The Samurai Class
The history of Japan is vivid and filled with tradition. One tradition of their history that has lasted through the time is the Samurai. The Samurai class is essentially a class of warriors who held an incredibly high social status compared to the other warrior classes or armies of Eastern Asia. They lived by Bushido, their code, and with honor. Like most elite classes their demise was only a matter of time. During the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Meiji Restoration the samurai class became a class with little purpose or political power.
The Samurai class did not exist for all of Japanese civilization. "Before the Heian period, the army in Japan was modeled after the Chinese army and under the direct command of the emperor" (Wikipediea: Origin of Samurai). Later in the Heian period imperialism leads to the use of regional clans. These powerful clans were "skilled in mounted combat and archery" (Origin of Samurai) and became the emperor's main weapon to crush......
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