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No complete history of the samurai can be complete without the story of the 47 Ronin, which has enriched Japanese culture and has become famous throughout the world through numerous books, plays, comics and their adaptations. However, many of them, including the recently released film by Carl Rinsch, are very far removed from what actually happened.

"47 Ronin": a lesson in valor and honor

But first, let's explain the term itself: ronin is a samurai without a master. Perhaps this is where his Japanese name "wave man" comes from, because he was set free to swim at the behest of the waves. Ronin became for various reasons. Someone was "fired" by the owners for various misconduct, well, and someone was born a ronin.

There were also those about whom the latest adaptation of the story of the 47 ronin tells about - devoted servants who took on a risky venture. In order not to cast a shadow on the good name of the former master and his clan, they voluntarily became ronin. The largest number of ronin occurred during the period of the Tokugawa shogunate or Edo bakufu (1600-1868).

At the very top of the hierarchy was shogun(originally a military rank, which later became the title of the military rulers of Japan), followed by his subjects, military feudal lords - daimyo. Their power was supported by a numerous privileged class of samurai. At the bottom of the stairs were peasants, townspeople, merchants and pariahs. Any movement between classes was almost impossible.

In 1651, after the death of the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, his son Ietsuna came to power. During his reign, outwardly practically invisible, but extremely important changes for the social structure of the country took place. For almost half a century of peaceful existence, the military class of the country has undergone significant changes. Samurai became government officials, townspeople or peasants. During the Genroku period (1688-1704), which is considered the golden age of Japan, the brightest examples of samurai culture appeared. At this time, the classical military instructions "Budo Shoshin Shu" and "Hagakure" were created, numerous schools of martial arts reached an unprecedented flourishing.

During the reign of the capricious fifth shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (1646-1709), an edict was issued prohibiting the cruel treatment and killing of all living creatures: from horses, dogs and cats to mosquitoes. However, people who violated this order were clearly not recognized as living beings and were executed.

"Daimio ( daimyo - territorial sovereign princes of medieval Japan. —Ed.) Azano Naganori during an audience in the imperial palace was insulted by the courtier Kira Yoshihide and drew a sword against him. For this offense against the strict court etiquette, he was sentenced to death and had to take his own life. To avenge his death, 47 samurai voluntarily left the warrior caste, that is, they became a rejected wandering people ( ronin) and prepared for two full years to find their enemy. Finally, in December 1702, they came to Yoshihide at the castle, defeated the guards of the castle and killed the offender of their master, on whose grave they laid the head of the murdered. After that, they all committed suicide. Even now, on the day of commemoration of the dead, their graves are decorated with flowers as a monument of unshakable fidelity, ”is written in the book The Historical Development of Japan, published in St. Petersburg in 1905, written by H. Vandenberg.

Let us add that Kira Yoshinaka was a hereditary expert on rituals of the highest rank and had to lead Asano along with others to the ceremony. To lull the vigilance of their victim, 47 ronin, led by Oishi Kuranosuke Yoshio, pretended to indulge in drunkenness and rushed into all serious. They should not have been touched by a shadow of suspicion. Meanwhile, the conspirators were preparing to carry out a plan of revenge for their master.

Here is how this story is described by Hiroaki Sato: “On the night of the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, or to be more precise, before the dawn of the fifteenth year of Genroku (1702), forty-seven samurai broke into the house of Kira Kozukenosuke Yoshinaka in Edo and killed the owner and many of his servants They immediately informed the authorities about their act, presenting a list of participants in the attack, and explained the reason: they killed Kira in order to avenge their master Asano Takuminokami Naganori. "

So, on December 14, 1702, 47 ronin broke into the castle of a 61-year-old courtier who bore titles kozukenosuke("Governor Kozuke") and "Junior Captain of the Left Wing of the Inner Palace Guard". This act was supposed to demonstrate the loyalty of the samurai to the young 35-year-old daimio Naganori and adherence to the military code of honor of bushido behavior.

The then authorities had to solve a difficult dilemma: reward the ronin for the fact that they, more than anyone else over the past century, fulfilled their duty and behaved like true samurai, or punish them for murder. The law prevailed. Asano's brother Daigaku, the shogun's adjutant, was placed under house arrest and Asano Castle in Ako, Harima Province was confiscated.

