The Clever Way Japan's Peasants Fought Against Oppressive Samurai | History of Japan 87

[@Linfamy]

Life of commoners: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zoq7l3iwo8iLndk Samurai being assholes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5q6p6WHjdirepo Please consider supporting the channel =) 🔸PATREON (blog, art): www.patreon.com/Linfamy 🔸MEMBERSHIP: kzbin.infojoin 🔸MERCH: linfamy.creator-spring.com (shirts, stickers, phone cases, and more!) 🔸DONATE: www.paypal.me/Linfamy

[@greekyogurt9997]

But at least I replied first

[@robertjarman3703]

Reminds me of the secessions of the Roman Republic during the conflict of the orders.

[@nunyanunya4147]

FUCK the sponcers FUCK fudalism FUCK its replacement FUCK capitalism

[@mayuzanevideos]

I love the idea of petitioners signing their names in a circle, so nobody is above anyone in the list. It's a great symbol.

[@Magister_Sibrandus]

It's like king Arthur's round table. Same idea!

[@rotopope]

It's impressive that they'd be able to do a full circle with no gaps. I can't even make a sign without stretching or compressing the last few letters to fit.

[@ShirokiMaki]

One thing left out of the video though, the circle was not just for symbolic reasons, it was also so in case if the landowner actually decides to retaliate, they won't know who the leader is so the circle is also for protective reasons.

[@mxgonzo]

Such a simple but brilliant move.

[@CAL-zq3dk]

Or could be just smart move to not be first on the list and get yourself killed if things go bad.

[@silvercorvidsmarketing]

Unpleasant samurai. Unpleasant monks. Unpleasant peasants... I love this channel so much it's unreal.

[@Linfamy]

You just like unpleasantness :p

[@silvercorvidsmarketing]

@@Linfamy That too! :D

[@Bloodlyshiva]

It was seemingly an unpleasant life all around. This makes for unpleasant people.

[@marocat4749]

I think its just that they had to fight back unpleasent, the peasents

[@marcobuncit7539]

Unpleasantness everywhere

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

I like how different the samurai actually were when compared to their portrayal in media.

[@slook7094]

You can get a good idea of what samurai were really like with The Seven Samurai. The titular samurai were chosen because there were actual samurai bullying the villagers and stealing all their crops. The seven were the only ones who cared to listen. They were the exception.

[@planerice7630]

Bruh, why the fuck are you everywhere?

[@_core221]

Lol yea

[@marocat4749]

Like knights :P

[@Idengard]

Human after all

[@TheNecrolord]

I really enjoy that you highlight the lifes of the commoners. Its an often overlooked history topic. Especially considering, that back than 90% of us would be said commoners.

[@ShadowDaPk]

The percentage would probably be higher than that.

[@fearedjames]

@@ShadowDaPk No that statistic is pretty accurate.

[@Drebolaskan]

So like the top one percent? We're all still commoners, its just that our standard of living has risen considerably so its a lot less apparent unless you sit down to think about it. Your country marching off to war? Guess who they're gonna conscript, certainly not some top politician's son. Economic downturn? Guess who's getting that huge corporate bailout? That's right, not your mom & pops business down the street 🤗

[@AdamOwenBrowning]

99%.

[@lynnwood7205]

Unlike today.

[@MegaAwesomeNick]

Servent: "My lord! the peasants..." Landlord:"they've revolted! Send in the samurai!" Servant: "no, worse they've unionized! Here's their petition" Landlord: "crap..."

[@bensoncheung2801]

Send (disguised samurai to infiltrate their ranks and cause havoc), then send the actual samurai!

[@TheSmileMile]

I am actually trying to unionize my workplace, and I am wondering if I should make a petition. The idea of signing your name in a circle so nobody knows who the leaders are is genius!

[@Skeloperch]

Don't end up like all those media companies that unionized and ended up closing down because the unions killed the company.

[@chrissmith3587]

@@Skeloperch what companies are these Cause in general a good union is a good thing, provided it isn’t the idiotic communist driven trade unionists who start looking more at ideology than worker protections). (I’m British btw and considered centre right here, America just hates anything vaguely left wing) Unions are pretty much the only way to get any meaningful amount of money for your labour a lot of the time, and if you don’t think there’s the money then look at the executives salaries and stocks Be warned tho America is not fond of unions

[@basil7292]

@@Skeloperch killing the company is not a bad thing actually

[@AUniqueHandleName444]

@@basil7292 it depends on whether it died because it couldn't survive treating workers reasonably, or whether the unions were just retarded

[@ethanregan-byrne4281]

Good luck bro, hope that works out

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

from a european perspective, it's kinda crazy that medieval japanese peasant farmers could write.

