Brief History of the Samurai

Gundan-sei

Historians believe that the first form of samurai were enlisted as early as the sixth century. Emperor Mommu introduced a law in the early 700’s AD where 25 % of all adult males were to be drafted into the national military. These were foot-soldiers, furnishing their own weapons, which in return for their services became exempt from all duties and taxes. Modeled after the Chinese military, this was the first organized army of Japan.

The Code of Taihō or “Taihō code” was a governmental administration that Emperor Mommu adopted from the Chinese as well. This “code” classified Imperial bureaucrats into twelve different ranks. Each rank was divided into two sub-ranks. The first ranks were the highest advisers to the emperor. Those who were of the sixth rank and below were called “samurai”. The samurai dealt with the day-to-day affairs. The samurai were civilian public servants, and it is believed that the title of  samurai  stems from the term “servant” or “servant of a lord”. Soldiers, however, would not be referred to as samurai for many more centuries.

Shogun

The term Seiitaishogun or “shogun” came to fruition in the early Heinan period (late 8th-early 9th centuries) when Emperor Kammu sought to expand his rule into northern Honshū. He found that his military lacked in discipline to conquer the Emishi people of Honshū. Unable to prevail with his military, Emperor Kammu began to employ and rely on powerful regional clans to conquer the Emishi. These clans became known as the “shoguns”. At the time, the shoguns, although educated, were labeled as barbarians.

Emperor Kammu eventually did away with his army, and in turn, his power began to decline. During this time, clans around Kyoto assumed positions as ministers. Some of their relatives became magistrates. These magistrates often imposed heavy taxes that left some farmers to become landless.

Clans began recruiting exiles as guards. Robbery was on the rise and these “saburai” trained in the martial arts, proved effective in deterring thieves. “Saburai” (later to become “samurai”) or “armed retainers” were the only armed party at the time.

Clans of farmers began to take up arms for protection against magistrates who were sent to collect taxes. Some formed alliances to protect themselves against more powerful clans. By the mid Heian period, they had adopted certain distinguishable characteristics. Japanese armor and weaponry. The foundations of Bushido, or “moral code” had been laid. The term Bushido, however, did not gain popular notoriety until the late nineteenth century.

The Way of the Bow and Horse

For the larger part of samurai history, there was no “code of ethics” to which they were held. Most would say that they were followers of the “kyuba no michi” or “the way of the bow and horse”. They learned to conduct themselves in a manner that was taught to them by the clan or their families.

“Bun Bu Ryo Do” -literary art/military art…both ways

Prior to the fourteenth century, the samurai were mostly illiterate brutes. However, they did aspire to be more cultured. It was also expected of them. There wasn’t much time to accomplish this, so many didn’t achieve the idea. There lives were already difficult and pursuing an education would make it all the more so.

The Rise of the Samurai - the new force in politics

Originally employed by the emperor and nobility, the samurai harnessed enough manpower, political backing and resources to form alliances to establish the first samurai-dominated government.

The samurai sought to end rebellions throughout feudal Japan during the middle-late Heian period. They fought at the naval battle of Dan no Ura in 1185. Their involvement in Hōgen, the Japanese civil war fought in 1156, consolidated their power. This led to the Heiji rebellion of 1160, were two of the three families rose against each other.  Taira no Kiyomori of the Taira clan won, becoming an imperial adviser, and the first warrior to obtain such a position. He took control of the central government, regulating the emperor to figure-head status. The Tiara were conservative and cunning, maintaining control by having their women marry emperors, instead of strengthening their army. The Taira and the Minomato families fought again, marking the start of the Gempei War in 1180. This time around it was Minamato no Yoritomo who proved victorious, ending the war in 1185. He established the samurai superiority over the aristocrats. In 1192, Yorimoto (now Seii Taishogun), established the Kamukura Shogunate, or Kamukura Bakufu, near his base of power. Bakufu, meaning “tent government”.

Over time, the samurai became nobility, or “buke”, adopting pastimes such as poetry, music and calligraphy. The “Buke” class now held the real power.

