The History of the Samurai

This course examines the history of Japanese warriors, known among other things as samurai and bushi, from their origins in ancient Japan to the dismantling of the samurai class after the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

Through a combination of primary and secondary sources, we will trace the development of warrior power and identity, the rise of warrior power in medieval Japan, the domestication and bureaucratization of warriors during the Edo Period (1600-1868), and warrior discontent with socioeconomic change as one of the driving forces behind the Meiji Restoration. Other themes include the relationship between warrior government and adjudication, the use of Buddhism for legitimation, and male-male intimacy and sexual relations.