[@marocat4749]

Its more or less because monastries were the only not private teacher source. So maybe some could. But mostly not or go maybe more into more lucrative trades.

[@palmerharrison7660]

Honestly, a lot more European peasants could write than most people think. Its just that they mostly wrote in their local vulgar languages rather than the court tongues or languages of diplomacy that they were considered 'illiterate'. They might not have been able to read Latin or Greek as well as a couple languages of diplomacy and the local language like was expected of a courtier or noble...but that doesn't mean they couldn't write a grocery list or a letter, or a legal complaint. Honestly, we've our biggest evidence for the fact it was much less rare is the sheer amount of legal complaints we do have. It is...not small. Apparently peasants sending various complaints and protests, some formal, some informal is a pretty common thing. Its found basically anywhere you find peasants.

[@dirckthedork-knight1201]

I doubt all of these were written by them they probably just had the one guy in the village that was literrate write for them or they may had hired some outsider to write it

[@rikafurude6275]

@@dirckthedork-knight1201 it’s not really an all or nothing thing. most jobs peasants did required at least writing lists in whatever local method to keep track of resources. then you’d have a good amount of people in the village sharp or practiced enough to know some important words and phrases, such as prayers or legal terms. and like you said, a few people who would be regarded today as literate who would be relied on for scribing.

[@justnoob8141]

Just because I don’t speak latin doesn’t mean I can’t make a good art

[@iglybo]

I love your vids about the normal everyday lives of common people, so interesting and stuff you don't hear about much, thanks for another great vid!

[@Linfamy]

Glad you like ;)

[@johnmccrossan9376]

"sharing is caring and no-one cared" sounds like my dating record

[@liangflrs02]

I'm a union organizer, this sounds like what we do when we have to battle it out with the employer :D

[@gabrielegenota1480]

You're a hero of the workforce my dude! Keep it up :D

[@stephenjenkins7971]

@@gabrielegenota1480 Big assumption. He can be just as adept in crushing workers as the employer.

[@mamneo2]

@@stephenjenkins7971 Incroyable.

[@Eddn102]

@@stephenjenkins7971 scab

[@TroyBrophy]

Great timing for this video. I was just in Hamatama, Karatsu (Saga Prefecture, Kyushu) last week and learned about one of these peaceful protests that took place there. The man who ultimately took responsibility and was beheaded for it (although it's not clear whether or not he WAS the leader) and became very famous in the area. His family prospered and became famous locally. We visited a house that was built by a man who married his daughter.

[@Linfamy]

Why do you think I made the video? Because you went there :p

[@FrostbitexP]

#StopVillagerHate

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

r/landlordlove

[@jamesmiller2521]

#EatTheSamurai #OccupyKyoto

[@Skeloperch]

#JapaneseFreedomConvoy

[@Tarik360]

#youcantakemyTanegashimafrommycolddeadhands

[@MoiraMcGill]

Just wanted to say that them signing their names in a circle is pretty cool xD Kinda looks like a sun, too

[@nemou4985]

The video doesn't go over the real reason this was done: So that the leader wasn't found and executed by the lords.

[@toastybacon111]

@@nemou4985 That is extremely clever

[@barbieblues7639]

@Nemo U I was looking for this comment!

[@Detson404]

At least some western sailors presented petitions to the captain by wrapping the paper around a cylindrical object and signing that way. Same effect.

[@penelopegreene]

"Death will ruin your future..." --The Linfamy Sutra

[@titangirl161]

Fun fact: one of the phrases used in official deeds/documents is the phrase "kudan no gotoshi" (like the kudan). The kudan was a yokai who was said to never tell lies, so this phrase was used to assert everything on the document was truth. It's also the title of a manga, which was pretty ok- kinda a devil man crybaby meets final destination

[@aristtara006]

Its funny how the Japanese mix culture into politics all the time

[@kilmindaro3]

it's kinda interesting that around the same period, on the other side of the world in Britain, peasant 'rebellions' were doing a pretty much the same thing, that is presenting a list of grievances to their noble masters, and were in fact often listened to and had their demands met. Just goes to show the struggle is universal.

[@DEATH-THE-GOAT]

You have a "wicked" sense of humour and its awesome 🤣👍

[@nataliewilkie6599]

Your videos are such a mood lifting break regardless of how serious the topic is. Thank you.