50 days after the assassination, the 46 remaining ronin after the attack on Yoshihide's house (one allegedly died during the assault) were ordered to commit seppuku(commit suicide). "About what happened to the forty-seventh, Terasaka Kichiemon, there are still very different opinions. Some believe that he got scared and fled before the warriors broke into the Kira house, others that he received special instructions from the manager Oishi and left the detachment after the act of revenge was committed. We follow,” writes Hiroaki Sato, “the more common version, according to which there were forty-seven samurai.”

"At that time there was a judicial order known as kenka ryoseibai: Both sides were found guilty of the collision. At least for this reason, the decision of the authorities in the case of Asano and Kira looked unfair, says Hiroaki Sato. - This impression was strengthened by the fact that Kira was known as a greedy bribe taker and extortionist, who without a shadow of embarrassment used his knowledge and position. A few years earlier, another daimyō of the same rank as Asano had seriously intended to kill him."

The government's decision caused outrage in Japan. 12 days after the mass act of seppuku, the first theatrical performance appeared on the stage, telling about this event.

On this occasion, the 65-year-old British academic and specialist in the military history of the Far East, Stephen Turnbull, spoke quite clearly, who, in particular, advised the blockbuster just released on the screen with Keanu Reeves in the title role: " It is doubtful whether the 47 ronin have done anything for modern Japan other than providing the plot for countless plays and stories, showing the world how primitive and backward Japan can be at times." At the same time, the historian does not unfoundedly criticize, but in his well-known work "Samurai. Military history" (The Samurai. A military history) mentions positive examples of following the bushido code and the model of samurai behavior.

However, in this matter, the respected Academician Turnbull is still a little mistaken. The story of the vengeance of the Ako ronin was the first event in Japan that, as they would say today, caused a "wide public outcry." More than a year after 46 brave warriors committed seppuku, the very inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun: scientists, poets, samurai, swordsmen, and even peasants and merchants, discussed this event, speaking both in support of the heroes and condemning their behavior. Those who mastered the art of writing wrote treatises, brochures, letters, and even notes to local newspapers (they were already published in Japan at that time), in which they expressed their point of view on this story.

The reason for the discussion was not so much the history of revenge itself, but the paradox of the situation: in passing sentence on the ronin, the government of the shogun, as it were, condemned the ideology that had previously been actively planted in Japanese society, that is, it went against itself. The fact is that such a rule of bushido, as the loyalty of a vassal to his master, became widespread only from the beginning of the peaceful era of Edo bakufu. During the internecine wars of the Sengoku jidai that preceded it, such fidelity was the exception rather than the rule.

Then the samurai, for the most part, calmly betrayed their masters (in general, two-thirds of the great battles of this period were won thanks to betrayal), moved from one daimyo to another, tempted by a higher pay - in a word, they behaved in much the same way as European landsknecht mercenaries the same time. There was nothing surprising in this, because in the war everyone cares first of all about how to survive. However, when the war ended, the authorities needed to invent something that could keep in check a huge number of professional thugs for whom war was the main meaning of life and whose loyalty to the government could disappear at any moment. Thus, many provisions of the bushido code were born, including that which obliged the samurai to be faithful to his master.

In fact, all 47 ronin were representatives of the same generation of samurai who were born already in peacetime and learned the provisions of bushido from a very early age - for them it was the only ideology. It should not be surprising that they did exactly as this code ordered. However, the authorities considered their act a crime, thereby putting themselves in a very awkward position. This is exactly what the authors of the treatises pointed out, who sang the feat of 47 brave men. Their opponents objected to them, finding various small details in the act of the ronins, which, in their opinion, cast a shadow on the whole history of revenge and testified that the ronins did it only for their own benefit (and if so, then the punishment was fair).

(Jap. 浪人) or rounin - samurai who did not have a master or master during the feudal period (1185 - 1868). A samurai could lose his master as a result of his death or ruin, or as a result of the loss of his favor.

