Compare And Contrast European And Japanese Feudalism

Throughout history, the system of feudalism is used several times in different areas in the world. Because of this form of government, the European lifestyle changed dramatically as the Japanese culture began to form. Although feudalism in Europe had started earlier, the feudal systems of Japan and Europe are somewhat alike. However, they are much more different than they are comparable.

For Japan and Europe, it was a time of trouble…Document “In the late 400’s both Europe and Japan created a feudal system in order to keep peace in the land. Lords acquired large estates of land. They granted some of their lands to lesser nobles, whom promised to fight when conflicts arose.” Background Essay DBQ. So where the similarities greater, or were the differences greater? The samurai and knights were more similar than different in three broad areas, social position, training and armor and the code of honor.

TASK: What are the differences and similarities in the lives and the way in which the society worked of those who lived in Medieval Europe to that of those who lived in Medieval Japan?

The Japanese and European feudal systems such as hierarchies and status, although there were many similarities many differences took part over the time in the Japanese and European time line. Japanese feudalism had some key differences to European feudalism in terms of social structure. The status and power of all roles in bother European and Japanese feudalism was very important and leaving a position for a higher role was quite hard.

European feudalism was based on contract and Japanese feudalism was based on personal relationship with the lord and vassal. This helps prove that the differences between European and Japanese feudalism made limited government more likely to develop in the West because a contract limits what the lords and vassals could do. William, the king of English, said, “I command you [the vassal] to summon all those who are under your charge......and bring ready with you those five knights that you owe me[.]”1 This helps prove that European feudalism was based on contract because when you owe someone something, it implies an agreement. The key terms are I command you and owe. The vassal has to send troops because he has to. He is under the rule of

The similarities between samurais and knights were greater than the differences due to the similarity in the hierarchy and the armor they used to protect themselves. The Samurai were “warriors who owed loyalty and military service to daimyos for land or regular payment.” They made up about 10% of Japan’s population. Similarly, knights were “warriors who owed loyalty and military service to the lord for land.” (Document A) There were about 12,000 knights in England and Normandy, France in the 12th century. Even though Japan and Europe had no communication or access to each other, both areas placed the warrior classes in the middle of the hierarchy and owed loyalty/military services. This shows that the social order of both Feudal Japan and Feudal

When people think of “Medieval”, they often relate this to Europe. However, there was once a Medieval Japan too, and this time stretched from 1185-1868 CE. During this period, Shoguns ruled Japan, and they defined it as “Medieval” because, just like Europe society in Japan at this time was feudal in structure. Medieval Europe lasted from the 5th to the 15th century, and was often referred to as Christendom, because most civilians were Christians. Although they didn’t have any direct contact with one another, there were many similarities and differences in these two times. The ones this essay will focus on are; castles, health and hygiene and the social structure.

The first reason why the differences are greater than the similarities is because of the social order in feudal Japan and Europe. ”Historians and other scholars use social pyramids to show how societies were structured” (Document A). The samurai owned loyalty and military service to daimyo 's for land or regular payment while on the other hand knights owned loyalty and military service to the lords. Another difference about samurais and knights was the population. Samurai with families took about 10% of Japan 's population and in Europe, there was estimated 12,000 knights in England and Normany France in the 12th century. One more difference is that there are four people above the knight in the social order but only three for samurai.

Feudal Japan and Ming China were two times in history within these similar countries, that have been around since ancient times. These countries have similar and different traditions, a way of doing things, that have defined them as a civilization and a world power. The Japanese and Chinese had times where select families or people were in control, dynasty, because of their ranks and their abilities, in addition their social classes were similar in the way they treated people, and how people treated other people depending on their jobs and their status. There were the shoguns,a hereditary commander-in-chief in feudal Japan, and in China there were the emperors, the ones ruling the empire (land), these were the people that were at the top

Both Japan and Western Europe practiced feudalism and they were both unusually successful in industrial development. They are both also proven adept at running capitalist economies, so the political accomplishments of both Japan and Western Europe have matched their economic achievements.

One major example of a similarity is their social order. They both used feudalism, a social order based on power and land. To start, they both had a top dog. Japan had an Emperor, and Europe had the pope. And it continues, being the same system, they both work like this: The highest lords pay lords under them land. Those lords then

Have you ever completed a puzzle? Medieval Japan and Europe were really two giant puzzles. Both of the puzzles were solved using the same cheat sheet called feudalism, Japan puzzle was solved in late 1100s’ by the first shogun, Minamoto. In Europe the Pope solved the puzzle using the feudalism cheat sheet some time before the Minimoto solved the puzzle, to better control over Europe. Each developed a warrior class that was new to the world, Europe developed the knight while, Japan created the Samurai. So were the similarities greater than the differences??? We will explore this question in three categories Social Position, Training and Armor and Honor and Death.

The 11th and 12th century was a very difficult time for Europe and Japan. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe was in trouble. Decline in population, a reduction in construction, and smaller amounts of food were only some of the negative effects. In Japan, the emperor was weakening and daimyos were rising to power. Because of these hard times, both Europe and Japan created a system. In this new feudal system, Europe and Japan each had their version of a warrior. In Japan, the warriors were called samurai, and in Europe the warriors were called knights. Surprisingly, there were extremely similar elements when it came to the two fighters. But we’re the similarities greater than the differences?

As Claus von Clausewitz wrote, “Courage, over all things, is the first quality of a warrior”. In both Western Europe and Japan, an unstable government led to the development of Feudalism, a social system in which lords grant land to nobles in exchange of loyalty and military service. It also introduced a stronger army which was made up of samurai, the Japanese warrior, or knights, the European warrior. The chivalry, or code of conduct of the knights, was made up of Christian beliefs. However, the samurai’s code of conduct, the bushido, was inspired by Confucian and Buddhist thought. Not only did religious beliefs influence the codes of behavior of a warrior, but Christianity influenced Europe, while Confucianism and Buddhism affected the religion in Japan. The differences between the Samurai and the Knights were greater than the similarities because of their armor, the bond to their mastor, and their view of death.

Japanese Feudalism - a social system founded upon a strict hierarchy with the daimyo at the top, followed by the samurai, then farmers and fishermen, artisans, and finally merchants and shopkeepers.