[@mm-uj4qz]

Btw, you do such a great job with these videos. They turned out not only to be a great entertainment and knowledge source but also helped me pass my Japan's history exam with flying colours 💖 Lots of love from Poland and keep it up 😊

[@Linfamy]

Congrats on passing the exam 👏

[@r01dtox15]

Love that Circular Signatures with Hanko stamps on top of their names. ✌️😊👍

[@J_Gamble]

Love this so much. Thanks for the knowledge. Shame as the sharpest weapon reminds me of my organizing days. When we shamed a certain national agency into changing some mean and senseless rules.

[@Talonidas7403]

Which agency?

[@J_Gamble]

@@Talonidas7403 Decline to state :)

[@marocat4749]

Good job, glad it did work outsomewhat

[@VineFynn]

@@marocat4749 the changes could have been a terrible idea lmao

[@J_Gamble]

@@VineFynn lol. Yeah, but I think sick leave is good, as is not getting penalized for being sick when it comes time to review for COLA raise

[@Jobe-13]

I’d just run off into the mountains and forests and live as a hunter-gatherer.

[@Linfamy]

No internet though.

[@bigfoottroisiemepartielave1759]

@@Linfamy It worked for Ted Kaczinski...for a while, anyway.

[@Jobe-13]

@@Linfamy It’s worth the sacrifice.

[@CourtneySchwartz]

Until the farmer-industrialists’ armies come and kill you to use your land for farming/mining/manufacturing. Or drive off the plants/animals you use for food. As they did.

[@Jobe-13]

@@CourtneySchwartz I guess so

[@chowturtlezpabus]

I really love this style of narration, hope you'll do more of it.

[@matthewct8167]

Thank you for making Japan so interesting

[@Mikeztarp]

He threatened to _shave their heads?_ Oh, the humanity! That reminds me, my ears are getting long; I should cut them off tomorrow morning.

[@Linfamy]

Are you an elf?

[@Mikeztarp]

@@Linfamy Let's just say I can catch arrows in mid-flight and surf on shields down flights of stairs. ;)

[@vivvy_0]

@@Mikeztarp can you also slow down time and mario jump on falling things?

[@ilhan7442]

#VillagerLivesMatter ✊🏽✊🏽 spread the word guys

[@Drebolaskan]

**Soviet march intensifies**

[@soopyboi4]

workers of the world unite! you have nothing to lose but your chains!

[@patrickfrost9405]

@@soopyboi4 The only chains that exist are those that you permit to exist. If somebody puts you in shackles, they just gave you the legnth of chain you will use to beat them half-to-death.

[@stephenjenkins7971]

@@Drebolaskan Soviets had a bad habit of shooting villagers that went against them, so maybe not the best example lol

[@Drebolaskan]

@@stephenjenkins7971 They were no simple villagers, comrade, those were vile traitors to the people

[@threeeyedgoddess7635]

'There's humor in the blackest tragedy' my dear old dad used to say - hahahah Linfamy!

[@whoscatimi7590]

It’s just have been a pain living in that era and most eras…

[@giovanne2143]

Man, keep up your work, you do an outstanding job

[@ccd119]

My friend, you have mastered the art of sponsorship plugins! That was so smooth that for a moment I believed it. Love it

[@melodyparra2960]

I love the historical references to each video you make

[@matthewexline6589]

I love how this video literally gets divided into chapters even though it's only about 9.5 minutes.

[@hardyquinn9442]

This is the best and most educational channel on YT. The fact that he's hilarious makes listening so much more enjoyable...

[@KalKharo]

Hey Lin it’s my 1st time here I like your stuff specially the masamune stuffs I hope you get more support cause u deserve it.

[@Linfamy]

Thanks! I'm glad you like the vids 👍

[@taekwongurl]

I appreciate that administrative people have been trying to get one over the general public since forever.

[@ggEmolicious]

Was watching the Yuki Onna video and got a notification of a new Linfamy video, woot! Double dose today!

[@Linfamy]

Woohoo

[@ApatheticOreo]

just want to say how your illustrations look so much better as day goes by

[@uzukee9133]

Damn the boxxu snacks look good I think I am gonna get it

[@Linfamy]

Hope you enjoy, FBI agent.

[@eirintowne]

Super funny way to tell an important story! Thank you for an indecent amount of chuckles :D

[@TristanBanks]

In our times people would be defending the landowner saying its his money, why should the lazy dumb peasants get it? The landowner is a job creator. Without him there would be no jobs and everyone would be poor. This is why we need more workers unions across the capitalist world.

[@GregorianMG]

You can create a job too you know. It's harder, but will be worth it in the long run.

[@Ehibika]

@@GregorianMG to create a job requires capital and lots of it, and more importantly some means of production. And these days, the former can be tough to acquire and the latter effectively impossible thanks to all of it already under ownership of someone else.

