The Samurai

• According to historian Anthony Bryant, the samurai class developed between the 3rd and 10th centuries in Japan. They originally served as imperial palace guards and enforcers of the emperor's will. In the 12th century, authority shifted away from the increasingly reclusive emperors and into the hands of the powerful clan leaders called daimyo. In 1185, the daimyo of the Minamoto clan established the first military dictatorship, called a shogunate. Under the shogunates, the samurai dominated Japan's political and military life. In 1868, the Meiji Restoration returned political and military authority to the emperor, who abolished the samurai class.
  
  

The Aztecs

• The Aztec Empire dominated Mexico in the 15th and early 16th centuries.The Aztecs believed they were the sun-god Huitzilopochtli's chosen people and that they could aid him in his nightly battle with the moon-goddess if they nourished him with fresh blood and hearts. Their primary purpose for warfare was capturing enough people for sacrifice. However, they also enjoyed the many material goods that defeated tribes paid in tribute, such as feathers, textiles, precious stones and exotic foods. The Spanish conquered the Aztecs in 1519.
  
  

Arms and Equipment

• Aztec warriors and samurai had similar weapons and equipment. For example, both samurai and Aztec warriors studied archery. The early samurai carried a sword called a tachi. Later samurai carried a sword called a katana. Aztec warriors carried the maquahuitl, a sword-like paddle edged with flint or volcanic glass called obsidian. Both Aztec warriors and samurai protected their bodies with armor. An Aztec warrior's armor consisted of a padded cotton vest and a wooden helmet carved in the shape of the head of ferocious animal or demon. Samurai armor generally consisted of small steel plates sewn onto a silk backing and a large, bowl-shaped helmet. Samurai sometimes protected their faces with grotesque masks. Both samurai and Aztec warriors went into battle wearing banners. Samurai banners served as identification while Aztec banners signified high-ranking soldiers.
  
  

Warrior Culture

• Samurai and Aztec warriors could achieve social status through warfare. A successful Aztec could be rewarded with land or a government position, such as tax collector, governor or judge. Successful samurai could rise through the ranks and become generals. Some eventually dominated the empire as military dictators called shoguns. Samurai and Aztec warriors both had signs of their prestige. For example, in the 16th century the Tokugawa Shogunate limited the right to wear swords to the samurai. Aztecs warriors showed off their status with colorful uniforms, fancy capes and unique haircuts. Neither a samurai nor an Aztec feared death. The samurai hoped for an honorable death performing his duties while the Aztecs believed men who died in battle or as sacrifices earned a place in heaven attending the sun-god.