Etymology

The word literally means "wandering man". The term originated in the Nara Period (奈良时代 Nara jidai from 710 AD-794) and Heian (平安时代 Heian jidai from 794 to 1185), where it meant servants who fled their master's lands. The term then came to refer to a samurai who had lost his master.

Status

According to Bushido (Japanese 武士道, which means ""), a samurai was supposed to commit seppuku (Japanese 切腹 or "" - ritual suicide) upon the loss of his master. Anyone who did not want to follow the code "on their own" had to suffer from shame. The reluctance to obtain the status of ronin was mainly due to the discrimination that existed due to other samurai and (feudal lords).
Like ordinary samurai, the ronin carried two swords. Ronin also used other types of weapons. Some ronin, if they didn't have money, tended to carry a Bo (棒:ぼう or Kon (Chinese term) - staff 5 to 6 feet) or Ze (杖: じょう, a smaller staff or cane about 3 or 5 feet) or used Yumi (弓 is the Japanese term for a bow, and includes the longbow daikyū (大弓 ?) and the shortbow Hankyu (半弓 ?) used in Kyudo practice. Most of the weapons reflected the ryu or bujutsu school, if the ronin were apprentices.

During the Edo period (江戸时代 Edo Jidai ?), or the period (徳川时代 Tokugawa Jidai) with the existence of a rigid system and laws of the shogunate, the number of ronin increased significantly. The confiscation of fiefs during the reign of the third Tokugawa shogunate Iemitsu led to a particularly high increase in the number of ronin. Over the previous centuries, samurai easily moved from one master to another and could engage in various activities. They could also marry members of other classes. However, during the Edo period, the samurai of Japan were limited in their actions, and most of all it was forbidden to transfer to another master without the permission of the previous master. In addition, low-ranking samurai, often poor and disenfranchised, were forced to abandon their masters and flee.

Story

During the Kamakura period (镰仓时代 Kamakura jidai, 1185-1333) and the Muromachi period (室町时代 Muromachi jidai from 1336 to 1573), when warriors ruled over the lands they conquered, the ronin was a warrior who lost his lands. During these periods, due to frequent petty wars throughout Japan, the daimyo needed to increase their armies, so they provided an opportunity for the ronin to serve their new masters. In addition, some ronin formed groups, participated in robberies and uprisings.
During the Sengoku period, the daimyo especially needed new fighters, and even if someone's master died, this ronin got the opportunity to serve the new master. Unlike the later Edo period, communication between master and samurai was free, and some samurai who were unhappy with their treatment left their masters and went in search of new ones. Many warriors inherited the property of their masters, and some even became daimyo. For example, Todo Takatora served ten masters. In addition, since there was no division into classes yet, it was possible to change the profession of a warrior and become a merchant or a farmer, and vice versa. Saito Dosan was a merchant who became a warrior and then a daimyō.

Once Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉, February 2, 1536 or March 26, 1537 – September 18, 1598) gradually unified most of the country, the daimyōs found it unnecessary to recruit new soldiers further. Further, the Battle of Sekigahara (1600 AD) resulted in the confiscation and reduction of fiefdoms from more daimyo on the losing side, causing many Japanese samurai to become ronin. As many as one hundred thousand ronin joined forces with Toyotomi Hideyori and fought during the siege of the city of Osaka. In the years of peace that followed, there was no need to maintain expensive armies, and many of the surviving ronin returned to farming or became townspeople. Some, such as Yamada Nagamasa, sought adventure abroad as mercenaries. However, most ronin lived in poverty. During the third shogunate of Tokugawa Iemitsu, their number reached half a million.

Initially, the shogunate viewed them as a danger, and ronin were expelled from the cities or were given limited plots of land where they could live. They were also forbidden to serve their new masters. With fewer and fewer opportunities left for the ronin, they joined the Keian Rebellion (1651 AD). this caused the shogunate to reconsider its policy. He loosened the restriction on daimyō inheritance, resulting in fewer fief confiscations, and ronin were allowed to serve new masters.

