Samurai
The term Shogun means general. Later, it refered to the leader of the Shogunate (Samurai's government). From 1192-1867, the Shogun ruled Japan. The Emperor reigned but did not rule. The Shoguns were a type of warlords that governed providences and states as a type of Japanese check and balance of the 16th century. The name of that form of government was called Shogunate. The Shogunates ruled as a military dictatorship for over a span of almost 700 years: they fought the Mongolians in 1281, fought in a civil war during 1467-1477, fought for Osaka in 1615, and saw Commodore Perry in 1853.The samurai are one of the most recognizable and most renowned warriors of the ancient times. They were members of a unique military class called the Japanese warriors. They emerged and grew more and more important during the Heian period (794-1185) when powerful land owners hired them for their personal safety and protection of their property. In the later times of the Heian period the most powerful military families, the Minamoto and Taira, had taken over political power over Japan and fought wars and battles for supremacy. When shogun Minamoto Yoritomo established a new government in Kamakura in 1192, the shogun (the highest military o
During the Edo period, which was mainly a peaceful time, most samurai had no motive or need to fight or do battle. In light of their situation many of the samurai chose to dedicate themselves to intellectual studies such as literature, history or the tea ceremony. In the 17th century, master-less and unemployed samurai caused some problems to the government because of their increased intellect. After the Meiji Restoration (1868), the samurai class disappeared. The samurai sword, the katana, is still today the distinguishing mark of the samurai. Please see the sword section for info on Japanese swords. The Heiji War is also crucial in Japanese culture for it is the subject of the greatest work of Japanese literature, the Heike monogatari (Tales of the Heike). One of the two great classics of medieval Japan (the other being Genji monogatari by Lady Murasaki) the Heike monogatari captivated the Japanese imagination like no other story or history ever did. Told by professional storytellers, biwa hoshi , whose job it was to establish different versions of various tales and commit them to memory, the stories of the epic struggle between the clan of the Hei and the clan of the Gen became so popular that some biwa hoshi became specialists in the story and their profession came to be known as heikyoku ("Tales of the Heike Narration"). By the thirteenth century in Japan, heikyoku became known among the upper classes
Some common words found in the essay are:
Minamoto Yoritomo, Mikusa Heike, Meiji Restoration, Murasaki Heike, Commodore Perry, Heiji War, Buddhism Shogunates, Chronicle Peace, Heike Narration, Japan Emperor, heike monogatari, civil war, various tales, heiji war, war 1467-1477, tales heike, samurai chose, 16th century, biwa hoshi, japanese history,
Approximate Word count = 955
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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