Medieval European Feudalism

During the middle ages both Europe and Japan experienced feudalism. The feudal system in both social structures was very similar and different. The system of feudalism in Europe and Japan was a system that had similar roles for the nobles,and the peasants.Both cultures had warriors who defended the people of our country.They follow certain codes of honor. The feudal system has many similarities but also consisted of many differences.

The bases of feudalism is best described as a social system in Europe throughout the Middle Ages where individuals worked and battled for upper class who gave them protection and the use of the land in return for their services (Merriam-Webster). “Feudalism” is not a medieval term and not even a translation of a medieval concept (Abels 2010; Brown 2010; Bouchard 1998). In our day and time Feudalism would be difficult and baffling in several ways, but some may feel that we would benefit from it.

In about 1000 to 1600 CE in history two warriors were made with a different name and in two different countries. “More than a thousand years ago, a class of professional warriors arose, who swore oaths of loyalty to noble lords and fought to the death to defend them in battle” (Overview). The two warriors were samurai and knights. Samurais were fighting for Japan in the class of military retainers of the daiyomes while across the seas the knights were fighting on horseback in Europe. To keep order in the land both regions developed a system that historians called federalism.There were more differences than similarities and here are some reasons why the differences were greater than the similarities.

Feudalism in Japan and Europe are different. Although feudalism arose because both societies were in need for security and stability, feudalism in Japan arose because of civil rivalry while feudalism in Europe arose because of invasions. The systems were the same because the lords had to lessen their responsibilities and required armies to protect them. Trust was needed between lords and their

The young warriors were taught to sacrifice everything for the emperor or lord. In Japan, the emperor represented the laws and the state and was considered divine. Loyalty was an ethical demand stemming from this political theory. A samurai was obligated to appeal to the wisdom of his lord by committing seppuku.

starts of with the emperor. The emperor is at the top with his family. The emperor is an important religious figure, he swapped lands swapped land with nobles exchange for their support for he couldn't handle all the land far far away from him. In the shogunate period the emperor didn't have much power for the shoguns had basically controlled the government.

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.

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.

Each of the two warriors had a code to follow. The European code was called The Code of Chivalry. In Japan it was called The Code of Bushido. When a knight pledged his service to a lord, he swore an oath that bound the two parties by law. But a samurai never swore to an oath, and there was no legal contract of any kind. Land was the basis of the l relationship in Europe between knights and their lord , but in Japan, the bond was what mattered. Loyalty in Japan was hereditary. It was passed father to son, so it stayed in the family for generations. (Doc

Have you ever heard of the medieval knights from Europe or the medieval samurais from Japan. Both warrior served a important role in defense for their region. In fact both knights and samurais played a role in a social system known as feudalism. Feudalism began in Europe as early as the 8th century and began in Japan in about 1185 A.D both due to the lack of security. In a one-on-one battle, a samurai would win because of their strong weapons, enforced training, and the acceptance of death.

For both Europe and Japan, feudalism was a social ranking where knights were middle ranking and would get land and pay from lords and daimyos. In exchange, the warriors had to fight and defend the lords and daimyos. As said before, the fighters were middle ranking so they were above the serf, or peasants, but below the lords and daimyos (Doc. A). Likewise, the samurai and knights would give the peasants and slaves food and shelter in exchange for labor services (OI). Here is another reason of why the knights and samurai’ similarities were greater than their

The purpose of samurai and knight is to protect their people. The knights and samurais each have different teachings. Loyalty towards the feudal lord in Japan was hereditary. Service of a feudal lord passed from father to son, so that the relations of lord and a samurai existed between many families for man generations. This arrangement was also a voluntary one, in that there was no legal contract between the two parties The European feudal contract, which was a legal document spelling out the obligations of lord and vassals respectively, never existed in Japan. However, it really began to develop around the 10th century in Europe. In a one-on-one battle, a samurai would win because of their training, armor, and beliefs about death. The first way that samurais were superior in battles trough

There were a number of conditions that would lead to the emergence of “feudal warfare” in the early Middle Ages and there would be an equal number that would lead to its decline in the later middle ages as well yet to find the meaning of “feudal warfare” one has to look first at where this notion came from, and that was Feudalism.

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

For seven centuries, the samurai ruled Japan as the powerful warrior class. As a class of warriors and knights, they led society in feudal Japan. The loyalty to his lord was much more important than his allegiance to his friends, family and even the emperor. Their philosophy was one liberated him from fear, and for these reasons, the samurai came to be the dominate force throughout medieval Japan.