Chivalry II - - The Ideal.

This is coolbert:

Please do not think that the concept of chivalry is something common only to the Christian and European tradition. This is not the case!

More or less during a similar time period [1000 A.D.], a number of cultural domains developed simultaneously and perhaps independently, the same basic concepts and ideals of chivalry.

Create a noble ethical standard that the warrior could adhere too. Standards that have a great degree of commonality from cultural domain to domain.

The concept of chivalry can be found in the cultures of:

Japan.

Bushido, meaning "way of the warrior", is a Japanese code of conduct and a way of life, loosely analogous to the European concept of chivalry.

"...Bushido, then, is the code of moral principles which the samurai were required or instructed to observe.

"concepts of an all encompassing loyalty to their master, filial piety, reverence to the Emperor. It indicates the need for both compassion for those of a lower station, and for the preservation of their name. Early Bushido literature further enforces the requirement to conduct themselves with calmness, fairness, justice, and politeness. The relationship between learning and the way of the warrior is clearly articulated, one being a natural partner to the other."

[learning and the way of the warrior were seen as NOT be incompatible. Rather, it was said that, "sword and pen in harmony".]

"Seven virtues [of the chivalrous warrior]"

* Gi – Rectitude

* Yū – Courage

* Jin – Benevolence

* Rei – Respect

* Makoto or Shin– Honesty

* Meiyo – Honor, Glory

* Chū – Loyalty

Others that are sometimes added to these:

* Kō - Filial piety

* Chi - Wisdom

* Tei - Care for the aged

Islam.

Futuwa.

Futuwa (sometimes translated as "courage", "chivalry" or "manliness") is a name of Sufi Islamic virtue that has some similarities to chivalry and charity.

[in some circles, it has been suggested that Islamic Sufi philosophy could be an antidote for various jihadi movements. Sufi practices tend to promote the "inner war" [greater jihad] component of Islam. Striving to achieve moral perfection rather than the "lesser jihad" or warfare as seen in the present time.]

"Another form was Warriors for the Faith, that is, warbands or warrior societies . . . However, for example, in 1100s in Damascus, Ibn Jubayr founded an organization called the Nubuya that fought the fanatic Shi'a sects in Syria."

"Abbasid Caliph an-Nasir (1158–1225) approved of and supported futuwas. In 1182 he organized a warrior futuwa that was for all practical purposes a knightly order with mounted warriors."

India.

"Rajputs (from the Sanskrit Rajanya Tatpurusha compound rājaputra, "son of a king") are a prominent social group of India, Pakistan and Nepal."

"The Rajputs were designated by the British as a "Martial Race". Martial Race is a designation created by officials of British India to describe "races" (peoples) that were thought to be naturally warlike and aggressive in battle and to possess qualities like courage, loyalty, self sufficiency, physical strength, resilience, orderliness, hard working, fighting tenacity and military strategy."

"They developed an ethos of warlike chivalry that served as the benchmark for other Indian communities as the latter ascended to regional dominance. This martial ethos did not preclude patronage of the arts: distinctive forms of painting and architecture developed under the aegis of Rajput courts, and classical music found support."

[again, the emphasis was NOT merely on the military. Cultural pursuits were also developed to a high standard. Much of the same behavior existed in Japan. The samurai, as a leisure class during time of peace, were patrons of high culture as well as warriors.]

China.

Xiá.

The xiá is a Chinese term that refers to a righteous person who excels in personal combat and may use their armed expertise to right social unfairness or injustice. Xiá could be roughly compared to "chivalry" and identified with the Western concept of knights and knighthood, although they are not strictly interchangeable.

[not strictly interchangeable. Well, NO, but close enough.]

"The main identification of a xiá is a code of conduct and an ideology of honor and social justice dedicated to serving the good of the people."

"an ideal hero who wielded power by force, but could withhold it if necessary, and more importantly, possesses a sense of moral justice."

[Chinese society through the ages HAS NOT necessarily had RELIGION in the formal sense that worships a SUPREME being. GOD as is understood in the WEST is not necessarily a part of Chinese philosophy. Chinese belief systems are MORE of a way of explaining the cosmos and how the individual relates to it. Xia' is an example of moral conduct and honor as practiced by the warrior or martial artist.]

Many different cultural domains coming to the same basic conclusions on how to harness the warrior and put his skills to the use of society. The warrior, rather than becoming a bane, becomes an asset.

Chivalry was seen as the way to accomplish this.

coolbert.