Feudalistic Societies: Japan and Europe
A Feudal system is the legal and social system that evolved in Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries, in which vassals were protected and maintained by their lords. Although feudalism is totally considered a European creation, feudalism was invented by the Japanese at around the same time too. The two feudalistic societies shared practices and principles, but were also differed in many other main aspects.
European and Japanese feudalism were similar in various ways. In Europe people were in classes that were arranged in an order. Slaves were at the bottom, peasants, knights and other nobles being in the middle and the king or queen being at the very top. For Japan it was the same although there were different names, and one more class. Both feudalists in Japan and Europe hired warriors, either samurai or knights, to help protect a lord's lands. Both had landlords who protected the farmers and workers. Clearly in both places the power was based in class relationships. In European and Japanese Feudalism the most important virtue was loyalty, because all the system depended on personal loyalty.
Japanese and European feudalism also had differences. European feudalism was based on Roman legal structure, and the Japanese feudalism had its main structure using Chinese Confucian morality. "Problems with inheritance soon became an important weakness. When a lord was no longer able to enter into an agreement with his vassal, the contract among them was undetermined."(Anthony and Elisabeth Gaynor Ellis. World History: Connections to Today. Newark, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997. Print). The centralization of strong lordships evidently brought the localization of government down. Japan’s warriors had to follow the code of Bushido and in Europe knights had to follow the Code of Chivalry. The Japanese saw their Emperor as a God where in the Europe the people saw their kings and queens as if God gave them the right to rule but the rulers were not gods. Another difference is
European and Japanese feudalism were similar in various ways. In Europe people were in classes that were arranged in an order. Slaves were at the bottom, peasants, knights and other nobles being in the middle and the king or queen being at the very top. For Japan it was the same although there were different names, and one more class. Both feudalists in Japan and Europe hired warriors, either samurai or knights, to help protect a lord's lands. Both had landlords who protected the farmers and workers. Clearly in both places the power was based in class relationships. In European and Japanese Feudalism the most important virtue was loyalty, because all the system depended on personal loyalty.
Japanese and European feudalism also had differences. European feudalism was based on Roman legal structure, and the Japanese feudalism had its main structure using Chinese Confucian morality. "Problems with inheritance soon became an important weakness. When a lord was no longer able to enter into an agreement with his vassal, the contract among them was undetermined."(Anthony and Elisabeth Gaynor Ellis. World History: Connections to Today. Newark, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997. Print). The centralization of strong lordships evidently brought the localization of government down. Japan’s warriors had to follow the code of Bushido and in Europe knights had to follow the Code of Chivalry. The Japanese saw their Emperor as a God where in the Europe the people saw their kings and queens as if God gave them the right to rule but the rulers were not gods. Another difference is