The samurai were fearless warriors who made up a class of the people in Japan. They wore two swords and an elaborate head dress. The samurai lived by a set of rules known as bushido, which commanded them to act with the loyalty and the courage. If a samurai considered that he had lost the honour, he killed himself.
The samurai were originally the guards of the emperor of the Japan. In 1185, the emperor lost the power and Japan became a feudal state. The shogun, or most powerful lord, ruled the country, below him were the feudal lords known as daimios, who were served by the samurai. Feudalism lasted for nearly seven centuries in Japan, which isolated itself from the outside world.
The Mongol emperor Kublai Kahn tried to invade in 1274 and again in 1281 without success. Portuguese sailors landed in 1542 followed by the missionary, St Francis Xavier in 1549. However, a century later Christians were wiped out and Japan returned to isolation. This was not broken until 1854, when the Americans obtained trading treaties. The people were still hostile to foreigners, and demanded the return of the emperor to maintain Japan`s isolation. The emperor took control in 1868, but contact with the outside world increased.
Now, just over a century later, Japan has become one of the leading nations of the world.
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