinsengumi
> members
> > stayed in Kyoto while the Shinchogumi ones retreated back to
> Edo.
> >
> > I believe you have already got this book, but if not perhaps you
> can
> > give a look at "Samurai Sketches", by Romulus Hillsborough. It
> is a
> > bit novelized, but still a very interesting depiction (and very
well
> > researched) of some Shinsengumi members, including Isami
> Kondo and
> > Kamo Serizawa.
> >
> > Hope that helped...
> >
> >
> >
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > I'm new. Hope I'm in the right place to ask this. I'm
> researching
> > > key figures of the Shinsengumi, particularly Isami Kondo and
> > > Kamo Serizawa. They were of course members of the
> > > Shinsengumi, but I've also run accross something called the
> > > Shinchogumi. It that the same thing? If not, what is it?
> > >
> > > Any help much appreciated,
> > >
> > > St. John Lord Merridewe