Wonderful History of Japanese Samurai

By Takamitsu Hairi

No other tribe in the history may have accomplished such an epic image that Samurai people got who had been featured in an abundance of comic books, plays and movies. That military people lived in the feudal Japan before centuries are still living in the hearts of hundreds of people today without regard to adults or children.

In the 12th century, there were two strong clans in Japan, named Minamoto and Taira. Japan was really suppressed due to the endless conflicts between these group. In those times, a ruling system called Shogunate was established and the official title of the ruler was Shogun.

Daimyo who were much the same to the Dukes in Europe were the second powerful authority in the country. Samurai were the soldiers of these dukes. There were Ronin in the Samurai people who became masterless as their masters had committed suicide.

The Samurai class had many special rights. Unlike the commoners who were not licensed to carry any weapons with them the Samurai was allowed to carry two swords with them. They even had the right to behead any commoner who happened to offend them.

There were different ranks within the Samurai class as well. There were three basic categories of Samurai named the housemen who were the administrators, the mounted samurai who were allowed to fight on horse back and the foot soldiers.

Depending upon the category they belonged to, every Samurai was authorized to possess a certain proportion of the rice tax in the country. Bushido, that meant the way of warrior, was the code of life they adopted. This code was built on the obedience towards Daimyo, their superior. When the feudal system faded away, the Samurai people shifted into farming.

A strange practice of committing suicide known as Suppuku existed among them. They believed it as a honourable way of death and was performed at the battle field or outside the battle as a formal function. Eventually, the era of battles came to an end and the Samurai class dissolved in the mainstream of the Japanese life.

The colourful history of the Samurai plus the glorification they received through the film media and other such publications made them to be known on a global level. For many non-Japanese people the concept of a Samurai was very intriguing. The sheer discipline and the code of ethics followed by the Samurai was something unbelievable for the rest of the world.

The Samurai tribe not only influenced the Japanese history but also made impacts on the art and culture of the country. Their life and culture stimulated the artists to illustrate them through various art forms and just like the Samurai fables, these artistic representations also were intriguing to the masses around the world. - 31497

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