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History Patterns - Final > Samurai > Flashcards

Samurai Flashcards

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1
Q

By the 1100s, what was happening to Japan’s government?

A

By the 1100s, central government losing control of the empire

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2
Q

Who were hired into Japan’s armies?

A

Landowners hired armies of samurai, trained professional warriors

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3
Q

How did Japan become a feudal warrior society?

A

Use of samurai, trained professional warriors, developed into feudal warrior society in Japan

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4
Q

How was Japan’s feudal system similar to the system in Europe?

A

•In exchange for allegiance, military service, nobles gave property to samurai

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5
Q

What did the samurais receive as payment for their services?

A
  • Unlike in Europe, where knights were usually paid with land grants, only most powerful samurai received land
  • Most paid with food, usually rice
  • Those given land did not work, live on land
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6
Q

In Japan’s warrior society, who worked the land?

A

The samurai’s lands were worked by peasants, who gave the samurai money or food for payment each year.

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7
Q

What was the role of the samurai?

A
  • Main role of samurai, that of highly skilled warrior
  • Wore armor, were skilled with many weapons, often fought on horseback
  • Expected to be in fighting form all the time, ready to do battle should need arise
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8
Q

What were the position of the samurai in Japanese society?

A

•As time passed, samurai rose in status in society, enjoyed many privileges

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9
Q

How were samurais treated in Japanese society?

A
  • Crowds parted to let them pass when samurai walked down street
  • People dropped eyes out of respect—and fear—because samurai had right to kill anyone who showed disrespect
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10
Q

What was the code of ethics that samurais’ follow?

A

•Samurai followed strict code of ethics, known as Bushido, “the way of the warrior”

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11
Q

What did the Bushido require?

A
  • Bushido required samurai to be courageous, honorable, obedient, loyal
  • Word samurai means “those who serve;” each had to serve, obey his lord without hesitation,
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12
Q

What did samurais have to do when they fail?

A

•Samurai who failed to obey, protect lord expected to commit seppuku — suicide by ritual disembowelment

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13
Q

What were the activities that samurai did?

A

•Pursued activities requiring great focus, like writing poetry, arranging flowers, performing tea ceremonies

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14
Q

What was the belief system of the samurai?

What did this belief stress?

A
  • Many samurai accepted Zen Buddhism
  • Spread from China to Japan in 1100s
  • Zen stressed discipline, meditation as ways to focus mind, gain wisdom
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15
Q

What was the role of women?

What did women have to follow and do for their families?

How were women treated in Japanese society?

What rights did women have?

A

Both men, women of samurai families learned to fight

Usually only men went to war

Female samurai had to follow Bushido

Were prepared to die to protect home, family honor

Samurai women honored in Japanese society

–Could inherit property

  • Allowed to participate in business
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16
Q

Did Japan have a central government?

Who were the most powerful people?

A

Rise of the Shoguns

For most of the 1100s, Japan had no strong central government. Local nobles, the heads of powerful clans, fought for power

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17
Q

In 1192, who was Minamoto Yoritomo?

How was he able to rule?

A

•1192, Powerful clan leader Minamoto Yoritomo forced emperor to name him shogun, “general,” Japan’s supreme military leader.

Shogun ruled in emperor’s name

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18
Q

Who was the figurehead?

Who was the ruler? Who ran the government?

A
  • Emperor remained at top of society, but became mere figurehead
  • For nearly 700 years shoguns ruled Japan

•Shogun formed military government at Kamakura

19
Q

The Shogun government was called _________ Shogunate, a military dynasty that ruled Japan until 1333

A

•Kamakura Shogunate, military dynasty, ruled Japan until 1333

20
Q

What happened when the Mongols invaded Japan twice in 1200s?

A
  • 1200s, Kamakura Shogunate faced major threat—Mongols
  • 1274, again in 1281, large Mongol fleets attacked Japan
  • Each time Japanese defeated them, with help of powerful storm that wiped out enemy fleet
21
Q

How did the Mongol invasion weakened the Shogunate?

A
  • Japanese referred to storms as kamikaze, “divine wind”; believed they showed that the gods favored Japan
  • Mongol invasions weakened Kamakura Shogunate
  • Many lords thought shogun had not rewarded them enough; loyalties broke down
  • 1338, Shogunate overthrown
22
Q

What happened to Japan when the shogunate was too weak?

A

A new shogunate took power but was too weak to gain control of Japan.

With the loss of centralized rule, Japan splintered into many competing factions.

23
Q

Daimyo were local powerful __________.

How did they gain power?

What did they build?

A

Daimyo

  • Numerous local daimyo, powerful warlords with large estates, gained control of territories, battled for power
  • Daimyo built large fortified castles to defend lands
24
Q

How did the Daimyo build protection for themselves and the people?

A
  • Castles often on hills, protected by walls, surrounded by water
  • Towns often grew up around them
  • Daimyo began to use peasants as foot soldiers, samurai on horseback
25
Q

How was firepower introduced into Japan?

