Samurai

The samurai () were members of the elite warrior class in Japan before the industrial era. In the most common usage of the word, it specifically refers to the warrior retainers of Japan's lords. They typically came from warrior families and were privately trained. The samurai and their lords were the ''de facto'' rulers of Japan from 1185 to 1869.

In 1853, the United States forced Japan to open its borders to foreign trade under the threat of military action. Fearing an eventual invasion, the Japanese abandoned feudalism for capitalism so that they could industrialize and build a modern army. The adoption of modern firearms rendered the traditional weapons of the samurai obsolete, and as firearms are easy enough for peasant conscripts to learn, Japan had no more need for a specialized warrior caste. By 1876 the special rights and privileges of the samurai had all been abolished. Provided by Wikipedia