[@TristanBanks]

@@GregorianMG Yeah for sure you are correct, all people should aspire to create something for themselves and their community. If I make something that controls a large amount of land and influence, there should be a third party to make sure those that work for me would be properly and fairly rewarded. There is only so much land capital needed to sustain all people and we all play our part in the greater picture.

[@animalia5554]

Honestly, being in charge sounds like a huge pain in the ass.

[@yeeshatraveller]

This was one of ur most interesting videos. Thanx

[@TheSaneHatter]

Alas, despite this informal "system" of resolving disputes, I'm told that Tokugawa Japan suffered an all-out peasant revolt on an average of every other year.

[@Linfamy]

Yep, commoner revolts were a thing in Tokugawa period.

[@Elyseon]

Tokugawa was a monster who even murdered some of his own children so no surprise there.

[@LDsupaHero]

Legit draws parallels to how knights and nobles in medieval Europe treated their "commoners" same stuff going on everywhere. But in media the saints and nobles are often portrayed as good well intentioned honorable people.

[@Alias_Anybody]

Considering I personally mentioned this topic a few videos ago I count this as a Valentines gift. Nice.

[@ferretfather2000]

Ive watched three videos in a row and all of them had me in stitches. Youre great at this, Mate. History made fun.

[@VideoAssaultSaturday]

ur samurai drawins look so cool! :) also great jokes!!! xD your channel is criminally underrated, keep up the great work!

[@ihateyoutube772]

Dude I love the snark just dripping from every video. Keep it up

[@sagacious03]

Neat analysis video! Thanks for uploading!

[@marocat4749]

Yes love videos about common people and their struggle.

[@edi9892]

Did the peasants ever take the nuclear option? (Burn the grannary, slay the cattle, and poison the wells) I mean that if the peasants found out that the lord called for an army and they'd be dead soon, why not make sure that the lord rules over bones, ashes and hunger? BTW: I'm Austrian, and one of our dear leaders proclaimed that he'd rather ruled over a wasteland, than a country of infidels. That's why we have no protestant minority. Also, Js and Muslims were gone for quite a while...

[@samuraijackoff5354]

Im sure there were some peasant uprisings

[@edi9892]

@@samuraijackoff5354 Definitely, but did they destroy the resources on which all life hinges on?

[@marocat4749]

There were always jewish people thou because they were prohibited from owning lands that time, meaning, they were probably mobile.

[@morricane5087]

​ @edi Violent peasant uprisings, directly targeted against the local powerful upper-class farmers or local officials in charge of exactly the stuff like granaries, are mostly an Edo-thing. The term for them is "hyakushō ikki." (Also, why burn the granary if you could just open it and march off with the food?)

[@samuraijackoff5354]

@@edi9892 From my experience on Total War shogun 2, yes. They will.

[@rockyporterjr4215]

your way with words is poetic in its nature. subbed.

[@R_lulu]

2:34 Oh, shit. I just realized I live in feudal Japan.

[@ironwolf5802]

That would stink if your problem was with a shrine but had to use it for the ceremony. "Hay, mind if we do our ceremony here? Thanks, now here's our list of complaints and what we want to change."

[@Linfamy]

lol awkward

[@paladinash83]

"Death will ruin your future" - what the actual F, I snickered like a little school gal

[@NintendoDude360]

i was about to say something about how farmers decided to turn into ninjas to take on their oppressive samurai lords.

[@thebluenoble6175]

Not only does labor win sometimes it brought us the weekend

[@alternativewalls4988]

"seems like labour wins sometimes" Certified UK moment

[@icetwister2000]

I love your quirky hurmor like samurai movie nights. Great content and fun to watch.

[@dirckthedork-knight1201]

*"Prepare to be visited by an orgy of gods if you break the oath"* Sir yes sir!!

[@SuLokify]

Just discovered this channel and love how the info is presented. Thanks for making it, lots of fun.

[@shadowxgaming4247]

Similarities and valid comparisons may be drawn from the dynamics between the relationships of peasants and lords of old to workers and bosses of now, just with extra steps... Excellent stuff, love the left lean to your content.

[@GeFlixes]

This is much less "do one meep and it's off with your head" than I would've thunk. If they were bondsmen they wouldn't have thought to fight back against their landlords.

[@mm-uj4qz]

I am so proud of those commoners and I'm not even Japanese

[@monsignorerasmus.6441]

The cruelty of missing out on samurai movie night.

[@andro7862]

1:03 Oh god oh fuck Nichiren is typing...