A
  • 1543, Portuguese introduced firearms
  • Daimyo began to arm soldiers with guns
  • Some samurai refused to use them
  • Died wielding swords against superior firepower
26
Q

In the 1500s, there were 3 powerful leaders -

Oba Nobunaga

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Tokugawa Leyasu

How did these men take control?

What did they achieve?

A

Generals Take Control

  • 1500s, three strong daimyo worked to take control of Japan
  • Oda Nobunaga, first to arm soldiers with guns, defeated opponents easily. •By death in 1582, controlled half of Japan
  • Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Oda’s greatest general, continued efforts; by 1590, controlled most of Japan
  • 1600, Tokugawa leyasu won decisive battle. Gained complete control of all Japan. 1603, emperor made Tokugawa shogun. Event began the Tokugawa Shogunate
27
Q

Who were Japan’s ruling warrior class?

Who was at top of society?

Who was next level?

Who was the next class?

Who were at the bottom?

A
  • At top of society, emperor. Only a figurehead
  • Next was shogun, held real power as military ruler.
  • Below shogun, daimyo — owed shogun loyalty
  • Under daimyo, samurai who served them
28
Q

Who were below the ruling class?

Who were these people?

A
  • Below ruling warrior class were three classes
  • Peasants, artisans, merchants
29
Q

Can the lower class rise in Japanese society?

A
  • Members of lower classes could not rise in social status
  • Could not serve in military or government, or hold government positions that might challenge power of warrior class
30
Q

Who were the people that made up about 80% of Japan’s population?

What were they required to do?

A
  • Peasants made up vast majority—about 80 percent—of Japan’s population
  • Forbidden to do anything but farming
  • Supported selves by growing rice, other crops on daimyo, samurai estates
31
Q

What were the peasants’ status in Japan?

A
  • In Japan, farming considered honorable trade
  • Peasants enjoyed relatively high status, just below samurai
  • However, peasants paid most of taxes, led hard lives
32
Q

Which class was below peasant farmers?

A
  • Below peasants were artisans
  • Artisans often lived in castle towns; made goods like armor, swords
33
Q

Who were at the bottom of society?

A
  • Merchants at bottom of society
  • Not honored because did not produce anything
  • Merchants often grew wealthy
  • Could use wealth to improve social position
34
Q

What was the status of women during Tokugawa period?

A
  • During Tokugawa period, women’s status declined
  • Led restricted lives
  • Had to obey males
  • Even samurai class women lost many rights, freedoms
35
Q

What happened to the samurais as time passed?

How did their role change?

A
  • Role of male samurai changed
  • Peace put many out of work
  • Not allowed to engage in trade
  • Many ronin—masterless samurai—fell on hard times
  • Some became farmers, others warriors for hire, or bandits
36
Q

How was Japan’s relations with the West during the Tokugawa Period?

A

Tokugawa Period went hand in hand with Japan’s increasing contact with Europeans.

Initially the Japanese welcomed European traders and missionaries

37
Q

What did trade do to Japan?

Which people came to Japan?

A
  • Trade with Europe boosted Japan’s economy
  • Christian missionaries changed Japanese society
  • Many Japanese became Christian;
38
Q

How did the Tokugawa shoguns feel about the Christians missionaries?

What did the shoguns do?

A
  • Over time Tokugawa shoguns grew concerned with spread of Christianity; began to persecute Christians, kill missionaries
  • Also began to restrict foreign trade, travel
39
Q

By 1650, how was Japan’s relations with the outside world?

A

By 1650, Japan had shut its doors to all Europeans except the Dutch. Japan continued this policy for more than 200 years.

40
Q

What was art and literature like in this feudal culture?

A
  • In art, colorful woodblock prints called Ukiyo-e, “pictures of the floating world,” became popular
  • In literature, realistic stories became popular, as well as form of poetry called haiku
  • Three lines with 17 syllables; many haiku deal with themes of nature, harmony
41
Q

What was the theater tradition in Japan?

The theater show was called __________

A
  • Slow-moving Noh plays told stories through use of masks, stylized dance, music
  • 1600s, new type of theatre with more action, plot, humor—kabuki
  • Women initially performed kabuki, but later banned and replaced by men
42
Q

In 1392, a powerful general called Yi Song-gye gained control of __________ (where?)

What kingdom did he set up?

A
  • In 1392, powerful general, Yi Song-gye gained control of Korea
  • Established Choson kingdom

–Choson, or Yi, dynasty became one of Korea’s longest ruling dynasties

–Lasted until 1910

Formed government based on Confucianism

43
Q

Who invaded Korea?

What did Korea invent?

Who took over Korea for a long time?

A
  • Korea prospered
  • Produced many cultural achievements, including creation of Korean alphabet
  • Late 1500s, Japan invaded twice
  • Koreans held off Japanese using ironclad warships
  • Fighting with Japan left Korea in ruins
  • Early 1600s, Chinese invaded
  • By 1640s, Korea had become vassal state to Qing dynasty in China
44
Q

After so many invasions, how did Korea become known as the _________ Kingdom?

A
  • As result, Choson kings increasingly isolated Korea, except for trade with China
  • In West, Korea became known as “Hermit Kingdom” because of isolation

History Patterns - Final (11 decks)

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