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Social Hierarchy

  • the emperor was at the top, but he was a figurehead. he was more like a symbol of power and had no political authority.

  • shoguns had the most power and made all the decisions. they generally only controlled a small part of Japan and distributed lands to lords who agreed to support him with armies when needed.

  • these lords were called daimyo, large landowners that were feudal lords of each province. they had to live in the shogun capital at Edo (present-day Tokyo) every other year, while their wife and children had to live there full time so the shogun could keep watch of his entire family. they also were not allowed to repair castles or marry without permission.

  • samurai were warriors employed and controlled by daimyo. they followed a code of conduct called Bushido (the Way of the Warrior) which stressed mastery of martial arts, loyalty, courage and honor.

  • peasants were the main producers of the crop (generally rice). some also served as foot soldiers in wars.

  • artisans and craftworkers - produced non-agricultural goods, like weapons and armor for the samurai.

  • merchants - not directly involved with production. they gradually gained influence by lending money to daimyo and samurai.

social ranking could be changed in rare situations. peasants may rise through the ranks and become a samurai and some merchants could improve their social position by arranging to marry their daughters to samurais. however, movement was generally heredity.

  • under the Tokugawa House Laws, if an individual was found guilty of a crime and executed, their immediate family could become slaves. fortunately, this practice was not common.

the only citizens allowed to be in the military or work government jobs were samurai. peasants had to remain on their land. lower classes were forbidden to wear luxuries, such as silk clothing.

sources

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-edo-period-in-japanese-history/

 

http://asianhistory.about.com/od/japan/p/ShogJapanClass.htm

 

http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/teach/ends/classsystem.htm

 

http://www.bookmice.net/darkchilde/japan/jsocial2.html

 

http://www.facts-about-japan.com/modern-japan.html

 

Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor, and Anthony Esler. "The Emergence of Japan and the Feudal Age." World History. Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. 387-96. Print.

 

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