The most famous ronin was Miyamoto Musashi (宫本武蔵, c. 1584 – June 13, 1645), a famous swordsman who participated in the Forty-seven Ronin event. Lacking the status and capabilities of samurai, ronin often had a dubious reputation, and their class was often humiliated and ridiculed. Becoming a ronin was undesirable, as they lost their salaries.
As proof of the humiliation felt by becoming a ronin, Lord Redesdale described how a ronin killed himself at the grave of the "Forty-seven Ronin". He left a note that he tried to enter the service of the daimyo Tesyu Domain, but was refused. Not wanting to serve any other master and hating the ronin, he decided to commit suicide. On the other hand, the famous 18th-century writer Kyokutei Bakin renounced his allegiance to Matsudaira Nobunari, whom his father had served all his life. Bakin volunteered to become a ronin and ended up spending his life writing books (many of which were about samurai).

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In accordance with Japanese cultural traditions, ronin was often a shameful figure, subjected to ridicule and humiliation. The status of the ronin was unenviable, since they did not receive a permanent salary from their masters, which, in turn, was a necessary condition for every true samurai. There was even a saying “Seven falls, eight rises”, which meant the right of a samurai to go on wanderings for a period of a year seven times during his service, each time returning to the service of his patron. The unattractiveness of the position ronina, obviously, was fueled by the samurai, who, being heavily burdened with their duties, resented personal freedom ronin. There were many legends about a simple ronin who protected the poor villagers from an arrogant samurai, capable of killing anyone who dared to object to him. On the other hand, there are tales of masterless, untrained, unemployed would-be samurai who survived as a class until the Meiji Restoration. In fact they were ronin, although they differed little from urban daredevils who were desperately looking for "adventure".

As an illustration of the humiliating condition of the samurai who became ronin, Lord Redesdale (British Attache to Japan) described an incident that occurred during his stay in Japan, where he lived a few hundred meters from the grave of "Forty-seven ronin". Then, in the cemetery, one ronin committed suicide, leaving a note saying that he, without a decent livelihood, turned to the daimyo Chosu, but was refused. Because of this, not wanting to serve anyone else and remain in the hated position of a ronin, he decided to kill himself. There was no better place for this. Redesdale noted that he was at the scene 1-2 hours later and saw traces of blood on the ground.

There were a great many Ronin, according to some authors about 400 thousand, but all of them can be divided into three large groups:

1. wealthy vassals who voluntarily left their posts;
2. "fired" for some "small deed" by their masters. Ronin belonging to this group usually tried to earn forgiveness and redeem themselves in order to be allowed to return to their former positions;
3. this group included ronin, located at the very bottom and expelled from the clan for faults and misdemeanors or greed. Such ronin did not advertise the names of their former masters.

Modern Japan

In modern Japan, the word "ronin" is often used as a metaphor for a person who failed the entrance exams to higher educational institutions. Such "ronin" are usually forced to attend preparatory courses in order to gain a passing grade in the future. Obviously, such people are called ronin because they do not have "their" school, just as historical ronin did not have overlords. In addition, there is a similarity in their shameful position, and the suicide rate among modern "ronin" is significantly higher than that of their more successful competitors. The image of the modern ronin is filmed, for example, in the plot of the anime Love Hina.

see also

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See what "Ronin" is in other dictionaries:

The most likely patronymic is ronin (son), i.e. son of Ronia from the diminutive form of Ronya from many canonical (church) male names Andron, Aron, Gerontius, Jerome, Miron, Sofron, etc. (N) (Source: Dictionary of Russian Surnames. ("Onomasticon")) ... ... Russian surnames

See Tyusngur. Literary encyclopedia. In 11 tons; M .: publishing house of the Communist Academy, Soviet Encyclopedia, Fiction. Edited by V. M. Friche, A. V. Lunacharsky. 1929 1939 ... Literary Encyclopedia

- "RONIN" (Ronin), USA, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, 1998, 118 min. Action. The film takes place in Paris, where a group of out-of-work secret agents from different countries gather to take part in an extremely risky business. Cast: Sean Bean ... ... Cinema Encyclopedia

Exist., number of synonyms: 3 warrior (78) samurai (5) wanderer (22) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N ... Synonym dictionary

ronin- ist. Landless samurai. A samurai without a master... Japanese-Russian Dictionary of Japanese Martial Arts Terms

