ipl-logo

The Great Samurai

1449 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: THe impact of the samurai

Richard Le East asia and china history The Downfall of the once Great Samurai Samurai’s have a long rich history and what it meant to be a Samurai is honor, valor, loyalty. You were also wealthy and were on of the elites of Japan’s class system. Although samurais were once known as “Great”, the samurai’s downfall was inevitable because they want to keep same traditions not trying modernize. During eighth century, the Heian Period, around the year 800 to 1200, Samurai originally was referred to household servants. The Heian Era was a time where Japan’s government was ruled by an Emperor who ruled with military force. The Emperor had heavy taxation and those who refused to pay the fine, which were rich landowners, were killed by a well …show more content…

To enhance their military power, they would hire these Bushi warriors because of their abilities to protect and serve the lords who had hired them. Bushi Warriors were a very dedicated group of individuals. True Bushi warriors, If commanded, were expected to take their own life without the slightest hint of hesitation. Any form of disgrace whether it being a coward, or dishonor, or even defeat that would damage the reputation of their lord would be enough of a reason to commit suicide by seppuku. Seppuku is a punishment done by stabbing yourself in the stomach and cutting left to right. Seppuku is also used when you would rather die with honor instead of the hands of your enemy or has done an action that had cause shame to …show more content…

But, one of the biggest names in Japanese history is Tokugawa. Tokugawa reigned from 1603 to 1867. This was also referred to as the Edo Period. A Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu was the man who started this Tokugawa Dynasty. A Shogun is the Commander and Chief of an army, which is pretty much the ruler of the land. Even though the name of Tokugawa was already powerful and revered as it is, they grew even bigger when Tokugawa triumphed over the western army commanded by Ishida Mitsunari in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. This gave the name of Tokugawa supremacy in Japan. Just 3 years later in 1603, the emperor at the time, Go-Yōzei gave Ieyasu the title of Shogun to confirm his superiority. Being the Shogun of Japan, means that Japan is under his control. Ieyasu worked to encourage foreign trade and reinstitute the strength of Japan . It was only later when Japan isolated themselves from any foreign trade, under the successors of Ieyasu. The Tokugawa period lasted for about two hundred and fifty years. Tokugawa Shogunate was a Militaristic way of government that feudal Japan adopted after Tokugawa was victorious in battle of Sekigahara and Ieyasu was named Shogun. The heads of the government were shoguns and each member had the name of Tokugawa and all these Shoguns were ruling from Edo castle. Many year later under the government of Tokugawa Shogunate, the name had changed to the Edo

Show More
Related
443 Words | 2 Pages

During the period between 600CE to 1750CE in East Asia, there are many changes and continuities in political rule between China and Japan. There are changes such as the removal of Mongol presence in China and Japan's introduction of the shogunate. Continuities can be seen from China's continued influence on Japan. The changes in East Asia include the removal of Mongol presence in China, and Japan's introduction of the shogunate.

Read More
1325 Words | 6 Pages

Notes: - The 100 years from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 16th century is known and the warring states period or sengoku jidai - The shogun government was unstable because it often depended on deputies to look after the shogun’s interests in the provinces - This became ineffective when the bonds between the Shogun and the deputies started to loosen which meant this system was no longer effective - The deputies were military governors with small holdings and appointed one son, not always the oldest to inherit the holdings - Then they appointed local warriors as the military officers and recruited peasants as the soldiers - The nature of war soon changed in this period and instead of small combat between the local land owners

Read More
947 Words | 4 Pages

Japan’s economic development had been shaped in various ways, including Japanese internal forces, and external forces from other countries. Although during the Tokugawa era, the Japanese were very closed off from the world for 250 years, once Commodore Perry and the rest of America threatened Japan with war Japan was forced to open ports for trade. Due to the Japanese lack of weapons the trading environment was very biased on the side of America with unequal trade. The shogun was once a Samurai and is now almost in control of Japan.

