The Warrior Life of Yasuke: The African Samurai

today we are going to talk about someone i never thought i was going to talk about or suppose make a full video about although i briefly have mentioned him before a famous figure in samara history that is also somewhat of a legend although i would never go so far as to say a myth because he definitely did exist you obviously know who i'm talking about because of the name of the video yasuke the african man who would come to be remembered as the only ever black samurai of course i did bring him up before in my video going through samurai legends with lynfamy however now i am back to talk more about this fascinating figure yet this time with the help of thomas lockley who is the co-author of african samurai the true story of yasuke a legendary black warrior in feudal japan thomas lockley is a professor at nihon university located in the heart of tokyo where he teaches courses about the international and multicultural history of japan and east asia however one thing he has always had a passion for was the figure of yasuke having written not only this book but also an academic book and research paper regarding him it is no doubt that mr lockley is the world's leading expert on yasuke and i highly recommend you go pick yourself up a copy of this book if you are interested in samurai history and or particularly the story of the famous black samurai it's really an awesome book that i personally have not seen the likes of before as it is a history book that reads a lot like a narrative novel an awesome blend of the two styles that creates a captivating read you can find a link to where you can get a copy for yourself in the description below now as you may have already seen there are plenty of other videos here on youtube that dive into yasuke and what is known about his life story you may already be very familiar with him and it's here i wanted to give a quick shout out to my friend shogo who made a fun video a while back going through famous foreign samurai i seriously recommend you go check out this video and his channel he makes great content but the way i wanted to go about this was a little bit different taking an angle that i personally have not yet seen covered here on youtube instead we are going to examine yasuke as a warrior looking at his life prior to coming to japan and how his own notions of combat and war may have differed to that of the samurai during the sengoku jidai and most importantly answering the big question of why today we can even call yasuke a samurai so with that said let's dive in obviously to start things off we first need to take a look at yasuke's life before he arrived in japan yasuke was probably a man from northeast africa although the common story was that he was from mozambique lockley believes that yasuke was actually from what is now south sudan now although yasuke was from northeast africa that is probably not where he was actually picked up by the jesuits rather he was actually employed by the jesuits while in india which of course begs the question of what was he doing in india well long story short it is believed that yasuke was probably a habshi a man of east africa who had been likely enslaved by arab traffickers and brought to india this was actually something that had become common utilizing the african slave trade to bring a slave workforce or military presence abroad this had been going on for some time we can see arab factions doing this and later once the portuguese began moving in they did so too bringing slaves through the port of goa in yasuke's case he was used likely as an enforcer or bodyguard of sorts he would have been trained as a warrior and later when he came into portuguese service used to help establish a growing portuguese colonial presence by this point he would have still been a slave yet over time it is plausible like other habshi warriors that yasuke actually earned his freedom and eventually came to be a mercenary of sorts a warrior in service to whoever paid him for his services to this end we also start to see other habshi warriors akin to him becoming rather wealthy in their line of work dressing in fine clothes and affording the best weapons of the age in fact during yasuke's lifetime india would even see the rise of a legendary habshi leader named malik ambar who would bring rival lords to heel but as we know yasuke's destiny did not lie in india although his time there would have molded him into a great and wealthy warrior his services would eventually be bought by jesuit missionaries on their way east as he would be employed as a bodyguard he was hired by the jesuits when he was still a young man perhaps just as old as 19 yet by this point he may have already seen his fair share of conflicts and combat and it is important to remember that he would not have been employed for such a job were it not for his fighting experience he possessed thus it is safe to assume yasuke was a fine warrior likely proficient with a spear but potentially also skilled with daggers or even swords as other hapshi warriors are often depicted to carry he would have been familiar with styles of warfare present in india during the 1500s a time that saw an increased usage of artillery and firearms but also still the melee weapons of old and of course elephants however he would soon come to discover another land at war and a similar yet different landscape of conflict by 1579 yasuke arrived in japan alongside the jesuits he was in service to they arrived in kuchinotsu a minor port on the island of kyushu the island in which almost all foreign trade flowed into japan at this time now here's where things start to cross over into my most recent singukuchi dai episode kuchi notsu which was located in the province of hezen was at this point under the rule of the arima clan as we know from the most recent episode the arima were at odds with the major power in the province thuriazoji this would all come into play largely five years later in 1584 at the battle of okitanawate where through the aid of not only western weapons allies and even the shimazu the arima would be able to successfully defeat the ryazoji a battle in which we will come to see later yasuke actually may have been present in now i have made it clear in the past that many japanese clans welcomed westerners and western influences into their domains not only as a form of trade and securing