Ashikaga Shogunate

During the Kamakura and Ashikaga Shogunates, many clans struggled for power.

When Zen Buddhism spread among the samurai in the thirteenth century, it helped shape their code of conduct, especially overcoming the fear of death and taking life.

In 1274 the Mongols invaded Japan with 40,000 men and 900 ships. 10,000 samurai met the challenge. Due to major casualties from thunderstorms, the invasion was called off. The Japanese predicted that the Mongols may invade again. The prediction led to the construction of a 20 kilometer stone barrier built around Hakata Bay, completed in 1277. The Mongols attempted to settle things diplomatically, but every agent sent to Japan was executed.

The second Mongol invasion on Japan happened in 1281. This time 140,000 soldiers and 4,400 ships were deployed. The Hakata Bay Defense and a typhoon caused the Mongols to retreat once more.

The Katana (or also known today as the samurai sword), was developed in the fourteenth century. A blacksmith named Masamune created a two layer blade made of both hard and soft steel. This layering greatly improved cutting power and endurance. The Katana is known to be one of the strongest hand weapons of pre-industrial East Asia.

The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were a time marked by the great improvement of war tactics and technology. Bushido ethics were also being practiced to maintain public order. The use of light armored infantry called ashigara, armed with Nagayari (long lance), or Naginata, was combined with cavalry during maneuvers. The numbers mobilized in warfare ranged from thousands to hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

The incorporation of the arquebus (a matchlock gun from Portugal), played a critical role in Japanese warfare. Towards the end of the feudal period, hundreds of thousands of firearms were in Japan. Huge armies with numbers exceeding 100,000 clashed in battles.

In 1592 an army of 240,000 samurai under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, invaded Korea. Initially the samurai were successful, but were ultimately defeated by Korean forces.  In 1597, Hideyoshi launched a second invasion on Korea, this time sending an army of 141,100 samurai and soldiers. Again, initial success in land battles was followed by an eventual defeat by Korea, aided by Ming forces. Japan was forced to retreat once more.

Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi and Tokugawa

Oda Nobunaga, a well known lord of the Nagoya area, made major improvements in war tactics, and made commerce and industry treasured innovation. He also, through many victories, terminated the Ashikaga Bukufu, and extinguished the military power of the Buddhist monks. He died in 1582 at the hand of one of his generals who turned on him.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu founded Tokugawa Shogunate. The two were loyal followers of Nobunaga.

Authorized samurai following the seventeenth century were those who followed Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. The changes in rule created huge battles. Defeated samurai were often destroyed, went ronin (an outcast or outlaw), or were absorbed into the general public.

Tokugawa Shogunate

The Edo period or Tokugawa era, marked the time when the samurai became less of the warrior and more administrator. The absence of war since the early seventeenth century, led to the gradual loss of their military function. By the end of this era, the samurai were now aristocratic bureaucrats for the daimyo (powerful leaders). Armed with their daisho (meaning big and small) or katana and wakizashi, (both used more as a symbol of power) still had the right to kill any common person who lacked respect.

Obligations of the samurai to his daimyo grew between the Genpei and Edo eras. Samurai were influenced by the teachings of Confucius and Mencius (Chinese philosophers); both were required readings of the educated samurai class.

Just as chivalry was formalized after “knights” as a warrior class became obsolete in Europe, Bushido was formalized by the samurai during this time of peace.

The history of Bushido is the focus of this website. There are many more stories of the samurai to tell. Their history continues until the late 1800’s, when Emporer Meiji stripped them of their status and power. (Too sad for us to talk about).

If you are interested in detailed history, fables and tales of the samurai, bushidocode.org offers links to books, movies and other related material. AND…if you have any questions, complaints, suggestion, or if you just want to shoot the…… arquebus, drop us an email. We’d love to hear from you.

The samurai way of life did not die with the bushi. Many martial artists today live by their code of ethics. There is also a code of honor, very similar to the bushido code, being taught and practiced by our very own U.S. Army.   read more >>   View our Traditional, Wearable, Samurai Armor! <<