Samurai Warrior Class of Japan
Before agriculture was introduced in Japan the population was mostly small groups hunters and gatherers. Farming became widespread between 500 B.C. and 200 A.D. Only 20% of Japan's land was farmable. Because of the scarcity of farmable land the imperial court established the six-year Equal fields distribution practice. Every six years the land was divided equally among the population. Tax exemptions were granted to families who would reclaim land and support their own militias at their expense. This was very expensive and only the powerful and wealthy families could afford to do this and were the only ones who benefited from these tax exemptions. Other privileges that were granted to these families were that they were excluded from government inspection, census, and judicial affairs, which turned them into almost completely independent estates. These estates were known as shoen. The number of shoen grew quickly and by the eleventh century they controlled more land than what was being taxed by the government. (Origins of the Samurai, pg.4) This led to a problem for the government. It could no longer raise enough money to maintain a national army so the shoen began to raise their own. Their armies began to grow in th
The samurai's hairstyle was an important part of his appearance. The traditional style was a topknot, which was not worn only by the samurai but by a majority of Japan. There were various styles of the topknot that changed depending on the time and the samurai did not all wear the same one. The most important part of their hairstyle was that it was neat and trim. Some samurai also shaved the front part of their head to make wearing a headgear more comfortable. (Friday, pg.63) The samurai warriors had distinct characteristics and enjoyed many privileges. Their power and influence grew and quickly they soon stood at the top of the social hierarchy. They could kill lower people from something as small as being in their way as they are walking down the street. But the samurai were supposed to be a good example to these lower classes and to do it by following the principles of Bushido, which means " the way of the warrior." Some of the most important principles of Bushido were loyalty to his master, self-discipline and respectful, ethical behavior. On the extreme end of these principles this included committing suicide for various reasons. (Brief History of the Samurai, pg.7) One distinct characteristic of the samurai was their clothing. Out of armor the basic item in their wardrobe was the kimono. Different types of kimono were worn depending on the season. These kimonos were of higher quality than a normal person and were usually made of silk. They were not flashy, though, because the samurai were not supposed to show immodesty or conceit. By the 12th century the kimono was less worn and the hitatare style of dress became popular. This was a two-piece outfit and is the one seen most in modern movies on the samurai. This outfit also displayed they crest or seal of their family or clan. The samurai wore two swords a long one and a short one. These were carried in the belt or slung by a cord. The sword was always kept on the left side no matter which hand the warrior used.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1353
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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