weapons but also in some cases also due to christianity which had begun to take hold of various lords across japan at this point in time western trade and even influence was largely accepted across the country and it is important to remember that this was also a precedent that was being displayed by none other than the great unifier oda nobunaga who by 1579 was at nearly the height of his power nobunaga welcomed the west with open arms not only did he have a fascination with western weaponry but also clothing food and culture if nobunaga had lived and succeeded in unifying japan we may have seen the country start to embrace more and more western influence largely because leaders like nobunaga saw the great advancements and innovations westerners could provide this may have led to the evolution of a very different japan than the country we know today but getting back to yasuke he would have been quickly exposed to the nature of the warring period in japan that would come to be known as the singukuchi dai a turbulent time when samurai clans all across the country were fighting for regional dominance and if things weren't already incredibly climactic europeans had first arrived in japan in 1543 right in the middle of this warring age turning the chaos of the period up to 11. yet by 1579 the sight of foreigners in japan although still strange was becoming a bit more normal yasuki is believed to have traveled alongside the jesuits into the territory of the otomo clan who are largely remembered for their embrace of christianity under otomo sorin the otomo too like the arima were under threat of attack however much more severely they were facing off against the powerhouse that was the shimazu clan from there yasuke and the jesuits moved eastward towards the capital kyoto all along the way being a bodyguard to the jesuits as they interacted with countless samurai nobles through this yasuki would have been fully exposed to japanese and particularly formal samurai culture it is in the early stages of his journey across japan that he would have started to form the idea in his head of who the samurai were and how they acted as warriors one of the initial things yasuke may have found difficult in japan was discerning who held power a system of ranks that was present in europe and other parts around the world did not exist the same way in japan although hierarchies in familial ties was still a staple there was also a lot of status by merit thus identifying samra in charge may have been something yasuke would have struggled with although there is no doubt that in his head he was continually comparing japanese warrior ways to the idea of warriors he had known from his time in india this is an interesting idea to contrast because often the idea gets thrown about that yasuke was picked up by the jesuits straight from africa not more realistically from india placing together the idea of yasuke being enslaved as a child and torn away from his village only to be raised as a slave warrior and endure harsh treatment from his slave masters would have definitely left him with some awful drama and bitter memories this would have also probably gone far to harden him both mentally and physically as a warrior which brings us right into his path to becoming a hapshi in india through this lifestyle his perception of warrior cultures and warfare would have been developed and comparable to different warrior societies he was exposed to in fact india alone was home to a vast amount of different warrior societies from the hopshi to the mughals to the rajput to forces of the bengal sultanate we can assume yasuke would have had been at least aware of many different military structures and although the warrior culture of the samurai would have been something new for him it likely did not surprise him at all to see no doubt their customs probably still intrigued him as a fighter in terms of actual warfare itself although at this point yasuke was yet to experience samurai warfare first hand it was still laid out for him to grasp spear lines of foot soldiers led by samurai commanders accompanied by masses of heavy shock cavalry the most diverse element of course being groups of soldiers armed with matchlock firearms which although still were often imported to clans that had no means of their own to produce them were now largely and widely being made by japanese craftsmen ever since the arrival of europeans in 1543. by 1579 the idea of how to best implement soldiers armed with firearms was starting to solidify after odanobu naga's stunning display at the battle of nagashino which marked a devastating turning point in samurai warfare and although samurai warfare did differ much from what yasuke may have experienced in india both styles of combat still incorporated many of the same elements firearms cavalry charges and bloody melee engagements in fact one of the primary things that differ maybe the largest between the two was a lack of war elephants that were often seen across conflicts in india obviously japan was not home to such animals another thing that yasuke would have taken note of was the concept of head taking although taking heads as prizes was something that was still relevant in india there was a much larger emphasis on it in samurai warfare and if you have watched my video on head taking you would know all about it but what is important to know here is that all warriors from samurai to ashigaru foot soldiers were able to take the heads of fallen enemies and present them to their lord during a head viewing ceremony this was the primary way samurai and ashigaru were able to display their proof of service and receive rewards for their efforts in fact during this age if an ashigaru proved themselves enough they may even be promoted to that of a samurai this was an integral part of samurai culture and battle often during and after a clash you would have seen warriors carrying the heads of the dead perhaps tied to belts as to free up their hands this is no doubt something that yasuke would have come to hear of and later witness and you have to imagine it would have struck him as a fairly unique element to an otherwise elegant society eventually we get to the famous point in yasuke's story where in 1581 after being in japan for roughly two years already he is introduced to none other than oda nobunaga once again at the height of his power and influence now it is