Ronin If a daimȳo lost his land in battle or had his domain confiscated by the government, his samurai became masterless. They were called ronin or ‘wave men’, floating on the sea of life. At various times in history, Japanese society had many of these unemployed warriors. Some of them simply ran away to begin a new life. Others joined new commanders or became farmers. But some ronin became bandits or mercenary soldiers who terrorised the countryside.
Did you know? A famous ronin named Musashi fought over 60 duels and was never defeated. He began his samurai training at the age of 7 and had his first duel when he was 13. As an adult, Musashi wrote The Book of Five Rings to explain his unique fighting methods.
9.6.2 Bushid̄o Samurai followed Buddhist teachings to stay calm and focused in battle. They practised meditation to act without hesitation. In 1616, the term bushid̄o , meaning ‘the way of the warrior’, was invented to describe the samurai’s balanced life of wisdom and strength. From a young age, boys learned archery, horse riding, sword fighting and unarmed combat. They were taught by their fathers, other samurai or in martial arts schools. Samurai also had to read and write to help their lords manage their lands. Their main duties were often called ‘the pen and the sword’. 9.6.3 New technologies In Japan, samurai disappeared for some of the same reasons that knights disappeared in Europe. When flintlock guns were introduced to Japan in the sixteenth century, they became popular quickly. Samurai learned to use guns, but this meant traditional skills like sword fighting were less important. From the seventeenth century, Japan had over 250 years of peace, so samurai didn’t need to fight. Instead, they became government officials. Samurai also fell into debt with merchants, which weakened their social standing. The samurai class was abolished in the late nineteenth century. How the flintlock gun works 1. Gunpowder is poured into the muzzle, followed by a lead ball, and both are pushed in with a ramrod. 2. A small amount of powder is placed in the pan and covered with the frizzen (a lid). 3. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer strikes the frizzen, creating a spark that ignites the powder in the pan. This ignites the powder in the barrel, firing the lead ball.
SOURCE4 The introduction of flintlock guns contributed to the decline of the samurai.
Flint Frizzen Hammer
Rear sight
Front sight
Pan
Patch box
Butt plate
Muzzle
Key/wedge
Ramrod
Lock plate
Trigger
Set trigger (on some rifles)
Stock
TOPIC9 Japan under the sh̄oguns 235
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