This term has other meanings, see Ronin (meanings). Ronin ... Wikipedia

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Ronin: Ronin is a declassed samurai of Japan's feudal period. Ronin (applicant). Ronin (film) film by John Frankenheimer. Ronin comic book series by Frank Miller ... Wikipedia

This page is proposed to be merged with Ronin. Explanation of reasons and discussion on the Wikipedia page: To unify / July 30, 2012. The discussion lasts one week (or longer if it goes slowly) ... Wikipedia

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Ronin

A terrible man, a ghost that haunts the dreams of official officials and makes the most cowardly of them wake up in a cold sweat; a warrior set free to swim, aimlessly wandering here and there like a wave of the sea - all this is ronin, which literally means "man-wave".

There were a great many Ronin, according to some authors about 400 thousand, but all of them can be divided into three large groups: 1. rich vassals who voluntarily left their posts; 2. "fired" for some "small deed" by their masters. Ronin belonging to this group usually tried to earn forgiveness and redeem themselves in order to be allowed to return to their former positions; 3. this group included ronin, located at the very bottom and expelled from the clan for faults and misdemeanors or greed. Such ronin did not advertise the names of their former masters.

The ronin were left to their own devices and had no stable and visible means of subsistence, so many of them taught the martial arts for a fee - those who could afford it. Often they entered the service as bodyguards (yojimbo) for wealthy merchants; many others subsisted on plunder—that is, they joined bands of robbers (or founded their own) whose presence cast a terrible shadow over the countryside. The underworld of every major city was infested with such people, whom some authors call "knights-errants of ill repute." Their only profession was to carry weapons and therefore to carry out violence from time to time.

Throughout the historical period under Tokugawa rule, the ronin formed an active and numerous warrior class, whose ranks were replenished by the destruction of many clans that the Tokugawa considered unreliable. Ronin roamed the countryside, hiding in major cities, and eventually had to develop a certain independence of mind, aided by the possession of weapons, which were both law and custom for them, and a means of subsistence.

The ronin still despised the commoners, some even taking on a defiant arrogance with their former comrades in arms, but most still wanted a new master. However, this desire of theirs was difficult to fulfill, their own position interfered with its fulfillment, and few people wanted to hire such a vassal, thereby creating a precedent for subsequent relations.

Over time, many ronin came to love their new way of life, much freer than the one they had before, and as free as the rigidly classified society of those days allowed. The “tumbleweed” lifestyle made me use my mental abilities at 100% and not stop when the then accepted norm was reached. Those ronin who continued to carry weapons and did not lose their own individuality stood out quite sharply against the background of the rigidly stratified society of feudal Japan.

Many ronin tried to take in society the paramilitary positions available to them as city guards or commanders of detachments organized to protect various objects - villages, farms, warehouses, etc. Sometimes such warriors demonstrated such outstanding fighting skills that some daimyo invited them to join their clan and thus the ronin could return to their native class. Many, however, were so accustomed to the new life that they refused such a tempting offer and continued to travel around the country, entering into a duel with anyone who dared to challenge them (or accept it).

Ronin were ideal fighters, because they had to rely only on their own strength and always be ready for a duel, and the best military leaders of the country recognized their combat potential. Even the huge armies of Ieyasu could do almost nothing with the huge detachments of ronin who lost everything at Sekigahara and became personal enemies for Ieyasu. One day, a detachment of ronin led by Sanada Yukimura made his way through the ranks of enemies and came close to Ieyasu's headquarters, instilling decent fear in his vassals and generals.

As a separate social group, the ronin proved to be one of the most effective forces in the coalition, united to fight against the system of direct subordination to provincial rulers established under the Tokugawa, which they helped to overthrow for the sake of a system of universal subordination to the emperor, and in his new army they finally found their rightful place. .

A maverick by necessity, the ronin was forced to rely only on himself and his fighting skills (especially his skill with sword and spear) when he was challenged by a samurai belonging to some clan (usually in the company of other samurai) who felt himself offended. the very existence of such a social monster. After all, the ronin offended all the laws and customs of the clan culture just by being who he was. Moreover, the samurai could not be afraid that by killing such a person, he would cause someone's displeasure, or that the owner of the killed warrior and other members of the clan would try to take revenge on him - the ronin had neither a master nor a clan.