important to remind you that yasuke was not the first and only african to journey to japan alongside europeans their appearance had been noted far earlier than yasuke and must have continued to always perplex the japanese it's just that yasuke was the first to be introduced to a lord as mighty as nobunaga and that he himself was also a warrior nobunaga was intrigued with the idea of the african and more so how the appearance of him was causing such an uproar among commoners and others who had never seen the likes of someone with such dark skin nobunaga shared a common belief that the african skin was not naturally dark yet after inspection and scrubbing he was finally convinced nobunaga was fascinated with yasuke here was a man who hailed from a continent that nobunaga had virtually no idea of he saw the african as not only an individual who could broaden his own horizons and understanding of the world but also probably a form of novelty he could heighten his own dignity with after some deliberation it was easily decided that yasuke would leave the company of the jesuits and join the service of oda nobunaga and it is probably here that nobunaga finally gave him the name yasuke it is fairly clear that nobunaga's initial interest in yasuke was far more concerned with cultural intrigue and as a symbol of status more so than his physical size and skill as a warrior those were secondary yet still it is here in the service of nobunaga that we finally start to see a series of events that lead to us today being able to call yasuke a samurai of sorts initially it is believed that yasuke served nobunaga as an attendant guarding his chambers accompanying him during travel and being a former personal guard like he had been to the jesuits it's quite easy to see that all the ways nobunaga first utilized yasuke were also ways that effectively showed him off he was often on display for all to see and fear a large powerful dark-skinned warrior he was in time given a residency a short ceremonial sword servants and a stipend we can fully call yasuke an employed member of the oda clan he would share many conversations with nobunaga who maintained a fascination with him their relationship may have even stretched into the realm of intimacy something that was common among samurai being that many of them were indeed bisexual it is also interesting to note that yasuke may have even taken part in some sumo wrestling as it is depicted in a famous illustration of nobunaga overwatching a match one of the participants easily shown to have black skin in time it was rumored that yasuke would even be appointed to lordship with his own castle by nobunaga something that would have marked the height of his own status in japan so going down the list he was employed by the oda and as a warrior in service to nobunaga himself was gifted a sword and in line for a castle it is quite easy to say that yasuke had become a form of samurai it is important to keep in mind that during this period in samurai history as i have stated before ashigaru common foot soldiers could ascend to the rank of samurai so was the case for nobunaga's soon-to-be successor toyotomi hideyoshi thus it mattered not what your family lineage was at this point in time anyone through service could become a samurai the only argument right here that would call yasuke not a samurai would be on the basis of him simply not being japanese an argument i would in this case throw out the window it is believed that yasuke did come to see combat under the oda clan and finally experience samurai warfare first hand no doubt his physical and martial prowess led him to success on the battlefield this would have also perhaps been his first experience with head taking and maybe even head viewing ceremonies his stint as a samurai under the oda as we know was not destined to last forever as just a year after joining the service of nobunaga he was present during the incident at honoji when akichi mitsuhide betrayed nobunaga and attacked his compound yasuke would have fought bitterly for his lord yet would be overwhelmed however in all accounts yasuke's story does not end here with the death of nobunaga although this is the point where his story does start to trail off leaving many to speculate what happened next for him but in the series of events that thomas lockley supports yasuke is believed to have been captured during the incident at honoji only to later be reunited with the jesuits he may not have stayed with them though and actually may have sought to join under hideyoshi the man who would truly succeed nobunaga although it appears he also may have went back west it is suspected that he returned back to hisan province to the arima clan the first samurai clan he had encountered when he had first arrived in japan it is here he may have later taken part in the battle of okita nawate which once again we just covered in the latest sengokujidai series episode this story is backed up by tales of people who apparently saw an african man present during the battle although from here once again his story would trail off there are many ideas of what may have come of yasuke over the remainder of his years he may have died at okitunawate or perhaps survived and stayed a samurai in japan other ideas speculate him returning to the service of the jesuits or even finding a new life as a sailor or pirate whatever the case he surely left his mark on history today yasuke has become a cultural icon whose story continues to gain more and more interest as the years go on although firmly rooted in history he still remains a mysterious and perplexing figure the first and only african man who became a samurai during japan's most iconic age the sengoku jidai countless stories and depictions of him have appeared over the years trying to paint the image of who he really was through tv shows to games to manga to anime to more yasuke continues to return ensuring that his story continues to live on to this day once again i want to thank thomas lockley for reaching out to me and for making this video with me if you want to learn more about the true story of yasuke please go check out his book which once again you can find a link to in the description it really is a great read but with that said thank you for watching and don't forget to like subscribe and ring that notification bell if you enjoyed this video and found it to be most informative [Music] you

