ipl-logo

History's Warriors: The Similarities And Differences

1385 Words6 Pages

The Similarities and DIfferences Between History’s Notable Warriors The medieval ages seem to have a romantic allure of gallant knights, cunning samurais, lords and ladies, and daring wars. Looking closer, the medieval ages were weaved with fear, fragile obligations, and complex morals. Both Europe and Japan went through a dark age of war and violence after times of great prosperity. In Europe, one of the most well known figures at the time frame were the knights. As for Japan, the samurai and their skill are one of the most notable parts within the Japanese middle ages. Both kinds warriors lived by certain ideas that influenced all their actions and decisions. For Japan, the samurai followed a code known as Bushido. The knights of Europe …show more content…

at the end of the Genpei war. The Genpei war was between the Taira (or Heike) Clan and the Minamoto Clan (also known as Genji) (Segal). Both clans were fighting against each other to take hold of power in Japan. Before this war occurred, Japan was in a state of infighting between different provinces (Colcutt). This war, which lasted about five years, ended with the Minamoto Clan as the victor. With this clan now in power, Minamoto Yoritomo was appointed as the first shogun on August 21, 1192, as part of the Kamakura shogunate (“First Shogunate of Japan”). A shogunate is a “system of government led by shoguns, or Japanese military leaders” (“First Shogunate of Japan”). Under a shogunate, the shogun was known as “Supreme general of emperor’s army.” Things such as government officials, judges, taxes, armies, and roads were all under his authority and shogun power was passed down by family (Beck 307). The first shogunate, known as the Kamakura Shogunate, lasted from 1185-1333 A.D. (Segal). This shogunate started the growth of samurais which are warriors defined as “one who serves.” Samurais were hired by lords (known as daimyo) as bodyguards for protection from other lords (Beck 307). Due to all the violence going on, lords were often at war with one another, so they were always in possible danger. As well, the samurai was known to fight in wars between enemy provinces and attacks from the Mongols. …show more content…

Both warriors fight for pay from those of higher status. As well, both kinds of warriors fought under roughly the same principals: honoring their god/gods, having courage, being loyal, and being generous to those lower than himself. But, looking closer, the Bushido code has a greater intensity than that of the code of Chivalry. This can be seen when studying the way unworthy or failed warriors are punished. For knights under the code of Chivalry, those who have failed to live up to the code were punished by having their sword and armor destroyed then afterwards being dragged to church in a coffin for a mock funeral to be performed on him. As for the samurais, failure to follow the code resulted in the samurai willingly killing himself for his failure in shame. The samurai’s way of punishment shows more devotion to their code and to who they serve, unlike the punishment for the knights which seems very joking and crude. Another way the Bushido code is superior to the Chivalry code is it reaches more people within the society and it has a more modernized set of morals compared to Europe. On the whole, Japanese society during medieval times was very honor based due to their set of beliefs. This being so, not only the samurai were meant to live up to this code of honor; all people within society were expected to live with this standard in their life. Specifically, women were meant to live by the same expectations as

Show More
Related

Knights Vs Samurai Dbq Essay

851 Words | 4 Pages

Knights and samurai are very similar. They were warriors during the age of feudalism who protected and were loyal to their lord. But while they are incredibly similar, who would win in a battle? However despite these similarities, in a one, in a one one one fight, the advantage would go to the samurai since their armor, code, and training are superior to that of the knights.

Read More

Samurai Vs American Knights Dbq

583 Words | 3 Pages

Blayze McKenney Mrs. Thomas World History 7 12 April 2024 The Superiority of the Japanese Samurai After 14 years of rigorous Loyalty, Combat, and Mindset Training, the young warrior is finally ready to become a Samurai at the age of 14. The Japanese Samurai and the European Knights were 2 classes of very powerful warriors during the Middle Ages. Samurai were superior because they offered protection to their masters, went through rigorous training to get better at fighting, and were incredibly loyal to their masters when it came to following their code and protecting their masters. The samurai were superior to knights because they offered protection to peasants and daimyos.

Read More

How Did Minamoto No Yoritomo Impact Japanese Society

390 Words | 2 Pages

Minamoto no Yoritomo is a significant individual and how his actions impacted Japanese society during the period of Shogunate rule. Minamoto no Yoritomo did this through his military and political control. Minamoto no Yoritomo impact Japanese society through his power. Source 7 by Cartwright M (2019) states “Replacing the dominance of the Japanese Emperor and the imperial court, the new system saw Yoritomo distribute land (which was often confiscated from defeated rivals) to his loyal followers and allies in return for their military service and confiscated support.”

Read More

Samurai Religion

808 Words | 4 Pages

They were first really used in the Heian Period around the 8th century AD. Their main purpose was to keep the people of the country in order and to prevent revolts. After this wealthy land owners, would hire them and basically create their own armies to challenge the government. One of the most powerful of these “armies” challenged the government and took it over. A new government that was led by the samurai warriors was put in place and ruled Japan for most of the second millennium AD.

Read More

Samurai's Influence On Feudal Japan

805 Words | 4 Pages

The Samurai of Feudal Japan The Samurai caste of medieval Japan is often romanticized in popular culture, but their impact on Japanese society was far-reaching and profound. The Samurai were highly trained warriors who worked to control Feudal Lords' (daimyo) land. They were heavily trained in both sword-fighting and archery on horseback and on foot they were also masters of hand-to-hand combat(Japanese jujitsu). The Samurai had the most influence on Feudal Japan, shaping its culture, politics, and military practices through their strict codes of conduct, martial skills, and unwavering loyalty to their Lords.

