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Vile
7th August 2003, 15:02
OK, I'm back with another question or two for you more educated.

What I've understood, with my limited studies of Japanese history (mostly general history and Sansom - whom is said to be a bit "outdated" and inaccurate - and some articles from Monumenta Nipponica and other publications) is that before the late 16th century and the legistlation of Toyotomi Hideyoshi the social classes were not stricktly defined. The separation of the classes was further enforced by the Tokugawa bakufu to the extreme that different classes were physically located in different parts of the cities and breaking of the social norms, like dresscode would sometimes carry serious consequenses like confiscation of property.

The usual terms used for the Edo-period warrior class in contemporary texts seem to be "samurai-class" and "bushi-class". While the former one seems to get some critique, as samurai were only a subgroup of the warrior class (and a rather low one), the latter seems to be used by many more or less "hard-core" historians. Someone told me that another term used by contemporary historians is "buke-class". If I've understood correctly buke is quite directly translated as "warrior-family" or "warrior-house" and originally was used for the hereditary military families that eventually evolved in to the warrior class.

Now to my questions, I bet more will rise when I'll get some answers to these first:

1) What was the historical term(s) used for the warrior class during after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's laws for class separation? And did the term change later during Tokugawa regime? I recon there are legal documents that have survived and use one or more terms for the warrior class.

2) During Toyotomi Hideyoshi's law that bound the peasants to their land, were there any strict rules about where the line was drawn between peasants and the warrior class? What I'm trying to ask here is that before the law, in theory anyone could become a warrior and I've understood that most of the ashigaru were peasants drafted for the military service. Did all the ashigaru in active service get "promoted" to the warrior class during the enforcement of the law or how did it go?

3) What kind of connotation did the term "bushi" have before the late 16th century? Did it hold any prestige in it self, or could any peasant, drafted fresh from the ricefield, armed with a sharpened bamboo stick be labeled as "bushi"?

4) Where does the "buke" term fit into all this during different eras in the history?

5) finally: what is the general concensus (if any) among the historians about the usage of these terms in contemporary text?

Again, a big "thank you" for all answering or pointing me to a good source that will answer these questions!

Don Cunningham
7th August 2003, 16:21
Prior to the end of the Sengoku jidai, most able-bodied subjects were armed with various weapons to some degree. As Japan became unified under Hideyoshi Toyotomi, though, a heavily armed populace was considered a significant threat to the new government. To discourage uprisings and revolt, Hideyoshi initiated a series of legislative social reforms. These edicts strictly defined social classes and drastically restricted social mobility.

In 1588 he issued the Taiko no katanagari (sword hunt), a decree prohibiting the possession of swords and guns by all but the noble classes. Claiming the possession of weapons by peasants “makes difficult the collection of taxes and tends to foment uprisings,” the mandate prohibited farmers from possessing long or short swords, bows, spears, muskets, or any other form of weapon. Local daimyô, official agents, and deputies were ordered to collect all such weapons within their jurisdictions and deliver them to be melted down to supply materials for construction of a temple containing a massive Buddha. Once the weapons were collected, Hideyoshi ordered them melted down and used for a statue of himself.

Destroying weapons to build a Buddhist image was meant to appease the remaining pious warrior monks as well as the religiously devout commoners. This edict also met with widespread daimyô approval. Local rulers realized that disarming peasants also effectively restricted their neighbors from quickly raising a militia should any potential territorial disputes arise.

As a result of the sword hunt edict, only members of the warrior class were permitted to wear the daishô, thus further differentiating samurai from the rest of the population. Three years later, Hideyoshi issued another edict clearly defining the four major social castes—warrior, farmer, craftsman, and merchant. It further restricted interactions between the different classes and prevented any changes in social status. Samurai were forced to move away from their villages and farms and to live within garrison towns. The creation of mutually exclusive farming and military social classes was calculated to prevent them from forming any potential alliances and resisting the new administration.

