Sai

**Sai** (勇; さい) were the hereditary military nobility caste of medieval and early-modern Kanton from the 8th century to their abolition in the 1900s. They were the respected knights of the the clan chiefs, and also served the *manza*. They had prestige, respect and certain special privileges such as the ability to have more than one wife. They upheld and followed closely the *saikata* codes of martial virtue, indifference to greed or anguish, and fast loyalty, engaging often in the protection of their chiefs and commanders. During the largely peaceful Ōkō Period their influence began to wane as the role of the *manza* grew ever greater. In the late 1800s, their families comprised less than 5% of the population. The beginning of the Kannaka period ended their feudal roles and they moved into professional roles. Their memory and influence remain prominent in modern Kantonese culture.

## Terminology

In Kantonese, the word *saidō* (勇豆) is usually used to refer to *sai* of upper ranking; the generic representative character remains "勇". Sometimes, they will be called *fukusai* (服勇), literally meaning "warrior who waits upon/obliges", often when referring to lower ranking individuals.

The word *kansai* (愣勇) refers to those who might be called "officers" in English; generally speaking, powerful men who had a level of control over a group of their own loyalists and admirers, but never reaching the level of a *manza*.

## Philosophy

### Religious influence

The philosophies of the Kiren faith, and by lesser extension Buddhism, influenced the *sai* culture. Kiren meditation became an important teaching, because it offered a way to calm one's mind. The concept of physical purity led many sai to feel that torture and needless killing was a tainting, dirty practice which would result in a hellish afterlife. Murder for a cause (*nairai*) seen as the justification of battle and even assassination. The most defining concept in *sai* philosophy was the stress of deferential respect and loyalty towards one's chief or commander, and the importance of the ranking system to keep order.

The *sai* code of ethics, known as *saikata*, came into existence in the late 9th century as a way to train and indoctrinate young warriors into the way of *sai*. The associated *kakken*, or "right to strike", enabled *sai* to inflict pain and suffering upon others in the name of morality, religion, loyalty or saviour.

### Doctrine and concepts

There are many concepts associated and linked closely to the way of the sai, many of which were taught or proported by elder, respected warriors who wished to spread their wisdom with younger men. The Book of the Warrior is a tome written in 1435 by the famed warrior Kaneyama no Kankō, in which he detailed the numerous idealogies a sai should find himself taking on. Apart from the eight values of the *saikata*, there were a number of more nuanced concepts which all men were expected to understand, particularly surrounding death:

> It is more than crucial for the common sai to look upon his death as an act of honour and lasting memorability. How can his legacy be known if he himself becomes aged and withered, having no accountability of his past battles? Eternal shame follows the warrior who allows his moment of deathly glory to pass him by. He should not ruin his name forever by holding his own life dear...The main purpose of one's life being thrown away is in some great and valiant conquest of a lord. It is exactly this demise that will be the great fame of one's descendents.
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Other sai, such as Takesori no Toru, held close focus on the act of fighting, especially when it came to battles and warfare. He felt strongly about the doctrine of the saikata and its usefulness in creating strong, respected and honourable warriors. As he said in 1512:

> All *sai*, regardless of ranking or prestige, will find themselves at least once amidst the discord and bloodshed of the battlefield. What I must say is this: when facing fear, discard it as a broken blade. When facing anger, quell its writhing force and harness its power. When facing anarchy, look for the purity and stillness inside. When facing death, kneel before it as a servant to his lord.
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The percieved horror of shame and cowardice is deeply entrenched in sai philosophy. The idea of running from death or pain is unthinkable in the sai way; the endurance of either death or torture is seen as an act of great honour and chivalry. The great warrior Hakoma no Kintai once wrote:

> Those who are reluctant to experience the pain of death or the trials of torture, and are unwilling to embrace either for the sake of their commander, cannot call themselves true men. Engage in committed combat fully expecting death and you shall live; pray for your survival and you shall surely meet death. Of course the world is ever changing, but the *sai* must not think on this; he should entertain no other possibilites than those he knows are plausible, for his fate has long been determined.
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## Culture

### Arts and education

By the 13th century, upper-class sai were highly literate with written language from China and Japan, and were learning to write in calligraphic style with native Kantonese characters. Some warriors, known as *minzai*, thought of themselves as being of a higher ranking than others due to their skills of writing, art and knowledge of literature. It was common for warriors to idealise the arts and aspire to become skilled in them.

