Dr. Menard
Early Global Studies, Per. 2
03 May 2018
I will neither give nor receive unauthorized aid.
Samurai DBQ
In the beginning of the Heian era (c. 794 and 1185) Samurai soldier's where known for their skilful expertise in battle and "Samurai means 'the one who serves' "(Beck 343). They started off being controlled by the emperor but over time a powerful warlord named Fujiwara surreptitiously began to make his way up the social pyramid. He slowly began taking over the emperor's power and became eventually Shogun. When he became Shogun, the Japanese warriors were hired by different warlords to defend their land during civil wars. When the battles finished, Samurai warriors needed as warriors. Samurai had great knowledge so some became…show more content… The rigid rules that controlled a Samurai's life affected his family relationships and led him to commit suicide with honour.
The rules the Samurai followed had a large influence on their familial relationships and how they portrait hierarchy, which pushed them to control each role in the family. Many sources clarify how a Samurai's family was important in their lives, but as the father, he must show he is strictly in charge. A renowned Japanese scholar, Professor Emeritus Mikiso Hane (1922-2003) explains the role of the father figure in his book, Premodern Japan: A Historical Survey. Hane states, "The father was at the top of the family hierarchy and held absolute authority…there was in addition, a hierarchy of age and sex" (Hane 154). The hierarchy would represent the ranks according to status or authority. As men and Samurai, they were expected to be respected and a leader due to their…show more content… Multiple sources such as historians and scholars both wrote about the moral death of a Samurai. The modern French historian Louis Fréderic (1923-1996) wrote about the suicide of multiple Samurai Warrior in his book, Daily Life in Japan at the Time of the Samurai, where he referenced the actions of the suitable death. He writes, "when he was about to be taken prisoner, Yoshitsune… stabbed himself under the left breast, plunging the blade in so deeply it all but came out again in his back; then he made three further incisions, disembowelling himself and wiping the dagger on the sleeve of his robe" (Fréderic 190). Not wanting to be taking prisoner Yoshitsune ends his life with the dignity a Samurai warrior must die with. The Bushido code changed the way of dying honorably, which would infer Samurai were to commit suicide when they were to lose a battle and be perceived as honorable. In addition, numerous other sources also speak about the Samurai's approach toward death. Yamamoto resumes talking about Samurai, reviewing his concepts of a Samurai's life. He writes, "What is called Bushido is simply choosing death. In general, it means that when the moment of decision comes, you simply act so as to die quickly. There are no complications about it. Set yourself firmly, and dash forward" (57). With the determination of their decision shows the
