Samurai

This passage talks about ancient Japanese warriors called samurai.

Lexile Level: 1210L

Categories: History People & Places

From the 11th century to the 19th century, the military aristocracy of Japan was dominated by a powerful warrior class known as the samurai. Some historians believe that the roots of the samurai tradition date back to the 6th century. An important part of the samurai philosophy was a code of conduct known as Bushido, or "way of the warrior." Like the concept of chivalry followed by medieval knights in Europe, Bushido consisted of moral principles that the samurai were expected to observe. Among others, these included loyalty, honor, justice, politeness, and scholarship. As members of an elite class of Japanese society, samurai held influence and power for several centuries. The introduction of Western ways in the 19th century led to the abolishment of the samurai class and the establishment of a modern national army in its place. Although there are no longer samurai, many of the principles embodied in their code survive in Japanese society today.