Did Ronins Lose Their Ronin Status and Become a Samurai if Hired?
The status of ronin, or masterless samurai, has long intrigued historians and literature enthusiasts. The term ronin is often misunderstood as a permanent state of social and economic hardship. However, the reality of their status is more nuanced and multifaceted.
Initial Perceptions
The initial response to a ronin might paint a picture of someone who has lost their position and struggles to find one again. This is evidenced by the statement: ‘I suppose it happened. But it’s not a great recommendation for you that you let your Tonosama get killed and that you’re still alive. Who’d want a loser like that on the strength?’ (Anonymous). It appears that being a ronin carries a certain stigma, one linked to failure and disappointment.
Definition and Reemployment
By strict definition, a ronin is a samurai who is not employed by a daimyo, or feudal lord. However, this lack of employment does not preclude them from regaining their status through reemployment. The key point here is that a former ronin could quickly regain standing in society. As one expert states: ‘Ronin isn’t a status. It is a lack of status. It just means that a samurai is not employed. For instance, in “The 41 Ronin,” the forty original samurai become unemployed when their lord is forced to commit suicide. Ronin has a slight whiff of failure or loser to it. Self-employed small landowner/farmers for instance were not Ronin.
Note, however, that self-employment did not constitute being a ronin. Some individuals, like samurai number 41 in the 47 ronin legend, joined the group due to their admiration of their behavior, thus becoming a ronin by acclamation.
Formal Status and Order
While there is no official status for ronin, there is a concept called houkoukamai, often alternatively read as houkoukamae. This status involves a daimyo issuing an order to a samurai who has left their clan, forbidding them from seeking employment at rival clans. This order effectively strips the samurai of employment at any other daimyo.
The famous follower of Toyotomi Hideyori, Gotou Mototsugu, was subject to such an order from his previous lord, Kuroda Nagamasa. As a result, he had to fight for the besieged Toyotomi clan, the only army that would accept him.
Temporary Unemployment and Resourcefulness
When a samurai leaves their previous clan voluntarily, they are not necessarily in a permanent state of ronin. In many cases, they would quickly find employment elsewhere, as skilled warriors and administrators are always in short supply. As one expert notes: ‘If not subject to such an order, a samurai would only be “in between jobs” if they left their previous clan as they would quickly find employment somewhere else.’
In conclusion, the ronin status is a definitive but temporary lack of employment. With the right opportunities and connections, former ronins can easily regain their status as valuable members of the samurai class.
Keywords: Ronin, Samurai, Employed Samurai