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Samurai Research Paper

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Samurai, the upper military class of pre-modern Japan. The Samurai worked under the daimyo and backed the authority of the shogun. The word “samurai” is roughly translated into “those who serve.” They eventually became the highest ranking social class of the Edo Period. The samurai employed a variety of weapons such as spears, bows and arrows, and even guns. However, their primary weapon and symbol was their sword. The samurai lead their lives by the honor code of bushido. The armor of a samurai was constructed primarily of iron plates, leather, or both. The plates were connected through rivets and lace. Due to the various weapons used there was a necessity for quick and flexible movement. This was accounted into the design of the plates and the weight especially was taken into account. Not only was this required in the use of combat, but other tasks were also largely taken into account, such as horse riding.
Early samurai of the Heian period (794-1185) worked as armed supporters under wealthy land owners. In feudal Japan the wealth …show more content…

Samurai privileged status was defined and one would need Yoritomo’s permission in order to call themselves a samurai. It was also at this time that Zen Buddhism was brought over to Japan from China, it held a strong appeal for many samurai. It had a strict manner and held the belief that salvation would come from within. This provided samurai with an ideal philosophical background for the samurai code and promoted a simple lifestyle. Also, during this time the sword began to develop a great significance in samurai culture. There was the belief that the honor of a man would reside within his sword. The sword has such an importance that the art during this period had sprung an influence on sword craftsmanship. Finely crafted blades were forged with inlays of precious metals and even shark shin

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