Introduction
Samurai’s were the Japanese warrior noblemen who dominated Japan from the 10th to the 19th century. They held a special position in society where they were the only people who were allowed to carry a sword and followed a code of honour called Bushido which is best translated to “the way of the warrior”. It was a strict set of rules where one rule was broken, a suicide ritual must be taken place and is called harakiri. Samurai’s wore an elaborate armour and fought with three different weapons: A lance A bow
Samurai’s were excellent archers
Their bows had the length of seven to ten feet long with the materials of bamboo, wood, cane and leather
The bamboo arrows had metal tips which could shoot 330 metres in distance A
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It was the beginning of the country’s military dictatorship called ‘shogunate’. Samurai’s were the servants of daimyo, the great lords and they backed up authority of shogun in which empowered them over Mikado, the emperor. Samurai’s were dominant over the Japanese government and society, but during the Meiji Restoration during 1868, the feudalism was restored. The disadvantages of traditional privileges made many samurai’s elite politics and industrial ranks in modern Japan. The traditional samurai code of honour, discipline and morality, or bushido, was revived and made the basic code of conduct for a variety of the Japanese …show more content…
During this time, there was a 250 year stretch of peace and prosperity in Japan, and for the first time the samurai’s took on the responsibility of administrating through diplomatic means rather than through army force. Samurai’s were told to train equally in arms and “polite” learning in accordance to Confucianism principle. The traditional faith, along with its emphasis on loyalty and duty, exceed Buddhism during the Tokugawa period as the assertive religion to the samurai. During this period, the principles of bushido started to emerge as a general code for the general Japanese public. Bushido varied due to the influences of Buddhist and Confucian thought, its warrior spirit remained continuous, including the emphasis on military skills and fearlessness in the face of their enemies. Bushido emphasise on efficiency, kindness, honesty and care to family members, particularly the
In medieval Europe and Japan there were warriors called samurai and knights that protected their region (Doc. 1). The samurai fought in Japan and knights fought in Europe (Doc. 1). Knights were famous for riding on horseback but the samurai would ride too (Doc.1). Samurai were mainly famous for their karate skills and acrobatic moves (Doc. C). One key characteristic for both the samurai and knights was that they were both loyal (Doc. E). They had to be because they played a big part in feudalism (Doc. A). Both warriors had a code that they abided (Doc. E). Bushido was the code for the samurai and Chivalry for the knights (Doc. E). The samurai and knights were great warriors who fought from 1000 AD to 1600 CE an their similarities are greater than their differences.
In the first place, the codes for both samurai and knights were distinct from each other in various ways. For instance, the knights’ code of Chivalry involves mercy, and the samurai code of Bushido involves “the Way”, which is when the samurai punishes anyone who transgresses against the moral principles (Doc. E). As well as that, the code of Chivalry includes being courteous and helpful to ladies, being loyal to the king, and the vowing of true knighthood (Doc. E). On the other hand, the code of Bushido is involved in obligations, physical readiness, and keeping their weapons ready for defense (Doc. E). In addition, the samurai code has a ceremony called genpuku and the knight code had no ceremonies. Based on this information, the codes of both Bushido and Chivalry had many differences between each other during this time
Just as European knights had a code of chivalry, the samurai had the code of Bushido (Document E). The code of Bushido, like the code of chivalry in medieval Europe, governed a samurai’s life. It called on samurai to be honest, fair, and fearless in the face of death. Samurai were expected to value loyalty and personal honor even more than their lives.