[@Linfamy]

Lol

[@matthewdrummond1340]

Loved it! Had to subscribe

[@Linfamy]

😁👍

[@Borderose]

The fact that most samurai were assholes is part of why Oda Nobunaga is my favorite Daimyo: he took a lot of jollies is making samurai look like total schmucks with his mostly peasant army. Really, what's a lifetime of training when I can give a farmer an arquebus? Or at least a really long stabby stick?

[@Elyseon]

No wonder Japan treats Nobunaga like the devil. They're too in love with bushido bullshit.

[@twiliblade]

@@Elyseon oda was the true Chad.

[@juliantotriwijaya9208]

"Sharing is caring, and no one cared" XD lmao

[@Crusader-Ramos45]

I can’t help but feel like it reminds me of how peasants in medieval Europe coped badly with greedy and vain dukes, knights, landlords, and fanatical inquisitors.

[@kagepoker]

Amazing history of antiwork and unions. The landowners did not exploit manpower agencies and contractualization yet.

[@jhoughjr1]

sometimes death improves your future.

[@Linfamy]

how 🤔

[@mathieuleader8601]

I just want to see a courtroom drama with all these gods facing off against one and another

[@MrForex2u]

Landlord, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed. -Karl Marx

[@pufftofu]

"sharing is caring, but no one cares" ouchh

[@Dantalliumsolarium]

“And then you make your move cowboy” I love you dearly

[@finonevado8891]

as a nerd, this is the first video I encounter that has the commoner as it's main point, everything I saw so far talks about the egos of the people in power, and how they enforced their power over other greedy assholes (all the while commoners paid the price in blood and misery) subbed just for that

[@thenoblepoptart]

So fascinating to see this governance from the villagers POV, in those times the onerous obligations to your lord seem a lot like paying protection money to a local gang today.

[@kaijuslayer3334]

They were taxes. It was essentially the same concept as modern taxation.

[@thenoblepoptart]

@@kaijuslayer3334 I guess it’s a fine line between tax and extortion, but thankfully these days the IRS won’t pillage your pantry or slaughter your town if you don’t pay.

[@hoominbeeing]

@@thenoblepoptart Taxation is theft

[@ManiSRao-bt3xw]

Only difference is that taxes now go to build roads & provide elctricity. Back then taxes went into the pockets of the overlords, end of story.

[@kaijuslayer3334]

@@ManiSRao-bt3xw Such a sugar coated version of it. Corruption ensures pocketing still happens, meanwhile back then, some taxes would still go to roads and development of the lord’s territory. Which would usually help the residents as well. In reality, things have not changed much.

[@miketacos9034]

It's amazing how these dynamics go back so far... yet we learn nothing about it in school.

[@naturalmusic2789]

“Could barley believe it." :D

[@mushroom_thing7927]

New upload! I was wondering what the next topic would be.

[@akabluetaiga5670]

Man, do you have any idea just how neat your videos are? I'm producing a "series", mixing Japanese history and culture and a story on its own, and even though I try to gather infos on my own, I can't help but come back to your channel. It's just a treat. You're inspiring, dude

[@tora9915]

JAPANESE PEASANT UNIONS JAPANESE PEASANT UNIONS

[@Weigazod]

You don't see much difference between a samurai and a knight. Both are low-rank nobles. Both are from the warrior-class. Both are trained from childhood to be hardened warriors. Both are romanised as people who follow chivalry code which is true, but are also ravagers, rapists, oppressors, invaders, and murderers.

[@peonyflower]

i want a series like this about historical china!

[@jasepoag8930]

"People could barley believe it" * SIGH *

[@ikoartiaga5971]

I like this words "asshole sumurai" xD

[@RyanBile]

Good delivery

[@man4290]

same stuff going on today.in the "goverment/judicial system".

[@The_Gallowglass]

They hired 6 samurai and Toshihiro Mifune with bowls of rice. dUHHHHH

[@gabrielveloso6264]

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles."

[@samwiseb2799]

Farmers and peasants of the world unite ✊✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

[@connectyours]

VILLAGERS OF JAPAN UNITE!

[@MrGhostsword]

Nice how you added the advert in the middle, with a nice story.. :)

[@malikmalchan2525]

#VillagerLivesMatter

[@malikmalchan2525]

hey btw can you collab with shogo and prob let shogunate tag along

[@VeiledSeer]

@@malikmalchan2525 holy shit that would be amazing

[@MrPainisCupcake]

Goes to show that unions do work ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@chicoarraes]

All the power to the people!

[@ChristopherCricketWallace]

that sponsor ad was masterful.

[@BaalFridge]

medieval japanese farmer scabs arent something I thought I,d learn about today but i,m really happy i did, thanks Linfamy

[@potflower4136]

"Barley believe it" 2:06... god damn it Linfamy