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A warrior is a guardian specializing in
combat or
warfare, especially within the context of a
tribal or
clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior
aristocracy,
class, or
caste.
Warriors seem to have been present in the earliest pre-state societies.[1] Scholars have argued that horse-riding
Yamnaya warriors from the
Pontic–Caspian steppe played a key role during the
Indo-European migrations and the diffusion of Indo-European languages across Eurasia.[2][3] Most of the basic weapons used by warriors appeared before the rise of most hierarchical systems.
Bows and arrows,
clubs,
spears,
swords, and other
edged weapons were in widespread use. However, with the new findings of
metallurgy, the aforementioned weapons had grown in effectiveness.[4]
When the first hierarchical systems evolved 5000 years ago, the gap between the rulers and the ruled had increased. Making war to extend the outreach of their territories, rulers often forced men from lower orders of society into the military role. That had been the first use of professional soldiers, a distinct difference from the warrior communities.[5]
The warrior ethic in many societies later became the preserve of the
ruling class. Egyptian
pharaohs would depict themselves in war
chariots, shooting at enemies, or smashing others with clubs. Fighting was considered a prestigious activity but only when associated with status and power. European mounted
knights would often feel contempt for the
foot soldiers recruited from lower classes. In
Mesoamerican societies of
pre-Columbian America, the
elite aristocratic soldiers remained separated from the lower classes of stone-throwers.[6] The
samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of Japan from the 12th to the late 19th century.[7]
In contrast to the beliefs of the caste and clan-based warrior, who saw war as a place to attain
valor and
glory,
warfare was a practical matter that could change the course of history. History always showed that men of lower orders would almost always outfight warrior elites through an individualistic and humble approach to war if they were practically organized and equipped. That was the approach of the
Roman legions, which had only the incentive of promotion, as well as a strict level of discipline. When Europe's
standing armies of the 17th and the 18th centuries developed, discipline was at the core of their training. Officers had the role of transforming men that they viewed as lower class to become reliable fighting men.[6]
Inspired by the Ancient Greek ideals of the '
citizen soldier', many European societies during the
Renaissance began to incorporate
conscription and raise armies from the general populace. A change in attitude was noted as well, as officers were told to treat their soldiers with moderation and respect. For example, men who fought in the
American Civil War often elected their own officers. With the mobilization of citizens in the armies sometimes reaching the millions, societies often made efforts in order to maintain or revive the warrior spirit. That trend continues to the modern day.[8] Due to the heroic connotations of the term "warrior", this metaphor is especially popular in publications advocating or recruiting for a country's military.[9]
^Chartrand, Rene; Durham, Keith; Harrison, Mark; Heath, Ian (2016).
The Vikings. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 43.
ISBN9781472813220. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
^L. Alcock (2003). Kings and Warriors, Craftsmen and Priests in Northern Britain AD 550–850. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. p. 56.
ISBN0-903903-24-5.
^Neer, Richard T. (2012). Greek art and archaeology : a new history, c. 2500-c. 150 BCE. New York. p. 95.
ISBN9780500288771.
OCLC745332893.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link)
^Sánchez-Murillo, R. (2012). La palabra universal. Ricardo Sánchez-Murillo. Retrieved September 5, 2012, from
linkArchived 2013-10-29 at the
Wayback Machine.
^Cleveland, Bunton, William, Martin (2013). A History of the Modern Middle East. Westview Press. p. 43.
ISBN978-0-8133-4833-9.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
^Pārati, Paktavatcala (1999). Coromandel fishermen: an ethnography of Paṭṭaṇavar subcaste. Pondicherry Institute of Linguistics and Culture. p. 9.
ISBN9788185452098.
^David Christian A history of Russia, Central Asia, and Mongolia, p.396
^D'A. J. D. Boulton, "Classic Knighthood as Nobiliary Dignity", in Stephen Church, Ruth Harvey (ed.), Medieval knighthood V: papers from the sixth Strawberry Hill Conference 1994, Boydell & Brewer, 1995, pp. 41–100.
^Frank Anthony Carl Mantello, A. G. Rigg, Medieval Latin: an introduction and bibliographical guide, UA Press, 1996, p. 448.
^Charlton Thomas Lewis, An elementary Latin dictionary, Harper & Brothers, 1899, p. 505.
^Lusted, Marcia Amidon (2017). Genghis Khan and the Building of the Mongol Empire. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. p. 32.
ISBN9781499463521.
^McGilvray, Dennis B. (1974). Tamils and Moors: caste and matriclan structure in eastern Sri Lanka. University of Chicago. p. 95.
^Mazumder, Rajit K. pp. 99, 105. {{
cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (
help)
^Bayly, Susan (2004-04-22). Saints, Goddesses and Kings: Muslims and Christians in South Indian Society, 1700-1900. Cambridge University Press. p. 25.
ISBN9780521891035.