During the post classical period, 650 C.E to 1450 C.E, Japanese leaders were confronted with several issues that threatened political order in Japan. The problems that arose during that time included a lack of respect for Buddhism, for example, monks were not taking their vows seriously. Another problem included the division between classes in the social structure, one instance was when the lady-in-waiting in the temple showed disdain for the peasants in a lower class than her. Ultimately, one last problem was the lack of overall respect for the government. Samurais were not being properly trained and the Daimyo were fighting among themselves simply for power. The issues that presented themselves during this time period can be solved in many ways. Buddhism, a unified religion, reestablishing Confucian values and relationships, and properly training the Samurai are just
Religion was a big role in the lives of a Samurai. The Samurai had practiced three different religions in their lives which were, Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism. Each of the religions had a different role, Buddhism dealt with war and death, Shintoism with inherited ambience, and Confucianism
Throughout History, there have been many different groups or events that are still widely known today. Groups of people such as the Indians or Vikings are popular groups which are referenced constantly in today’s society. However, none of these groups is more known or referenced than the Japanese Samurai. Originating in 646 AD, these Japanese warriors developed from a loose organization of farmers to the dominant social class in Feudal Japan. Along with their dominant military and political standing, the samurai brought with them a unique code or moral belief that became the core of Samurai culture. Because of this, the Samurai and their principles still affect modern day Japanese society with social customs today
The samurai were a powerful warrior class in Japan, and were very skilled with a sword. Samurai used swords and were trained very well to do many things such as fire a bow while on horseback. The samurai practiced Buddhism, which is a religion that taught people to respect the world to reach enlightenment. When the samurai disobeyed The Bushido Code, they committed Seppuku, which is ritual suicide for the samurai. Japanese culture was influenced by the samurai warrior class.
While ongoing change became the status quo in late-Tokugawa era Japan the ideals of the samurai—and the respect they receive—endured. And, because samurai could still fall back on the prestige their class represented, members of society still
Where the cherry blossoms bloom in the new spring, the rancid but familiar smells of fish permeate the nearby market, and people bustle across streets throughout the city, Japan is not only a unique and fascinating nation, but it also contains one of the richest and fascinating histories in the world. This history is heavily dependent on the nation’s past feudalist society, especially the shogunate and the samurai. This world centered around the warriors of medieval Japan did not come about spontaneously. Years, decades, and even millennia led up to the military’s rise in power. Eventually, this class dominated even the emperors’ rules. However, the lack of modern use and advancements led to the decline of feudalism and eventually, its extinction. Although gone, this integral part of Japan’s history is forever embedded in modern day by influence.
The samurai were the feudal warriors of ancient Japan. For thousands of years they upheld the code of bushido, the way of the warrior. Samurai were around for thousands of years, but when did they disappear? Does the code of bushido still exist to this day? Exploring the history of the samurai will give an explanation to what has happened to these formidable warriors.
The samurai had an unwritten code of honor called the bushido. Bushido means “way of the warrior” (History of the Samurai 3). This provided them with a code to help show them how to live and conduct themselves at home and in battle. One of the most important duties of the samurai was their loyalty to their lord. The samurai would defend their lord until the death. Revenge was also central in the samurai’s
The role of the samurai drastically changed during the time of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Their position changed and they were used for various reasons that hadn’t been undergone before. The Shogunate transformed the military forces of Japan into one army, Samurai forces were no longer needed as the Daimyo no longer needed to employ them to fend off other Daimyo and the Shogun. The Samurai left their military roles and began aristocratic lives as scholars, educated intellectuals and role models for much of the Japanese population. The changes were for the better and were beneficial for the development of Japanese society.
The samurai had a honor code called the bushido code. The bushido is the way of the samurai or the way of the warrior. The samurai were like the police and if the citizen were to disrespect or disobey then the samurai had the right to tack that citizen life. A female samurai goal was to have a son to live on as a samurai warrior.A samurai mine goal was severe his master. All samurai had to be responsible for the actions of their lord. And if someone were to insult or kill their lord then it’s up to the samurai to avenge their lord. The samurai were just mere puppets to their lord they would do any order that there lord.Would tell them without any hesitation or thought and the samurai were members of a powerful military
Bushido comes from medieval Japan, but until the 1600's it was something that had to be taught by a master. It was later written down for everyone to see and understand (Hurst 16). Bushido comes from all kinds of traits. It comes from Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintoism. All these schools of thought and religion has formed the code of the warrior that the samurai follow in their everyday life (Clark 2). Buddhism teaches the samurai that you need to detach yourself from worldly feelings, wants, and needs. This was so that the samurai would not fear danger or death (Clark 3). Zen mediation teaches the samurai how to focus to rid themselves of unsteadiness and of all
Under the daimyo were the samurai. The samurai were valued warriors; they swore allegiance to one daimyo and protected him. By serving the daimyo, they earned land and social status. Samurai practiced the moral code of Bushido it was the way of life for the samurai, some of the aspects of it were loyalty, frugality and honour until death. The Samurai were also required to master the skills of martial arts.