Read More
327 Words | 2 Pages

The Meiji period played a important role in Japan. The Meiji period was an important part of Japan’s changing western ways. According to the book The Meiji Restoration was a period of pollical and social revolution in Japan. Japan chose to remake themselves through

Read More
930 Words | 4 Pages

The sacrifices of a samurai were not easy. They gave up their own lives to serve the lives of their masters. By doing so, they would miss major achievements of their own children and were just a thought or memory to friends and families. Samurais had to face the toughest training and endured gruesome battles. At the same time, about 4,200 miles away (6,772 km), European knights were doing the same.

Read More
532 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More
3738 Words | 15 Pages

Tokugawa Iesuya was born “in the year 1543, in Okazaki, Japan to Matsudaira Hirotada and Odai no Kata.” He was the first Shgun in Japanese history. Tokugawa was a highly influential historical figure in Japan because of the Tokugawa era government administration's foreign trade policies, contributions to the growth of Edo, trade policies, influence over class structure and culture, the longevity of his family's reign in Japan, and his control over religion that still affect modern Japan. A new era of peace was brought in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu became the most powerful diaym in Japan and the imperial court declared him Shgun. When he was shogun, Tokugawa quickly set out to ensure his position as Shgun remained securely in his family's control.

Read More
1403 Words | 6 Pages

Japan’s rich history of power, wealth, and influence had many remarkable eras. One of the more notable periods in Japanese history was that of the Tokugawa Period (1600-1868). The Tokugawa Period was talked about in Musui’s Story, an autobiographical book, written by Kokichi Katsu. (Katsu ix) Katsu wrote Musui’s Story for three main reasons: to share how he had transformed from a low-ranking samurai to a well-known hero, to show his sense of self, and to serve as a cautionary tale for his descendants.

Read More
932 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
1403 Words | 6 Pages

Imperialism in Japan Background: Japan prior to the Meiji restoration was ruled in a hierarchy very similar to other European countries. The hierarchy was that of lords, samurai and then peasants. The Japanese equivalent to a king at the time was a military dictator called a shogun. During this time the capital was Kyoto and the shogun was part of the Tokugawa clan. That is why this period is referred to as the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Read More
1058 Words | 5 Pages

Power was centralized in the hands of the shogun until the end of the Tokugawa reign in 1868. Even with the bcoming of the gentro during Meiji Emperor had no real power. Under the 1947 Constitution, all sovereignty lies with the Japanese people as represented in the Diet. Still, in Japan today,

Read More
995 Words | 4 Pages

Youssef Marakby ID:900130817 Instructor: Richard Byford Rhet 1020 The Samurai’s affect on Japan’s culture For many years, the legendary Japanese samurai warriors showed that they are the most well known class of ancient Japan and also known with their supremacy of honor, service, and duty which the Japanese society still have today. The samurai helped lay the foundations of Japan 's culture.

Read More
520 Words | 3 Pages

We meet the EDO period known as Tokuwaga period as well, in the history of Japan which lasted for about 265 years starting in 1603 and ending in 1868. To commence with, the EDO age took place when the Japanese nation was dominated by the rule of Edo Bakufu. This particular period was determined by the significant economic development that had occurred during it. In addition, it appeared to be a very stringent social order, an innovative environmental protection policy and a growing interest in pop culture. It was given an end after the Meiji Restoration.

Read More
790 Words | 4 Pages

“To guard against external influence, they also worked to close off Japanese society from Westernizing influences, particularly Christianity. When the Tokugawa shogunate grew increasingly weak by the mid-19th century, two powerful clans joined forces in early 1868 to seize power as part of an “imperial restoration” named for Emperor Meiji.” This restoration was the beginning of the end of feudalism, or the way of structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour, in Japan. The Tokugawa regime acted to exclude missionaries because of suspicion of foreign intervention and colonialism. Eventually, they issued a complete ban on Christianity in Japan.

Read More
712 Words | 3 Pages

But also change within the military occurred with the replacement of Samurai authority. Trying to be equal competitors in world power as their Western neighbors. Japan had gotten imperialist ideas from 1853 when the U.S. black ships steamed

Read More

More about The Great Samurai

Related Topics

Open Document