As recently as the end of the nineteenth century, the judo master Yokoyama witnessed one of these wandering warriors "in badly worn clothes and ... obviously very poor" clash with three young samurai. The young man forced the ronin to accept his challenge to a duel due to the fact that he accidentally touched the sheath of one of them with his scabbard.

"In accordance with custom, the opponents exchanged names and drew their swords. Three samurai opposed a lone warrior, on whose side, apparently, were the sympathies of the witnesses of this duel.

Sharp swords gleamed in the sun. Ronin, whose imperturbable look made one think that he was just practicing fencing techniques in a training fight, advanced slowly. He pointed the edge of his blade at the samurai in the center of the trio, seemingly oblivious to those on either side of him. The samurai in the center retreated inch by inch, while the ronin still advanced confidently. Then the samurai, who was on the right, decided that he saw an unprotected place in front of him, and rushed to the attack, but the ronin, apparently foreseeing this movement, parried his attack and dealt the enemy a mortal blow with lightning speed. The samurai, located on the left, attacked next, but he suffered the same fate - after a single blow, he fell to the ground, covered in blood. All this happened in a matter of seconds. Seeing what had happened to his comrades, the samurai who was in the center abandoned his original intention and took to his heels."

Ronin, having finished with the enemies, "went to the nearest police station to report what had happened, as required by law." And all this happened in the nineteenth century!

For centuries, these warriors traveled the expanses of Japan, going all along and across, often carrying in the depths of their souls resentment against those who insulted them - other warriors, their masters and teachers. The nature of the ronin often resulted in outbursts of individual violence and made him a popular figure among the common people, who at times could see another hated samurai fall at the hands of an unknown hero.

In the interests of survival, the ronin had to have a very wide range of knowledge in the field of martial arts - as far as it is generally possible for a person. Moreover, he had to master both the traditional methods of combat practiced by representatives of the military class, and those that were common among the common people.

One can often come across the assumption that ronin, freed from the traditional ties that bind him to a particular master or clan, automatically became an enemy not only of individual rulers and samurai, but also of the very system of Japanese feudal society, which also made him a protector of commoners who , after all, helped him survive. However, in most cases this assumption will be wrong. Of course, the ronin had every reason to be offended by his fate, but most often (with very rare exceptions) his resentment arose not because he considered the whole system unfair and despotic, but rather because, by the will of fate, he was excommunicated from his clan and place in this system. However, bad relations with bushi could not bring him closer to any other social class, for which he (like any real warrior of the feudal era) felt sincere contempt. It can even be said that the independent position made the ronin even more arrogant and arrogant than a full-fledged samurai, since neither other samurai nor the laws of the clan had any influence on him. He made his own decisions according to the circumstances, and his freedom, when not accompanied by the restraining influence of a sense of personal responsibility, could give rise to an uncontrollable beast that could cause a lot of trouble to the police forces of different cities. Indirect references in the military chronicles to the “tame ronin”, which were kept by the peasants in order to learn martial arts from them, in fact, tells us that in relations with others, many of these warriors often behaved like wild, ferocious animals.

In general, he has always been and remained a warrior who was supported by a belief in the inviolability of his own status, despite the fact that he was excommunicated from the buque military organization. Yes, in some cases a warrior could take a truly independent position, which, as a result of confronting at the individual level the enormous pressure of the ruling groups of society, could produce a figure of heroic proportions. The exploits of such legendary figures form the basis of the most exciting episodes in Japanese literature and history.

Bibliography

For the preparation of this work, materials from the site http://leit.ru were used.

), who lost the patronage of his overlord, or failed to save his master from death. Term etymology ronin dates back to the Nara and Heian periods, when it meant servants who fled their lord's lands. In rare cases - a wanderer who does not have someone else's power over himself, a free warrior.