Channel: The Shogunate

Views: 272,775

Rating: 4.8760905 out of 5

Keywords: Samurai, Black Samurai, Yasuke, Japan, History, Bushido, Warrior, India, Oda Nobunaga, Military, Shogun, Shogunate, Katana, Honor, Book, Review, Daimyo, Feudal Japan, Medieval

Id: tY3_9iywbF4

Length: 19min 57sec (1197 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 13 2020

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[u/IamHere-4U]

The following video is on the story of Yasuke, a warrior of African origin who became a retainer of the Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) during the Sengoku (Warring States) Period. Scholar Thomas Lockley suggests that Yasuke was of Dinka origin, though modern day Ethiopia and Mozambique have also been proposed as locations of origin. According to Lockley, Yasuke was likely Habshi, or members of the African diaspora in India who were either enslaved themselves or descended from slaves trafficked across the Indian Ocean. Many Habshi were trained as warriors, which was likely the case for Yasuke, which was why he was recruited by Portuguese Jesuits on an envoy to Japan to serve as a bodyguard for the missionary Alessandro Valignano. Nobunaga, who took an interest in western weaponry and culture, was introduced to Oda Nobunaga at the height of his power. Oda Nobunaga took Yasuke under his wing from the jesuits, where he was given his Japanese name that we know him by, and became Nobunaga’s attendant and bodyguard. He was given residency, a sword, servants and a stipend, and eventually, lordship at the height of his status. The details of Yasuke’s life after the Battle of Tenmokuzan and the Honnō-ji Incident, where Nobunaga was assassinated, are fuzzy, but his life makes for an interesting account of an early African-Japanese encounter nonetheless.

• If you would like to read more about this story, you can check African Samurai: The True Story of a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan by Thomas Lockley.
• If you are more interested in Habshi warriors more generally, you may want to watch this video on the Ethiopian slave-turned-king Malik Ambar.

[u/mandogvan]

I saw the anime and was hoping for historically accurate (or at least close). Was disappointed by all the sci-fi bullshit

[u/tippecanoe_1811]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing! I wonder how Yasuke’s status as a warrior and lord may have differed from that of a Japanese-born man of the same position. Was Yasuke afforded as much as his counterparts?