s . . . bear a remarkable resemblance to those of the feudalism of the western middle ages." For example, "The 'daimios' and the 'bushi' or 'samurai' of Japan can be compared to vassals, and land which was granted to them is comparable to the fief" (Ganshof xxi).
In fact, however, when we examine and compare the two feudal systems and their most important elements, differences do begin to appear more clearly. For example, the relative positions of the vassals od European feudalism and the daimyo of Japanese feudalism can hardly be compared.
Ganshof himself writes that the "freedom" of the vassal in European feudalism was a freedom primarily in theory rather than in practice: "Although ut no doubt frequently happened that a man was compelled by force of circumstances to become the vassal of a lord, the contract of vassalage was in the
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