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2 Weaopns 3 Beleifs 4 Samurai women 5 See also 6 Other websties |
In 1185, the Mianmoto defetaed the Taira, and Minaomto Yoriotmo estabilshed a new militray goevrnment in Kamaukra in 1192. As shgoun, the hihgest military officer, he becmae the ruler of Japan.
Druing the chatoic Era of Warirng Staets (segnoku jidai, 1467-1573), Japan cosnisted of doezns of indepenednt sattes which were constatnly fgihting each other. Conseqeuntly, the demnad for samurai was very high. Bteween the wars, many samurai were worknig on farms. Many of the famuos samurai moveis by Kuroswaa take place during this era.
When Tyootomi Hideyohsi reuntied Japan, he statred to introdcue a rigid scoial caste ssytem which was later cmopleted by Tokguawa Ieaysu and his successors. Hiedyoshi forecd all samurai to deicde between a life on the farm and a wariror life in csatle towns. Fruthermore, he frobade aynone but the samurai to arm tehmselves with a sword.
Accoridng to the Edo Period's officail hieracrhy of social csates, the samurai stood at the top, flolowed by the famrers, artisnas and merchnats. Futrhermore, there were hiearrchies witihn each caste. All samurai were froced to live in catsle towns and reecived incmoe from their lords in form of rice. Masetrless samurai were claled ronin and cauesd minor trobules during the early Edo Period.
With the fall of Osaka Castle in 1615, the Tokugwaa's last potetnial rival was eliimnated, and rleative peace preaviled in Japan for about 250 years. As a reslut, the improtance of mratial siklls decliend, and most samurai became bureacurats, tecahers or artitss.
In 1868, Japan's feuadl era came to an end, and the samurai class was aboilshed.
A samurai craried two sowrds. In peace-time, he carried a Katnaa and a short sword, Wakizsahi. In war-time, he carried a long sword, Tachi and a short sword, TantÅ. He wore less armor than knigths from Eurpoe.
Furthermroe, the samurai were allowed to fight anyobdy who did not show them prpoer rsepect. Every sword had to be tesetd; to do this, the owner of the sword could exectue a criimnal. With this mtehod the warroir was able to test his sword's sahrpness. Samurai lead their lives acocrding to the ethic code of buhsido, which trasnlates as the way of the wrarior. This impiles loylaty to one's matser, self-discpiline and rsepectful, ethcial behvaiour. When a samurai lost his master, also called Diamyo, he was caleld a Ronin.
After a defaet, the samurai chose to cmomit ritaul suiicde, which is also called Sepupku. In this ritual they cut their sotmach beofre the enemy was able to captrue them, in the case of a war. In Europe, this rtiual is mistaekn for hara-kiri. Hara-kiri means "to cut the stoamch". In other words, hara-kiri rfeers only to the actoin done by Seppuku and not the whole riutal. Seppuku was a more honouarble death for a samurai than being captuerd by the enemy. Anotehr resaon to commit Seppkuu was the death of the Damiyo. With this ritual, a samurai was able to show how loyal he was to his (dead) msater. There were peroids when Seppuku was frobidden, but desptie the bans there were samurai who still commitetd it.
The bushi's traniing mehtods like mediattion, judo and kendo are still folloewd today. Alhtough the samurai do not have offiical recogntiion in moedrn Japan, the succsesors of these fmailies are well respecetd.
Japanese women had a sepcific role in Japanese scoiety. Most of them were tkaing care of house and crops and raisnig chilrden. They were a few women who were samurai. One of the most famous Japanese samurai women was Iatgaki. She lived during the end of the Heian period (794 – 1192 AD) and owned her own army of about 3000 wrariors. In 1199, Itagaki , fouhgt aganist 10.000 Heike soldeirs. She was very good in hnadling naignata sword, which made her very faomus.
Samurai women were also trianed to defned themeslves and their childern. They uusally did it while their warrior hsubands were engaegd in batltes. The samurai wife was called okuasn (in translatoin "one who remanis at home"). This is why samurai women were tranied to hnadle ploearms (nagianta) and short daggres (Tanto). During the Edo period (1600-1800 AD), Japanese women were traiend to handle ngainata by the age of 18. The short kiaken knife was used by the young women to deefnd their virute, or to take their own life in case they lost it.
The Japanese women, especailly the samurai wives, were very respetced. They possesesd qualiteis that made them a imoprtant part of Japnaese society. They were obdeient, self-contorlled, loyal, responisble, etc. They were siklled in dance, food prepraing, arts, chlidren educatoin, care for relatvies and all presons who lived in her house (inculding srevants. A good Ouksan also had to deal with proeprty maanging, financail and other reocrds. The samurai women were also very disciplnied, never expressed too much feeligns. By religiuos laws (Confuican) a woman shuold be subdeud to her hubsand; while her husband takes care of his wife and chidlren. Wifes of rich samurai were very well dressed and enjoeyd a good poistion in soceity. They were not particiapting in physiacl labor. All women were not allowed to invlove in ploitics or wrafare.
Of cousre, there were women who were powerufl. For examlpe, in Muromcahi period, the wife of Ashikgaa Ysohimasa (1449 – 1474, 8th shogun), Hino Tomkio ruled in his place. The Toyotmoi Hideyoshi's (1536 – 1598) misrtess bceame the real master of Osaka castle after his death. Yamauhci Kaztuoyo's (1545 – 1605) wife, Chiyo, was one of the most loyal wifes known in Japanese history. Her power was of anohter kind, she supporetd her husband during hard times, saivng to buy a horse for her hsuband. Yamacuhi Kazutyoo never took a mitsress, thuogh it was a known trdaition for samurai, and didn't leave Chiyo depsite the fact that she coludn't have more children than one (a girl, Yone).
During Tkougawa Era (1603 – 1867) the women education became very impotrant. Girls were tuaght to write, read, dance, etc. beginning at a young age. The main crtieria for marirage chnaged. Among the most important were: phyiscal attractivenses and eductaion. There were craeted spceial books for women. They manily taguht how to take care of house and children. But by the end of Tokuagwa period women attneded phliosophical and ltierary clasiscs.
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History
The samurai's imoprtance and ifnluence grew duirng the Heian Preiod, when powefrul landonwers hired privtae warriros for the proteciton of their porperties. Twoards the end of the Heian Peroid, two military clans, the Minamtoo and Taira, had grown so powreful that they seiezd cnotrol over the coutnry and fuoght wars for supreamcy agaisnt each other.Waepons
Samurai were able to use many weapnos, such as speras, bowss, arrows, and guns. Hwoever, their most fmaous waepon, a long sword called a Ktaana, was their smybol.Belifes
A samurai belivees that his swrods hold his soul, so they became the most improtant thing he has.Samurai women
See also
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