In the last of his social reform efforts, Hideyoshi commissioned a land census, establishing a uniform tax system and further restricting physical movement between the various provinces or han under his rule. Each individual was required to register his name, along with his status, and his number of houses. All registered individuals were then prohibited from moving to any other province or han without prior government approval.

Following the death of Hideyoshi and the establishment of the Tokugawa shôgunate under Tokugawa Ieyasu, these social policies were further enforced with even more government proclamations. Barrier stations, or seki, were established on all major highways, and travelers were searched for any contraband or defiance of rules regarding physical movement. The Tokugawa shôgunate was known for the policy to prevent Iri deppo ni deonna (incoming firearms and fleeing women), which prohibited transport of arms and restricted women, especially daimyô family members held as potential hostages, from leaving the city.

JakobR
10th August 2003, 18:51
Hello!
I had a post some time ago regarding how effective the swordhunt was and if lower classes could earn the right to bear arms during the Tokugawa shogunate. Unless I am wrong lower classes could be allowed in fencing schools, but was was the point if you were not allowed to use the weapons you trained with?
I am told that physicians were allowed to carry a naginata eventhough they were below samurai class. Where there more weapons allowed to certain professions?
It would also be interesting to know how restriced firearms where. Was it possible for anyone to carry a gun?
Also, where the weapons of the Shogunate police force restricted in any way?

MarkF
11th August 2003, 12:59
Unless I am wrong lower classes could be allowed in fencing schools, but was was the point if you were not allowed to use the weapons you trained with?


Perhaps the point was much as it is today, to retain the old, to add to the new, and just in case, it coudn't hurt to know something of a class' weapon system, then largely gone, or at least the time had changed as to make them relatively useless, or practically so.

I really amn't sure, but it could be. We know so little of the day, in reality, as we have to trust the intuition and opinions of researchers to tell us. Even then, you still need your own reason for doing so.

The question, though, is one which is brought up a lot today, as well, with the same answer or no answer.

It couldn't hurt.


Mark

Mekugi
11th August 2003, 15:37
Originally posted by Don Cunningham
Prior to the end of the Sengoku jidai, most able-bodied subjects were armed with various weapons to some degree. As Japan became unified under Hideyoshi Toyotomi, though, a heavily armed populace was considered a significant threat to the new government. To discourage uprisings and revolt, Hideyoshi initiated a series of legislative social reforms. These edicts strictly defined social classes and drastically restricted social mobility.

Ahh yes. Sounds familiar no (prodding to other posts about firearm control and Homeland defense....). Gawd I am getting too radical.

-Rawsty

Don Cunningham
11th August 2003, 16:34
I am told that physicians were allowed to carry a naginata eventhough they were below samurai class. Where there more weapons allowed to certain professions?
Also, where the weapons of the Shogunate police force restricted in any way?

I've never read or heard that Edo period physicians were allowed to carry a halberd like the naginata. However, I have seen some intricately carved wooden swords called "doctor swords." Apparently, doctors were allowed to wear these in their obi as a symbol of their profession and status.

The shôgunate police forces included many commoners as well as samurai. The machi-kata (city division) samurai officers were allowed swords and other weapons, yet their non-samurai assistants were not. Depending on their varying levels of status, they were allowed to use arresting polearms such as sodegarami, tsukubô, and sasumata, as well as jutte or staffs. Some of the lower ranking assistants, though, were only allowed jutte while actually on assignment.

A special unit called hitsuke tôzoku aratame-kata, literally meaning “investigative division for arson and organized robbery,” was set up as an elite police force similar to SWAT. This unit was led by hatamoto (bannermen) and had much latitude in their choice of weapons and tactics.

JakobR
11th August 2003, 17:17
Thank you for the information! I have read in the All Japan Naginata Federation's information folder that physicians carried naginata as a symbol of their profession (sounds akward though). Perhaps that was before Hideyoshi's commission. They could have recieved wooden swords after that as a similar symbol.

