სამურაების სამხედრო ფენის აღსასრული იაპონიაში

Abstract

An integral component of medieval Japan was the military layer of the Samurai. Their fi rst detachments appeared in the 8th century, whose main duty was to serve and protect the suzerain faithfully, during both – the war and the peacetime. Due to the ongoing permanent internal wars in the country, the existence of Samurai military forces and their proper use was topical. Therefore, their powers were increasingly expanding and by the 16th century, the aforementioned military stratum had become Japan’s most privileged class. The prestigious status of Samurai had changed radically as a result of the bourgeois revolution of 1867/1868 (so-called Meiji Restoration) and the reforms carried out. In particular, at the end of 1867 military-feudal system of government – Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown (this act restored the monopoly rule of the emperor) and with it, the era of Samurai also ended. In the new political reality, when Japan embarked on the path of westernization, the Samurai layer was perceived as a reminder of time-worn feudal relations, and, therefore, it had to become part of history. It should be emphasized, that these processes did not go smoothly. There were revolts and clashes of dysfunctional Samurais with government troops. The largest and crowning of these was the rebellion of 1877, led by a famous political figure, known as the last Samurai,” Saigo Takamori. The bloody conflict between government troops and rebels lasted for six months, which eventually ended in the defeat of the Samurai.