Bushido vs. Chivalry
Duty in Feudal Japan and Europe: Pride vs. Social Duty
AP World History
Comparative Cultures Research
0129539
*Artwork provided by deviantart.com
In Japan, from the 1200s to the 1800s, Samurai served as loyal protectors to their lords with a stark emphasis on altruistic devotion (Levy). Similar to the conception of the knightly class in Europe, samurai warriors arose out of the ashes of political turmoil and in to the feudal realm, in which the upper tier of society acquired reputable protectors of their large land holdings. As the imperial family slowly lost its domain of the Japanese mainland, “daimyos”, powerful magnates, jumped to assume authority over vast land expanses around Japan (Levy). Although samurai originated as simple guard on a master’s land, he would later evolve in to a complex and adept warrior as a result of inter-clan conflict during the 12th century. Knighthood across Europe, for many centuries, was no more than a title for those who occupied the armies of the ruling class and despite morsels of historical evidence that tie nobility to knighthood at the time, most of these warriors were serfs and even tenure within the profession could not uphold one’s freedom after retiring from this line of work (Flori). Following the 13th century, knighthood closed its doors to peasants and created an exclusively noble eligibility requirement (Flori). During the twelfth century, the Church created chivalry in order for knights to lead pious lives and liberate them of material desire (Jerry and Ziegler 521). As knighthood became an increasingly, popularized phenomena, the code of chivalry bolstered the new connotation of knighthood as one of honor and nobility. Although both bushido and chivalry established morale based, comprehensive codes of honor and protection for nobility, Bushido avowed a deeper inclination towards personal honor because of the samurai and master 's symbiotic relationship, freeing the samurai from all mundane burdens.
AP World History
Comparative Cultures Research
0129539
*Artwork provided by deviantart.com
In Japan, from the 1200s to the 1800s, Samurai served as loyal protectors to their lords with a stark emphasis on altruistic devotion (Levy). Similar to the conception of the knightly class in Europe, samurai warriors arose out of the ashes of political turmoil and in to the feudal realm, in which the upper tier of society acquired reputable protectors of their large land holdings. As the imperial family slowly lost its domain of the Japanese mainland, “daimyos”, powerful magnates, jumped to assume authority over vast land expanses around Japan (Levy). Although samurai originated as simple guard on a master’s land, he would later evolve in to a complex and adept warrior as a result of inter-clan conflict during the 12th century. Knighthood across Europe, for many centuries, was no more than a title for those who occupied the armies of the ruling class and despite morsels of historical evidence that tie nobility to knighthood at the time, most of these warriors were serfs and even tenure within the profession could not uphold one’s freedom after retiring from this line of work (Flori). Following the 13th century, knighthood closed its doors to peasants and created an exclusively noble eligibility requirement (Flori). During the twelfth century, the Church created chivalry in order for knights to lead pious lives and liberate them of material desire (Jerry and Ziegler 521). As knighthood became an increasingly, popularized phenomena, the code of chivalry bolstered the new connotation of knighthood as one of honor and nobility. Although both bushido and chivalry established morale based, comprehensive codes of honor and protection for nobility, Bushido avowed a deeper inclination towards personal honor because of the samurai and master 's symbiotic relationship, freeing the samurai from all mundane burdens.
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