Samurai: The warrior class of Japan

…. It Starts

Samurai’s are legendary; they have been inscribed in out history for centuries. They are the picture of power and vigilance, and more so, they are looked upon with respect. Of course, there are reasons or all of this. These warriors lived a serious lifestyle, one dedicated to the mastery of battle, otherwise known as Bushido.

Alas, there might be some confusion between Bushido, and Bushi. Firstly, as you should already know, Bushido is a warrior code of conduct that surrounds the Samurai warrior class. On the other hand, Bushi refers to the older version of the Samurai, which refers to horsemen who wielded bows.

The age of the Samurai, and as well, the age of Bushido originated before the thirteenth century. Then, the principles of Bushido had been influenced by Buddhism, Zen and Confucianism and shintoism. Buddhism is a major religion that concentrates on explaining the origin of existence, morality, and has a specific set of rituals and behaviors. Zen was the school of Mahāyāna Buddhism known mostly for its noted form of meditation; it also placed much emphasis on practice and experiential wisdom. Confucianism bases itself on the philosophical teachings of Confucius. Shintoism, formulary the official religion of Japan, it is now the folk religion. Shintoism concentrates on Kami spirits, and there are several different spirits that represent a wide array of things.

In essence, it was the combination of Buddhism, Zen, Confucianism, and Shintoism that brought about the Bushido warrior code and the Samurai. This creation of Bushido occurred somewhere around the 9th century until the 12th century. These warriors, at that point began to form a class all their own, a ruling and powerful class. This occurred in the Heian Period, and was due to the fact that wealth land owners would hire private warriors for land protection. They also became police guards around the city of Kyoto. Then, these warriors were merely servants, however it was quickly noted that they were the only armored clan around. Soon, they rose to power by promising protection and gaining political awareness, they eventually succeeded in surpassing the aristocrats. By mid Heian period they had also adapted Japanese style armory and weaponry, and soon they would form the Bushido warrior code.