Story

In accordance with Japanese cultural traditions, ronin was often a shameful figure, subjected to ridicule and humiliation. The status of the ronin was unenviable, since they did not receive a permanent salary from their masters, which, in turn, was a necessary condition for every true samurai. There was even a saying “Seven falls, eight rises”, which meant the right of a samurai to go on wanderings for a period of a year seven times during his service, each time returning to the service of his patron. The unattractiveness of the position ronina, obviously, was fueled by the samurai, who, being heavily burdened with their duties, resented personal freedom ronin. There were many legends about a simple ronin who protected the poor villagers from an arrogant samurai, capable of killing anyone who dared to object to him. On the other hand, there are tales of masterless, untrained, unemployed would-be samurai who survived as a class until the Meiji Restoration. In fact they were ronin, although they differed little from urban daredevils who were desperately looking for "adventure".

As an illustration of the humiliating position of the samurai who became ronin, Lord Redesdale (British attaché to Japan) described an incident that occurred during his stay in Japan, where he lived a few hundred meters from the grave of "Forty-seven ronin". Then, in the cemetery, one ronin committed suicide, leaving a note saying that he, without a decent livelihood, turned to the daimyo Chosu, but was refused. Because of this, not wanting to serve anyone else and remain in the hated position of a ronin, he decided to kill himself. There was no better place for this. Redesdale noted that he was at the scene 1-2 hours later and saw traces of blood on the ground.

There were a great many Ronin, according to some authors about 400 thousand, but all of them can be divided into three large groups:

1. wealthy vassals who voluntarily left their posts;
2. "dismissed" for some "petty offense" by their masters. Ronin belonging to this group usually tried to earn forgiveness and redeem themselves in order to be allowed to return to their former positions;
3. ronin, located at the very bottom and expelled from the clan for faults and misdemeanors or greed. Such ronin did not advertise the names of their former masters.

see also

• Ronin (applicant) - in modern Japan, a metaphorical designation of a person who failed the entrance exams to higher educational institutions.

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An excerpt characterizing Ronin

At that time in St. Petersburg, in the highest circles, with more fervor than ever before, there was a complex struggle between the parties of Rumyantsev, the French, Maria Feodorovna, the Tsarevich and others, drowned out, as always, by the trumpeting of court drones. But calm, luxurious, preoccupied only with ghosts, reflections of life, Petersburg life went on as before; and because of the course of this life, great efforts had to be made to realize the danger and the difficult situation in which the Russian people found themselves. There were the same exits, balls, the same French theater, the same interests of the courts, the same interests of service and intrigue. It was only in the highest circles that efforts were made to recall the difficulty of the present situation. It was told in a whisper about how opposite one another acted, in such difficult circumstances, both empresses. Empress Maria Feodorovna, concerned about the well-being of the charitable and educational institutions subordinate to her, made an order to send all the institutions to Kazan, and the things of these institutions had already been packed. The Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, when asked what orders she wanted to make, with her usual Russian patriotism deigned to answer that she could not make orders about state institutions, since this concerned the sovereign; about the same thing that personally depends on her, she deigned to say that she would be the last to leave Petersburg.
On August 26, on the very day of the Battle of Borodino, Anna Pavlovna had an evening, the flower of which was to be the reading of a letter from the bishop, written when sending the image of the Monk Saint Sergius to the sovereign. This letter was revered as a model of patriotic spiritual eloquence. Prince Vasily himself, who was famous for his art of reading, was supposed to read it. (He also read at the Empress's.) The art of reading was considered to be loud, melodious, between a desperate howl and a gentle murmur, to pour words, completely regardless of their meaning, so that quite by chance a howl fell on one word, on others - a murmur. This reading, like all Anna Pavlovna's evenings, had political significance. At this evening there were to be several important persons who had to be ashamed of their trips to the French theater and inspired to a patriotic mood. Quite a few people had already gathered, but Anna Pavlovna had not yet seen all those whom she needed in the drawing room, and therefore, without even starting to read, she started general conversations.
The news of the day that day in St. Petersburg was the illness of Countess Bezukhova. A few days ago the Countess suddenly fell ill, missed several meetings, of which she was an ornament, and it was heard that she did not see anyone and that instead of the famous Petersburg doctors who usually treated her, she entrusted herself to some Italian doctor who treated her with some new and in an extraordinary way.