What term describes the social and political hierarchy that defined Japanese feudal society?

• A. The Tokugawa System
• B. The Class System
• C. The Caste System
• D. The Samurai Code

Answer: (C)

The term that accurately describes the social and political hierarchy that defined Japanese feudal society is not "The Caste System." Instead, Japanese feudal society was characterized by a distinct class structure that included various roles such as the Emperor, shoguns, daimyo, samurai, peasants, and merchants, which together formed a system of layered statuses and privileges.

The "Class System" is a more fitting term as it encapsulates the hierarchical nature of these roles within society. The samurai, for instance, were a military class that held considerable power and status, serving the daimyo, who were feudal lords. Meanwhile, the peasants were crucial in terms of agricultural production but had less political power.

"The Tokugawa System" refers specifically to the period of peace and stability during the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868), which implemented strict social structures but is not a term that describes the entirety of the earlier feudal structure. "The Samurai Code" refers to the ethical system guiding the samurai known as Bushido, which, while related to the samurai class, does not encompass the broader social hierarchy.

Therefore, the term that best reflects the hierarchy of the Japanese feudal society is the