The origin of the samurai dates back to around the 10th century and was strengthened at the end of the Genpei Wars at the end of the 12th century, whe...n a military government was instituted under the figure of the shōgun, for which the Emperor of Japan remained in his shadow as a mere spectator. of the political situation in the country. Its peak moment took place during the Sengoku period, a time of great instability and continuous power struggles between the different existing clans, which is why this stage in the history of Japan is referred to as the "warring states period". The military leadership of the country would continue in the hands of this elite until the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate in the 17th century by a powerful samurai landowner (known as daimyō) called Tokugawa Ieyasu, who paradoxically, by becoming the highest authority by being appointed as shōgun, fought to reduce the privileges and social status of the warrior class, a process that ultimately culminated in its demise when the emperor resumed his role as ruler during the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century.
