Feudalism in Japan and Europe (Essay Sample))

In the early Middle Ages Europe and Japan, two lands thousands of miles away, a system developed called Feudalism. Feudalism was created when kings could not protect the people they ruled over. This led to landowners called lords to protect peasants in exchange for service. Warriors called knights and samurai would serve and fight for a lord. Feudalism in Europe and Japan had similarities but also was very different because of their cultures and societies.

Japanese and European societies differed in many ways.  For example, their social hierarchies were very similar but also differed. Document A compares the European and Japanese social hierarchies. Both are very similarly organized, with lords at the top, lesser lords, warrior vassals in the middle, and artisans, peasants, and merchants at the bottom. However, they were not the same. They had different positions and different names for each position. For example, the ruler of the European societies was called a king.  This was different from the Japanese ruler called a Daimyo. Japanese feudal society also had peasants in a higher position than artisans and merchants, unlike in European feudal society where merchants and artisans were higher than peasants. Document B also explains the relationship between the Japanese and European lords and vassals. Knights and samurai were both warriors who pledged loyalty to a Lord. However, a samurai who was in service to a lord was completely voluntary with no legal obligations. European knights had a feudal contract that was only spoken and not written down.  It spelled out the lord and knights’ obligations to each other. Samurai’s service to their lord was hereditary, meaning that a samurai’s service would be passed down to his children. A samurai’s life and his family’s life were seen as belonging entirely to his lord. European knights had no hereditary service and could even become lords themselves if they gained enough land. These different societies help compare and evaluate Japanese and European feudalism.

Japanese and European feudalism was also different and similar in regards to their cultures. This can be shown in European knights and samurai. For example, document C explains the training of the samurai and knights. Knights were first trained in horse riding at four years old and then at seven years old they would be sent to work under an overlord or a family member where they ran errands, practiced sword skills, received religious instruction, and refined their horse-riding skills. After gaining approval from an examining knight, they would be granted knighthood around the age of 21. Samurai were trained in poetry, spiritual discipline, and physical strength. They also practiced fencing with bamboo sticks. They also learned the moral code of the Samurai and Zen Buddhism. This is historically relevant because it is important to know the training of samurai and knights to better understand the culture and beliefs of feudalist Japan and Europe. For example, knowing that knights focus on riding horses and religion at a young age can help you understand European culture at the time. The same can be said for Japan since they also focus on philosophy and fencing whereas the Europeans focus on different things. Knights and Samurai also had different codes they followed. Document E explains the Code of Bushido and the Code of Chivalry. Both codes instruct Samurai and Knights to be loyal to their lords, uphold good moral principles, and follow the code till they die. However, they are also different, for example, Samurai were instructed to keep to the ways of peace and to not use their weapons for war. Knights were not instructed to do this, and they fought in many wars during the Medieval period in Europe. Samurai were also instructed to involve themselves in family obligations. In the Code of Chivalry, there was no mention of anything like this. The knights and samurai and the codes they follow show the culture of Europe and Japan and how it affected their version of feudalism.

Japanese and European feudalism was very similar in the early Middle Ages. However, their cultures and societies created differences. Using their social hierarchies, moral codes, and the relationships between the lords and vassals the differences and similarities between knights and samurai can be shown. The way of life and organization of the two societies shows that two feudal societies can be similar but still unique and different.