Okay so were going to start off with codes. Which is in other words the set of rules and directions they must follow by. Japan, samurais, followed the code of Bushido which was much more strict than the Europeans code. “Gi”-Integrity, a samurai must be trusted to make the right decisions for the clan even if that meant he was left alone in doing so. “Yuuki”- bravery and courage.
Samurai and Knights DBQ From about 1000 - 1600 CE, samurai warriors in Japan and knights in Europe formed the military of both places. Samurai were professional warriors that protected their territory. Knights were warriors that fought on horseback,their were very powerful because of there training. The similarities between the knights and samurai can be seen in their training, armor and the codes of both europe and Japan.
The knight had to change their armor because of the new weapons, and for more protection the knight had changed their armor to covering their whole body so their foot, their head, and their legs. The samurai had armor that had iron scales tied together, lacquered, and then bound into armor plates with silk or leather cords.(I got my information in document D) they also had their right arm free so they can draw their bow faster. The samurai training started out with childhood school with unique combination of physical training, poetry training and spiritual training. When they were young they studied kendo the art of fencing, with bamboo sticks. The moral code of the samurai, and zen buddhism.
As mentioned previously, one of the ways that samurais have an advantage over the knight is through their weapons and armor. In Document D written by the DBQ project it is stated that, “Samurai did not wear armor on their right arm so they could easily draw their bow.” Samurai had multiple weapons at their disposal in battle while the knights were very limited since all they had was a sword. This means that the only way a knight can even land a hit on the samurai is by attacking him at a close range.
Both Samurai and Knights were forced to be loyal to their masters. Training started at a young age, but loyalty started even younger. The top priority in Japan and Europe wasn't the ability to fight well it was more of the ability to stick out the battle with the master. Many problems would occur if either the samurai or the knight were
Japanese in a country in North-east Asian, and it stretches for 1200 miles crescent in the Pacific Ocean. Japan is rich with volcanoes and hot springs, and it is also deal with earthquakes and tidal waves. However, today, Japan has high economic growth, and became a world economic powerhouse. In history, Japan was known when it had miracle victories in invasion of Mongol and samurai that is warrior of Japan.
Throughout the years, both Japan and Europe turned into a Chaotic mess, around the same time. In the late 400’s the Roman empire had fallen, leaving Divided and weekend kingdoms. On the other side of the world, Japan was having some similar issues. The Japanese emperors and the Imperial Court we're both challenged by the rise of Clans. Despite religion, Samurai and knights are more similar than different.
In this case the Japan and Europe are being classified. The samurais and knights are more alike than different mostly because of the social positions in their communities when they are classified on the social pyramids of Japan for the Samurai and Europe for the Knight. In one of the documents I have read (Document A) it shows the Classification for Japan and Europe. The Samurai and the Knight are both classified in the middle of each pyramid underneath the Shogun and the King but above the peasants in both societies. Also in Document B with Catharina Blomberg as the source it talks about being loyal to their lords.
The samurais had to follow ‘The Code of Bushido’. In the code it states that all samurais had to stay loyal to his master at all times. If family plans happened to cross with serving loyalty to his master, the samurai had to do his job, and serve his master. The other part of the Bushido says that one that follows this way must stay in a peaceful state at all times. If any warrior broke these rules, he is not allowed to serve any battles but he has to keep peace in his heart.
All of this leads to an impact on military, feudalistic society and Japan’s history. To commence, Samurai’s are important in Japanese history because they helped start feudalism and the Shogun’s rule. It all started when the central government had no authority over the large landowners. The Daimyo refused to pay their taxes, so when the Jurisdiction came to collect, the daimyo had this huge army of Samurais.
what really fascinates me is that the samurai weren’t a rare elite force; however, they were an entire social class and they were about 10 percent of Japan’s population at that time. What really grabbed my attention is the way the dress up, they were stylish and at their time they were rock stars in their style of clothing. The samurai dressed up to move with speed, to have freedom of movement and travel. The weapons were unique
The Kamakura period, which saw the emergence of samurai as a specific class, began the practices and code of samurai. Seppuku, a form of ritual suicide and one of the more widely known samurai practices, also developed during this time (Pletcher). The Kamakura period brought the concept of feudalism to Japan and established the rank of shogun: the military leader of Japan. The shift to a military government was reasoning behind the samurai class and evident through the loyal and honorable, yet stoic and disciplined, culture of this time (“Kamakura Period”). The bushido code faced much outside influence, but core emphasis was placed on living frugally, upholding honor, and honing athletic and mental strength in order to remain fearless during battle.
The bushido held restrictions on the samurai, stopping them from doing many things and to live a very honest life. This is not only good for samurai, but for everyone as it will make each who follows a better and truer person. If they lost a battle they would have to die All knights had to follow an elaborate code of conduct. This was called Chivalry. A knight pledged loyalty to their lord, promised to be brave in battle and protect the church and people who were weaker, and to be courteous to noblewomen.
In Tokugawa Japan during 1603-1868 the “early modern Japan” also the Edo period. At this type they where a place of peace they had no violence. Tokugawa Japan had a status system that helped keep all of the people of the nation in check. At the top there were the samurai they turned from warier to office men cops and guards. Since there were no wars there was no reason to have them ready to fight.
Introduction In 1876, Captain Nathan Algren, an ex- United States Army Captain is traumatized by experience fighting in the civil war and Indian war. Algren accepts a job by a Japanese businessman to train the Imperial Japanese Army to inhibit a samurai rebellion, led by Katsumoto Moritsugu. He sails to Japan. Most of the soldiers being trained are just slightly better than peasants and farmers that are not experienced.
