 Panzerfaust  | 28 Jul 2009 8:16 p.m. PST |
When a samurai lost an arm or leg and recovered, what became of him? What became of disabled lesser troops? |
Sturmpioneer  | 28 Jul 2009 8:39 p.m. PST |
I'd imagine some samurai would stay on as logistical support but ashigaru would most likely have to retire. Just my 2 cents.
David
kingsfordminiatures.org
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| Hrothgar Returns | 28 Jul 2009 9:28 p.m. PST |
If Yoshikawa's novel "Taiko" is accurate, at least some of the disabled samurai would languish in poverty. When the novel opens, the future Hideyoshi's father is a crippled samurai and the family had dropped in status as a result. This might not be the condition of all samurai though. |
| wolvermonkey | 28 Jul 2009 9:45 p.m. PST |
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BlackWidowPilot  | 28 Jul 2009 11:07 p.m. PST |
It would depend upon the extent of the disability; Date Masmune was IIRC blind in one eye, yet he adopted an eyepatch patterned after a tsuba (sword guard), and was one of the more effective battlefield commanders of his time. Yamamoto Kansuke was also disabled by war wounds, and had to use a cane, yet was also one of the more effective generals of his age, being one of the famous Takeda clan's "Twenty-Four Generals."
Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net
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| Sane Max | 29 Jul 2009 4:32 a.m. PST |
Since a Blind Samurai with no arms or legs was able to spit a chopstick through 6 feet of Oak Board, the chopstick killing anyone on the other side and RETURNING to the spitter's mouth, I would say retirement was unlikely. Or am I using army lists as History again? Pat |
| mex10mm | 29 Jul 2009 1:33 p.m. PST |
About the same as a disabled knight in Europe.
If rich then retire and live of his "rents", or maybe try politics; if poor try his luck in some other trade. |
| Jovian1 | 29 Jul 2009 2:13 p.m. PST |
Most didn't survive that kind of trauma for long, infection killed most of them within a few months or within a year. Those who did recover – it was a crapshoot which depended largely upon where they were socially within the strata of the samurai, their wealth, their relatives and family. If you had a son who was near enough age to take over the family business, you were probably going to be alright. If you had relatives who cared for you, you were probably going to be alright. If you weren't so lucky – you could wind up in the streets as a beggar. |
| Paul L | 29 Jul 2009 6:48 p.m. PST |
"Samurai" and "business"…? Samurai didn't generally have "businesses" – being a rice merchant or sake brewer was beneath their class. I'm not so familiar with pre-Tokugawa arrangements but in the Tokugawa period they received a stipend from their lord/daimyo which they may have augmented by some cottage industry (in the case of the lowest strata) or by farming (where it was allowed like in Tosa) or by selling their writings. That period being relatively peaceful, most were "just" bureaucrats so the loss of a limb or eye wouldn't have stopped them from performing their duties. I suspect in earlier periods, a lord would still be bound to pay them a stipend/pension – if he didn't his other retainers might not be so willing to put their lives on the line. |
| Jovian1 | 30 Jul 2009 3:46 p.m. PST |
"Business" in the terminology here is LAND LORD WHO TAXES HIS PEASANT SERVANTS LIVING ON HIS LAND AND SUPERVISES THEM OR DOES WHAT HIS LORD DIRECTS HIM TO DO. If he can't do that, then perhaps someone else in the family will take over his 'BUSINESS' and do that job for him and care for him in his infirmity. |
