![symbol of feudalism in the middle ages symbol of feudalism in the middle ages](http://clipart-library.com/images/kiKnB7goT.gif)
The original coats of arms had fairly simple designs. He would pass the coat of arms down to his eldest son. A coat of arms belonged to the family of the knight. Each new coat of arms needed to be registered with the government. Over time, there became strict laws in applying for a new coat of arms. They also kept track of who each coat of arms belonged to. They made sure that new coats of arms were unique. It became the job of people called heralds to keep track of the different coats of arms. However, there were so many knights that it was tough to keep track of who had what symbol. A famous case was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who started off as the son of a peasant, became a soldier, earned favor with the daimyo Oda Nobunaga and was promoted to samurai, eventually rising to the rank of imperial regent.Each coat of arms needed to be unique. It was very rare for someone born outside the samurai class to become one, although it could happen. Question: What were the requirements for entry into the feudal society as a samurai and a knight?Īnswer: The position of samurai was hereditary, you had to be born into it. But such consultations were ad hoc, structured according to situational exigencies and custom, not according to any conception of inherent rights of vassals either individually or as a body" "This does not mean, of course, that in Japan there were no de facto modes of consultation among vassals and between vassals and their lords. Within this structure vassals exercised no principled legal rights vis-à-vis their lords." "In Japan relations between vassal and lord were generally couched, not in contractual terms based on fully formalized mutual legal rights and obligations, but in terms of familial or filial obligations. Here's a couple of extracts from 'Japanese Civilization: A Comparative View' by S. The oaths of samurai were more familial and religious in nature, based on custom rather than institutions. The difference is the lack of a legal framework, which is what I was referring to. Question: You say "But a samurai swore no such oath, and there was no legal contract of any kind," but what about the formal written oaths known as Kishoumon (起請文)?Īnswer: Good point about the Kishoumon, this was effectively quite similar to the oath sworn by western vassals.
![symbol of feudalism in the middle ages symbol of feudalism in the middle ages](http://ljblearwoodss.weebly.com/uploads/2/3/5/3/23530544/103653.png)
This is in contrast to the relationship between a knight and his lord in Europe, where the lord was expected to grant the knight land in exchange for his service. However, a daimyo could gift a samurai with land or money if he wished. Question: What was given to the samurai as a reward?Īnswer: Samurai were usually garrisoned in the daimyo's castle and paid a salary (often in rice rather than money). Of course, in reality samurai could (and did) experience conflicted loyalties. As such, a knight or noble given land that belonged to more than one lord owed fealty to all of them whereas a samurai served one lord, and one lord only. Land was the basis of the lord-vassal relationship in Europe, but in Japan, the bond itself was what mattered. Which brings up another major difference. If he did gift a vassal with land, it was to reward loyal service, not to secure it. Furthermore, in Europe the bond between a lord and vassal stipulated obligations on both sides, with the lord expected to provide protection and land while the vassal provided military and advisory aid.Ī Japanese Daimyo had no such obligations to his samurai, though a wise Daimyo preferred to avoid angering his vassals.
![symbol of feudalism in the middle ages symbol of feudalism in the middle ages](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4c/4b/7e/4c4b7e81d77ae930dcd38bb21314e7b9.jpg)
The bond between samurai and lord resembled a bond of kinship rather than a legal agreement, and the obedience of a samurai to his lord was like that expected of a son by his father.īoth relationships were invested with duty and honour, but for different reasons. But a samurai swore no such oath, and there was no legal contract of any kind.