Examples of Feudalism in the Post-classical Period Essay

Submitted By thelastkidkickin
Words: 735
Pages: 3
Open Document
In the Post-Classical period, there were many notable examples of strong feudalism. Perhaps the two most influential, besides the famous Zhou Chinese feudalism, were Japan and Western Europe’s adoptions of feudalist systems. These two civilizations both adopted feudalisms, and were similar in many ways, but also had some notable differences, which are definitely worth exploring. Socially and politically, culturally, and economically, these two civilizations had their similarities and differences that truly defined their structures at that time. Primarily, the two civilizations were both extremely comparable socially and politically. In Document 1 (a Bishop’s description of the Western European social system) we see that all social roles are determined with relation to church, which, in essence, determines the Western European social structure. In Document 2 (a Japanese family’s code) we see that social structures aren’t established as much on religion, but more on the needs of the people, and traditional Japanese structures. This is also made evident in Document 3 (a teacher’s exhortation for samurais), where the social roles of the samurai are determined by a Japanese traditionalist. In terms of politics, in Western Europe we see political decisions made by the church. In Document 5 (an oath of allegiance) we see that many political values of this civilization are based on the Christian belief structure and are greatly influenced by church doctrine. It should also be noted that in Document 8 (a declaration of future intention to rule), a great emphasis is placed on political loyalty, and that the only way to become socially mobile is to adhere to the political restraints present in traditional Japanese culture. This document, however, may not be entirely reliable due to the fact that it was written by a major political figure whose views may be biased or distorted. This is also noted in Document 9 (a shoguns conversation with his ally) where Japanese social systems are explained to be based around the needs of the country and in line with the political agenda of the government. It should also be taken into consideration that the two civilizations implemented similar types of feudalistic structures, just enforced differently. It is seen that feudalism in Western Europe was organized heavily with religious influence, while in Japan the religious aspect was not as strong, and a strong social system served as the unifying factor. A useful document for representing this information would be a samurai’s journal concerning political and social elements of Japan at that time. Culturally, we can truly see the differences between these two feudalisms. We see in Western Europe, much like many other areas of life, culture was strongly held together by the church’s influence. However, in Japan, though Mahayana Buddhism was prevalent, it did not allow the same level of unification. We see in Document 4 (the Japanese song) that Japanese culture at this time was actually based off of politics and social roles, which is usually opposite of the typical cultural structure,
Show More

Related Documents: Examples of Feudalism in the Post-classical Period Essay

Questions: Islam and Islamic Political Structures Essay

religion Islam spread from the arabian peninsula and began a sequence of conquest and conversion that helped to forge the world's first global civilization. The Muslims conquered a huge region extending from Spain to central Asia and formed an empire that combined classical civilizations of Creece, Egypt, and Persia. The caliphate played a key role in Islamic political structures. After Muhammad's death in 632, there was a political power struggle because he failed to appoint a line of successors. In the time of need…

Words 2994 - Pages 12

Iwc1 Literature, Arts and Humanities Essay

IWC1 Test 1.02 Module Pre-Test Question 1: Multiple Choice The historical revival of Classical culture began during the: a) Middle Ages b) Renaissance c) Baroque Era d) Romantic Era Feedback: The correct answer is b. The historical revival of Classical culture began during the Renaissance. Question 2: Multiple Choice Which of the following was a key feature of ancient Chinese humanism? a) An emphasis on theoretical philosophy. b) A subordination of intellectual life to religious…

Words 10011 - Pages 41

Criminology Notes Essay

The Demonic Era recap -two main paths that can lead you to the devil? Temptation (choice), possession -5 trials -Patriarchal society Modern Day ‘Witch Hunts?’ -A witch hunt occurs any time a group of people persecutes another group unfairly, usually blaming that other group for larger problems, form of a socially constructed problem -e.g. expansion of AIDS blaming on homosexuals, blaming unemployment rates on immigration -early 1900s Chinese immigrants come to Canada to work on the railroads…

Words 8665 - Pages 35

CRM 1301 Midterm uOttawa Carolyn Gordon Essays

The Demonic Perspective Trephining Individual who were having illusions or were delusional had a hole drilled in their skull in order to get rid of the spirits. If that person was still alive, the procedure was successful Witchcraft Correlated with ‘The Crucible’ where Tituba, Sarah Good & Sarah Osborne are accused of witchcraft in Salem, 1692 What to do with the witches?! Exodus 22:18- Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live Leviticus 20:27- A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit…

Words 10213 - Pages 41

Essay on Theater: Musical Theatre and American Composer

Four dimensions of theater 1. Standard drama and musical theater 2. Theatrical arts a. Opera b. Ballet c. Circus d. Film 3. Fields that make use of theater 4. Theater sensibilities used in life “There is only one show business” –Penn Julette Theatrical- using theater as a metaphor National Theater of the Deaf- The oldest theatre company in the United States that has continually gone on tours and produced original works. The company has visited each of the 50 states in close to 80 national…

Words 4139 - Pages 17

Politics: Human Rights and States Essay

has a consciousness and identity of its own but doesn’t have a state. The issue here is should there be a Kurdish state? Lots of conflict brought about by this. Examples of this in Europe are Catalonia and the Bask countries. South Sudan was created due to internal conflict in Sudan. Lots of oil sources in the south. Here is an example where a new country has been created through intervention from the UN but also by other countries to create a peace agreement leading to a division of Sudan. There…

Words 7377 - Pages 30