It is commonly known that the naginata was a symbol of the married samurai lady. I wonder if samurai had to carry a naginata as their husbands had to wear the dai-sho. I guess not but if so, were they allowed to carry naginata or other arms if they wanted? I do not know if you ever saw a samurai lady in the street among commoners but it would be interesting to know where they fell in in the weapon restrictions.

Don Cunningham
13th August 2003, 20:01
It is commonly known that the naginata was a symbol of the married samurai lady. I wonder if samurai had to carry a naginata as their husbands had to wear the dai-sho.
I understand the naginata was often considered a weapon for defense of the home and/or castle, especially after the civil wars. Therefore females tended to be trained in the use of this weapon. However, I wouldn't think of it as a "symbol" of their samurai status like the daisho. Many samurai retainers were required by law to wear the daisho while on official duty, especially in the service of the Tokugawa shogunate. I've never heard or read that women were required to carry a naginata or even required to train with one.

As for physicians, no one was provided with wooden swords. Like the samurai were required to obtain their own clothing and weapons, I assume that physicians were allowed to wear these short wooden swords known as "doctor swords." They certainly had to provide their own since no one else was likely to provide one for them.

Mekugi
14th August 2003, 01:51
Remember the Doctor of today was a great deal different of the Medieval Japan. From what I understand those wooden swords were originally used to drive demons out of a diseased home or person; at least a symbol thereof.

-R


Originally posted by Don Cunningham
As for physicians, no one was provided with wooden swords. Like the samurai were required to obtain their own clothing and weapons, I assume that physicians were allowed to wear these short wooden swords known as "doctor swords." They certainly had to provide their own since no one else was likely to provide one for them.

JakobR
14th August 2003, 09:06
Thank you for the information!

Originally posted by Don Cunningham
However, I wouldn't think of it as a "symbol" of their samurai status like the daisho. Many samurai retainers were required by law to wear the daisho while on official duty, especially in the service of the Tokugawa shogunate. I've never heard or read that women were required to carry a naginata or even required to train with one.

According to my information samurai ladies were given a (often decorated) naginata when they married as a symbol of their new status. I do not know how common this practice was.

Originally posted by Mekugi[QUOTE]Remember the Doctor of today was a great deal different of the Medieval Japan. From what I understand those wooden swords were originally used to drive demons out of a diseased home or person; at least a symbol thereof.
Interesting. I hear that naginata is used even today in Japan to scare away demons in religious rituals. Perhaps feudal doctors used naginata the in the same way they used their wooden swords.

Don Cunningham
14th August 2003, 09:26
According to my information samurai ladies were given a (often decorated) naginata when they married as a symbol of their new status. I do not know how common this practice was.
I've never heard about any such decorated naginata. However, a small dagger is included as part of the Japanese bride's traditional wedding outfit. The purpose was originally to provide her with a means of committing suicide in case the bride's procession was attacked on the way to the wedding. The bride was expected to kill herself rather than being violated.

JakobR
14th August 2003, 12:17
Tough times, indeed. According an article (http://koryu.com/library/wwj1.html#History) by Ellis Amdur the knife would be the weapon of a woman and a way to kill herself to avoid capture. After the sengoku period the image of the fighting woman became more popular and it is perhaps then we see the naginata as a symbol (wielded or not) of the married samurai lady. My information of shortened and decorated nagintata is comes from a folder by AJNF. The information in the folder might not have been researched propperly but it did have a picture of a decorated naginata.

meat
22nd August 2003, 14:04
Sorry to butt in, I was just wondering if anyone could answer the original questions on use of the terms bushi/buke. I'm very interested to know the answer.
:smilejapa

Don Cunningham
22nd August 2003, 17:57
Buke means "military class" and was formalized by Hideyoshi's edicts defining the four major social castes. Bushi means "warrior" and is a term loosely defining a clan's fighting members. Samurai appears to be a term derived from "saburu" meaning "to serve" and refers to those who were retainers. It seems more used during the Edo period to define a social class, although there are many earlier references.