By the middle of the Ōkō Period, the number of sai who could read and write was high. At one point, a common colloquial term for sai was *minzadō*; this literally meant "man of the military and the arts". In general, aristocrats and priests also had a very high literacy rate and had knowledge of many characters. A large amount of art and poetry was produced by this upper class, especially on topics surrounding love, death, religion and the battlefield, which was a constant source of morbid inspiration even for young, inexperienced sai.

It was common for the sons of sai (and indeed, most of the nobility) to be sent to monasteries or abbeys upon reaching 10 years of age, and they would remain there until they turned 16, learning to read, write and uphold religious practices. As soon as they entered into society, they would often marry and inherit or buy a home of their own, in which they would raise a family. This system produced scholars and learned men, who, despite being recognised as sai through inheritance, might never truly fight in a great battle or war. This was extremely common at the end of the Nittori period, and continued until the end of the 18th century.

### Names

A sai was usually named with a "face name" (*niname*), much like many outstanding members of the nobility, which was not his birthgiven moniker. This name was usually reflective of some positive or admirable quality present in the warrior, and was used to address the man by anybody not his immediate family. This title would be given at a shunga ceremony. Sometimes, sai could choose their own niname, especially if they had already achieved a great success before coming into maturity.

### Marriage

High-ranking sai almost always had arranged marriages, which were often orchestrated by the two families and a "go-between" fortune-teller or match-maker. This was a necessity for those of high rank, as they had few opportunities to meet women. However, lower-ranking warriors were free to mingle with and have romantic relations with almost any woman they wanted, bar the daughters of the nobility. A dowry would be given to the sai and his lover in order to set up the couple's new household.

Along with a wife or *kan'a* (韩女), sai were also permitted to keep concubines or lovers who were not officially recognised as wives or childbearers. When wives of an arranged union were a necessity, concubines were often the more appreciated lovers of the sai, women he often felt considerably more fondness for. Certain rules were put in place; for example, children born of a concubine could not be considered heirs, but somewhat contradictory, if a concubine was discovered as being infertile, she was no longer allowed to engage in sexual activity with the sai. However, concubines could be of any class or rank within society, and if taken by a warrior, could often be lifted to a status of high prestige and respect.

Divorce was exceedingly uncommon, though possible. A wife's consistent failure to produce a son was suitable cause for divorce; however, adoption of a male heir was considered a much better alternative. If a sai did not like his wife or enjoy her company he could arrange a divorce, but this was generally avoided as it would deeply embarrass both families.

## Role of women

Maintaining the household was the main duty of women of the sai class. This was especially crucial during early feudal periods, when warrior husbands were often traveling abroad or engaged in clan battles. The wife, or *kan'a* (meaning "first woman") was left to manage all household affairs, care for the children, and perhaps even defend the home forcibly. Many women of the sai class were trained in wielding *haki* (long, spear-like weapons) or special knives called *shikin*. This also gave rise to the traditional art of *kusan* (lit. "under clothes"), which involved the concealment of weapons under armour and formal dress.

Traits valued in women of the sai class were humility, obedience, self-constraint, strength (both physical and emotional) and devotion. Passion or sexual desire was considered unnerving in a wife; concubines were expected to fill such a bracket. Ideally, a sai's wife would be skilled at managing finances, educating and caring for her children (or sometimes the concubines of her husband), and looking after any elderly relatives who might have been living under her roof. Cultural ideals required that a high-ranking married woman should maintain a kind of matrimonial 'purity', therefore never initiating or showing particular interest in sexual intercourse, showing only chaste affection towards her husband (especially in public) and speaking in an elegant, articulate and vaguely dispassioned manner.

Though given much responsibility surrounding familial affairs and the home, wives were never seen as being on the same bearing as their warrior husbands. Women could not engage in political affairs and were almost never the heads of their households or the breadwinners. However, women in the sai class were never completely powerless, and often wielded an amount of influence. In fact, there are a handful of warrior wives who have been venerated and enshrined as gods, set as exemplars of what a woman should be like.

As time went on, more value became placed on education, and the learning of girls at a young age became important to families in the upperclass. Qualities such as intelligence and wit began to weigh against the criteria of physical attractiveness, becoming desirable attributes. Many texts were written for women which pertained to how a woman might become not only a successful wife, but a respected and learned scholar. Nearly all women of the sai class were literate.