Ibn Battuta and his Middle Eastern Travels

Feudalism in Japan and Europe

Feudalism Essay
Joey Garcia
4/7/09
Feudalism in Japan and Europe

The social system in both Japan and Europe was based on militaristic hierarchies, however there were differences in the layers of hierarchy for each system. In Europe, the feudal system was kings, who ruled over sub-lords, which hired soldiers to protect the food producing peasants. Soldiers would recieve plots of land, called fiefs, for their service, and let the peasants farm the land. Similarly, not completely, though in Japan the emperor ruled over shoguns, who in turn commanded military forces which protected food producing peasants and the ill thought of merchants and artisans. In Europe, generally the system was more like a contract, wheras in Japan, it was more based on loyalty to one's superior.
Japanese and European societal organization may have been different in some ways, but both had an honorary code for soldiers, a code of chivalry. European soldiers followed such practices as respect to women, generosity, and loyalty to one's country and family. This created the image of brave, respectable soldiers, something good for the military.In slight contrast, the samurai of Japan followed a much more harsh code. If one shamed his name and the name of his family, he must commit seppuku (the act of suicide involving a sword in one's own stomach). Japanese and European soldiers alike, strongly believed in loyalty to one's army and leader, especially the Japanese.
Both Europe and Japan, of course had a feudal system full of reciprocating roles. However, though, in Japan class roles were slightly different. Although both societies had soldiers to protect the kingdoms and manors, Japanese samurai would get money for their work, but not land. This was, however, a good thing. The Japanese could have encountered the problem the Europeans did; land was scarce in some parts, and sometimes, one's plot would get too small over time from being split so much.
In both societies, someone had to get the short end of the stick. Women and peasants, though the largest European class, did not have much voice in government, until the days of the Magna Carta, and that was mostly the merchant's class benefit. Although they supported the backbone of the economy, much like the peasants of Japan, they didn't get credit for much more.
To stay on the subject of economy, the economies of Japan and Europe were, of course, based on agriculture. In Europe peasants farmed wheat, barley, and other grain type crops. On the other hand, in Japan, peasants grew and harvested rice. In both societies, they had a merchant class, but the merchant class in Japan was very unpopular and had little power. Perhaps this was because the Japanese were a largely isolated people who had only really interacted with the Chinese. Through the will to not be China's child anymore, the Japanese put down the merchants the Chinese held so high in esteem.European merchants also had a little more power than their Japanese counterparts, trading furs and raw materials with their Muslim and Mediterranean contacts at times, later in the Middle Ages. Japanese crops could be huge or not great at all. However, the Europeans had slightly more advanced farming techniques like crop rotation, and moldboard plows.
In conclusion, the Feudal cultures of both Europe and Japan had profound impacts on the cultures back then ,and today. In Japan, the Samurai and the Code of Bushido set up a code of honor that was followed by the book until the end of WWII. Feudal knights in Europe also followed the code of chivalry, but their's became hollow after a certain time. European agricultural developments bested the developments of contemporary Japanese farmers. Peasants in both societies had hard lives, and the merchants of Japan were on the level of peasants. This hindered the worlwide exploration and influence of the Japanese in general, leaving me thinking Europe made more developments on the world stage.