Samurai
Definition
Military nobility and officer caste in medieval and early-modern Japan.
Analogy
Consider samurai as being similar to knights in medieval Europe. They were both warriors who followed a code and served their lords, but instead of jousting tournaments, samurais had martial arts competitions!
Related terms
Feudalism: The dominant social system in medieval Europe, where nobility held lands from the Crown in exchange for military service.
Shogun: The military dictator of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868.
Daimyo: Powerful Japanese feudal lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings.
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