What is a similarity between the feudal hierarchies of Feudal Japan and Catherine the Great’s Russia?

The correct answer highlights that noble classes in both Feudal Japan and Catherine the Great’s Russia gained substantial power within their respective hierarchies.

In Feudal Japan, the social structure was characterized by a strong influence of the samurai class, who were granted land and authority by the shogun in exchange for military service. This created a system where the nobility, specifically the samurai, held significant power over the peasant class and were integral to the governance of their domains.

Similarly, in Russia under Catherine the Great, the nobility, or the boyars, maintained considerable power and influence. Catherine’s policies often favored the landed aristocracy, expanding their privileges and solidifying their control over serfs and local governance. This allowed the nobles to play a critical role in the administration and politics of the empire.

In both cases, the empowerment of the noble classes profoundly shaped the political and social landscapes, establishing a structure that relied heavily on the loyalty and service of the nobility to the ruling authority, whether it be the shogun in Japan or the tsarina in Russia.