I’d Kill to Belong! Comparing Brahmanical, Samurai, and Gentleman Masculinities in the Early Modern Period

The following article seeks to analyze concepts of masculine honor prevalent among men of high status in the early modern period in three different cultures. Comparisons of patriarchy and masculine honor prevalent among upper castes in Bengal, samurai in Japan, gentlemen in England form the basis of this study and it seeks to find common patterns in the social actions of these men. We find that marriage unions and the sexuality of the women of these status groups were highly regulated, along with the men often resorting to violence in order to preserve their honor. Masculine honor was a currency that allowed men to belong to exclusive status groups and these allowed them access to a world of privileges denied to their inferiors. Thus, its preservation and augmentation acquired paramount importance for the men of high status in these societies, making them literally kill in order to belong.