150 likes | 477 Views
Topic: Growth of a Military Society Part 2: The Samurai Unit: Japan. Essential Question. What was “the Way” of the samurai?. Review. While nobles engaged in art and literature in Heian, life was different elsewhere in Japan.
E N D
Topic: Growth of a Military Society Part 2: The Samurai Unit: Japan
Essential Question What was “the Way” of the samurai?
Review • While nobles engaged in art and literature in Heian, life was different elsewhere in Japan. • With the emperor distracted by life in his court; powerful military leaders began taking power for themselves. • Powerful nobles fought over land.
Samurai • The most important class in this society.
Bushido “The way of the warrior” • What is Bushido? • It is a code of conduct that all samurai lived by. • Key points: • Loyalty to your lord • Fearless • Self discipline • Personal Honor
Samurai Armor and Weapons • Armor Made of many panels of silk, leather and metal. • Flexible, allowing for quick movement. • Fought with bows and arrows, spears, and swords • Katana made by fusing 2 metals of different hardness. • Soft metal makes the blade flexible, hard metal makes it strong. • They were the most effective swords in the world
Military Training and Fighting • Apprenticed to archery masters at a young age. • Practiced swordsmanship continually until could fence without thinking. • Trained without weapons- martial arts. • Samurai armies fought savagely in hand to hand combat.
Training in Writing, Literature, and Tea Ceremony • Expected to be students of culture, as well as fierce warriors. • Practiced calligraphy- the art of beautiful writing. • Wrote poetry- haiku was invented by a samurai (Matsuo Basho) • Tea ceremonies fostered a spirit of harmony, reverence, and calm.
Training in Spiritual Strength • Most samurai were Buddhists. • Drawn to Pureland Buddhism and more commonly, Zen Buddhism. • Zen was more appealing because it emphasized self-discipline and meditation.
Samurai Poster! Pretend you are a samurai in need of employment. In your table groups, design a poster that describes the samurai qualities and skills you possess. Your poster should include 4 of the most desirable qualities from the following categories: • Military Training and Fighting (Section 22.4 p. 244) • Mental Training (Section 22.5 p. 245) • Training in Writing, Literature, and Tea Ceremony (Section 22.6 & 22.7 p. 246) • Training in Spiritual Strength (Section 22.8 p. 247)
Training Armor and Weapons Example: I have excellent training in the use of armor and weaponry. For example, I have strong, yet flexible armor made of leather, silk, and metal. Also, my mask displays ferocity and protects my head from attacks. In addition, I am an expert at shooting bows and arrows from horseback. Most importantly, I possess two swords of the highest craftsmanship that are both flexible and razor sharp. Therefore, I have the most desirable qualities of a samurai warrior.