Samurai
From 1ste Gimnechiske Wiki
The Samurai is the warrior class of faudal Japan, and to understand the Samurai one must understand the faudal system aswell.
Contents |
The Classes
A faudal system is built up by classes, where the classes symbolizes what rank you have on the faudal ladder. In Japan you were pre-destined according to which class you where born into.
- Emperor
- Royal Court
- Lanlords
- Samurai
- Merchants
- Farmers
Emperor
The emperor is in direct line discendent of the Sun God who created and protects the lands. He is the link between the gods and the mortals who live on their lands. Mark that only the sons of the emperor can belong to this class, and only one person can be emperor. Children of members of this class end up in the Royal Court.
Royal Court
The Royal Court is the familly of the Emperor, his advisors, and their famillies. The top ranking officers in the emperor's army also belongs to this class.
Lanlords
The land was devided by lanlords. Their original function was to govern the property of the emperor, but where given the property of large areas to support themselves, and thus also increased their power. The Lanlords often had their own private armies, and as their power rose, fights and wars between lanlords errupted to fight for control of the best properties. In the 8th and 9th century lanlords became so powerful that they removed the real power from the emperor by instating a Shogun (a sort of Military Dictator), to rule in the place of the emperor. The Emperor still had symbolical power.
Samurai
As the power of the lanlords rose, and their paranoia aswell, the need for a loyal force of military leaders and police rose aswell. The Lanlords prohibited the lower classes to carry arms, and thus the Samurai had to protect the lanlords properties aswell as the local farmers from any intruders or wild animals. In times of war the Samurai commanded the armies of the lanlords (the armies consisted mainly of samurai later in the area).
Merchants
The Merchant class consisted of any doing trade or crafts. The Blacksmiths who forged the arms of the samurai where considered almost a class by itself as they where more valuable to the faudal lords than the other merchants.
Farmers
The farmers where the lowest class. The average farmer was either working the lands of the lanlords or the emperor, or worked as servents for the higher classes. At variour stages of the farmers had to produce food for three or four times their own number.
Culture
culture
Titles
titles
Suggested Character Development
Rolemaster
TP:
- Soldier
- Noble
- All from Martial Arts Companion
