Question

How did feudalistic Japan and Europe differ? What were the similarities? Be sure to include information comparing the European knights and the Japanese samurai (e.g., chivalry versus bushido).

Answer 1

Answer:

Differences:

A key distinguishing factor between the two systems was land ownership. European knights gained land from their lords as payment for their military service; they had direct control of the serfs who worked that land. In contrast, Japanese samurai did not own any land.

Similarities:

Feudal Japanese and European societies were built on a system of hereditary classes; that is nobles were at the top, followed by warriors, with tenant farmers or serfs below.

In both feudal Japan and Europe, warriors served local lords and were made the most important class by constant warfare: called knights in Europe and samurai in Japan. In both cases, the warriors were bound by a code of ethics. Knights were supposed to conform to the concept of chivalry, while samurai were bound by the precepts of bushido, the "way of the warrior."

Explanation:

During the medieval and early modern periods, Japan and Europe did not have any direct contact with one another, however they independently developed very similar class systems known as feudalism.