The Samurai were the medieval warriors of Japan and were usually called bushi or buke (Matt Williams, Unknown) but only 10% or less of Japan's population was able to become a Bushi. Although this may sound quite desirable, it managed to improve for Buke when the Tokugawa period came. Their lifestyle changed for the better and they didn't have to worry about death, while still retaining the same position on the hierarchy pyramid. Because of this being a samurai knight in the Tokugawa Period was desirable.
The Samurai’s lifestyle changed a lot when the Tokugawa Period came, as this was when civil peace occurred throughout Feudal Japan. (Columbia University, 2009) This meant that there was no longer a need for the samurai to fight. With their fighting role diminished the samurai took on the roles of scholars and advisors. (Red Apple Education, 2013) This
…show more content…
One of the changes for the Bushi was that they were fortunate enough that they didn't have to worry about death through fighting and wars anymore, however they still had to uphold the same respect that they had for the daimyo. In some cases the samurai even managed to move up in hierarchy pyramid by becoming courtiers. Courtiers are the people who go with the emperor to court they also move up to become bureaucrats and administrators. (Oxford University Press, 2014) They still retained respect within the public of an honourable position in the feudal system. The samurai still had the right to use a range of weapons such as bows and arrows and spears but their main weapon and symbol was still the sword. (See Appendix 1) (Japan Guide, 2014) They also still had the rights to kill anyone to disrespect them as long as they were of a lower social status. This killing could still be done to keep the peace among the
The samurai the warrior for Japan, they were determined to defend their ruler no matter what the cost is for example torture, Death or imprisonment. The knight was the warrior for Europe. They kept order in Europe when there was none. Even though samurai and knights have many similarities, in a one on one battle, the advantage would be to the samurai and this can be seen in their armor, training and beliefs.
Imagine, more than thousands of years ago a class of professional warriors arose, who swore oaths of loyalty to noble lords and fought to the death to defend them in battle. The time was about 1000-1400 CE (Doc. 1). Both Europe and Japan have feudalistic societies at this point in time (Doc. A).
First of all, the knights and samurai were similar because of their codes. The knights had a code they called chivalry, the samurai used the code of bushido. (Doc.E) The code of chivalry involved staying loyal to your lord and also to never give up.(Doc. E) The samurai’s code consisted of staying loyal like the knights, but to always be ready to fight.(Doc. E) The code of chivalry was actually created first by about 130 years.(OI) These codes could help or hurt the people following it. Next, is how they prepared for war.
Have you ever heard of the medieval knights from Europe or the medieval samurais from Japan. Both warrior served a important role in defense for their region. In fact both knights and samurais played a role in a social system known as feudalism. Feudalism began in Europe as early as the 8th century and began in Japan in about 1185 A.D both due to the lack of security. In a one-on-one battle, a samurai would win because of their strong weapons, enforced training, and the acceptance of death.
“A student said to his master, “You teach me fighting, but you talk about peace. How do you reconcile?” The master replied, “It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than to be a gardener in a war””(OI). This is an example of the relationship between a samurai and his master. Despite their cold outward appearance, samurai sought peace on the inside.
First of all, the samurais and knights were similar in the area of social position. As shown in Document A, samurais and knights were similar in status and rank in the middle of the social pyramid.” As seen in Document A, “They both showed loyalty to their lords.” A difference is that the samurai were hereditary while
Throughout time, our world has endured many changes. With great turmoil during the 11th and 12th century, there was change at every corner. For Japan and Europe, it was a time of death, war, and destruction. This time was known as the Dark Ages or Middle Ages. After the fall of Rome, and the weakening of Japanese imperial court; both medieval societies essentially crumbled.
The purpose of samurai and knight is to protect their people. The knights and samurais each have different teachings. Loyalty towards the feudal lord in Japan was hereditary. Service of a feudal lord passed from father to son, so that the relations of lord and a samurai existed between many families for man generations. This arrangement was also a voluntary one, in that there was no legal contract between the two parties The European feudal contract, which was a legal document spelling out the obligations of lord and vassals respectively, never existed in Japan. However, it really began to develop around the 10th century in Europe. In a one-on-one battle, a samurai would win because of their training, armor, and beliefs about death. The first way that samurais were superior in battles trough
Imagine a knight, jousting in an arena in Europe during the Middle Ages. Surprisingly, across the world during approximately the same time period, samurai warriors fought in Japan. During the time period, 1000 to 1600 CE, the samurai and knights fought in battle in many different ways. Many differences between the samurai and knights included codes, armor, training, and religions. Without a doubt, the differences between the samurai and the knight overshadow the similarities.
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
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 samurai, or bushi (warrior), are well-trained cavalrymen that serve a particular lord. The first recorded history of the samurai was about the 9th century A.D. At that time the capitol of Japan was Kamakura, a military installation. Japan was ruled by an emperor who controlled his empire through the use of shoguns. Shoguns were generals that ruled over
For seven centuries, the samurai ruled Japan as the powerful warrior class. As a class of warriors and knights, they led society in feudal Japan. The loyalty to his lord was much more important than his allegiance to his friends, family and even the emperor. Their philosophy was one liberated him from fear, and for these reasons, the samurai came to be the dominate force throughout medieval Japan.