]] was a term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. The word "samurai" is derived from the archaic Japanese verb "samorau," changed to "saburau," meaning "to serve"; thus, a "samurai" is a servant, i.e. the servant of a lord. History , 5th century. Tokyo National Museum.]] It is believed warriors and foot-soldiers in the sixth century may have formed a proto-samurai. William Wayne Farris, Heavenly Warriors ? The Evolution of Japan's Military, 500?1300, Harvard University Press, 1995. Following a disastrous military engagement with Tang China and Silla, Japan underwent widespread reforms. One of the most important was that of the Taika Reform, issued by Prince Naka no ?e (Emperor Tenji) in 646 AD. This edict introduced Chinese cultural practices and administrative techniques throughout the Japanese aristocracy and bureaucracy. As part of the Y?r? Code,A History of Japan, Vol. 3 and 4,

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