Read More

Medieval Japan Research Paper

690 Words | 3 Pages

Medieval Japan Medieval Japan, also known as Feudal Japan, was a period of time from circa 1185 to 1600, when the Japanese imperial authority was weak and Samurai warriors played an important role in governing society. The Kamakura shogunate (1185-1333) and the Muromachi shogunate (1336-1573) were the first two warrior governments in ancient Japan. Warfare and destruction characterized that era, as well as being known as the age of the warrior, the rise of Buddhism, and two monumental events, the repulsion of two Mongolian invasions. The Samurai warriors became the rulers of the land during the medieval times.

Read More

The Samurai's Influence On Japanese Culture

995 Words | 4 Pages

Moreover, what really interest me in the Samurai is their way of life, codes and the appreciation of others. Throughout my research process I found out that the Samurai woman played a huge part in combat during wars, also she was called “Onna Bugeisha” and they usually used the naginata weapon in the battle. The Samurai’s armor was designed in a way that allows them to move freely during the battle, also it was interesting to know that the samurai were very open to the idea of Homosexuality as they accepted a relationship between the same sex in their culture and it was considered extremely normal. Also in some movies that were made about the samurai , they didn’t mention that as it’s considered as a shame nowadays. The idea of a Western Samurai made me very interested in the samurai, that’s when I saw “The last samurai” movie by Tom Cruise as it showed that any one can join the samurai and have the honor of fighting along them side by side becoming one of them and have that special honor by respecting their code and having a samurai name.

Read More

The Sengoku Period: Unrivalled Conflict In Medieval Japan

1209 Words | 5 Pages

The Sengoku Period was a time of unrivalled conflict and disunity in medieval Japan. It spanned from 1467 to 1615 and was named by historians who compared it to the most warlike period in Ancient Chinese history: the Age of the Warring States. This parallel shows the great magnitude of the chaos and violence that occurred during Japan in these years. The onset of the Onin War marked the beginning of this period. The authority of the Ashikaga Shogunate dissolved, and the country was left in the hands of power-hungry daimyos ("the great names").

Read More

Samurai Thesis Statement

1054 Words | 5 Pages

Samurais with great power became known as shoguns, while those without daimyo or masters became known as ronins which caused minor troubles during the 1600s. After 250 years of the Edo Period, the importance of martial arts skills declined and many samurai became bureaucrats, teachers or artists. Many would think that the bushido code would fade away with the samurai, however Japanese nationalists and war leaders continued to appeal to this cultural ideal throughout the early 20th century and WWII. Bushido continues to resonate in modern Japan till this day but is mostly stress on courage, self-denial, and loyalty.(5) Even though the samurais are gone, they will always be known as the most disciplined warriors of Japan with their bushido code still living till this day.

Read More

Japanese Castles In Medieval England

342 Words | 2 Pages

Introduction (150 words): Background: Japanese castles played an important role during the medieval period. The shogun or military leaders ruled for almost 700 years until the late 19th century. The Japanese hierarchy was very similar to Medieval England with peasants, artisans and merchants at the very bottom and daimyo, shogun and Emperor with the highest authority. By the early 1600s japan had built over 200 castles.

Read More

Tokugawa Shogunate Essay

1305 Words | 6 Pages

The Shogunate did not take part in elections, as they gave the heir to the throne based on blood. If the Shogun had children and if he died, the oldest of those children would take his place as the Shogun and vice versa. This form of government began from its inception in 1192 to 1867, which is a ludicrous amount of time for the empire to remain strong. The Shogun's power was limited to the control of the military across the

Read More

Compare And Contrast American And Japanese Feudalism

809 Words | 4 Pages

It is amazing to see how different past cultures which never met often had similar aspects. One example of this is the forms of feudalism which developed in medieval Europe and Japan, two cultures which had no contact with each other. These two forms of feudalism developed completely separately, and therefore do have some key difference, but are very similar to each other, because of similar circumstances in the two regions. Some differences between European and Japanese feudalism were the type of system each one was, the codes of conduct the fighters were upheld to, and the religion at the core of each system.

Read More

The Tokugawa Period: The Shogun In Japan

383 Words | 2 Pages

In the Tokugawa period the Shogun was a title granted to the country’s top military commander. They gradually became more powerful than the emperor and took control of the government and they imposed a strict caste system and controlled many of the other castes. To a large extent the rule of the shoguns shaped Japanese society and daily life through their rigid values, expectations of behaviour from others and the amount of power they held during that time. The Shoguns commanded and army of Samurai(Bushi).

Read More

Rise And Fall Of The Shogun Analysis

725 Words | 3 Pages

The RISE and FALL of the Shogunate 1. Shoguns have the most power in the hierarchy of the olden days Japanese. The word "shogun" is a title that was given by the Emperor to the nation's best military authority. During the Heian period the individuals from the military bit by bit turned out to be more capable than the court authorities, and in the end, they took control of the entire government. In 1192, a military soldier named Minamoto Yoritomo had the Emperor choose him, Shogun.

Read More

Effects Of The Tokugawa Shogunate

2230 Words | 9 Pages

The Tokugawa shogunate was a feudal system of rule that was first established in the year 1600. The system consisted of the Shogun at the head of the government and his lords that owned property and served under him. These property owners were called the Daimyo, and they were the most powerful property owners in Japan with a multitude of Samurai and peasants serving under them. The Tokugawa shogunate took many measures to control the Daimyos, and while these seemed to be successful in the short term, they eventually led to the downfall of the Bakufu. The first of these measures to quell the chances of rebellion was a divide between the different houses under the Shogun's control.

Read More

More about History's Warriors: The Similarities And Differences

Open Document