By the end of the 12th century, saburai became synonymous with bushi (武士) almost entirely and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class.

History

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 Ōe (Emperor Tenji) in 646 AD. This edict introduced Chinese cultural practices and administrative techniques throughout the Japanese aristocracy and bureaucracyWilliam Wayne Farris, Heavenly Warriors — The Evolution of Japan's Military, 500–1300, Harvard University Press, 1995.. As part of the Taihō Code, of 702 AD and the later Yōrō Code,A History of Japan, Vol. 3 and 4, George Samson, Tuttle Publishing, 2000., the population was required to report regularly for census, which was used as a precursor for national conscription. With an understanding of how the population was distributed, Emperor Mommu introduced the law whereby 1 in 3–4 adult males were drafted into the national military. These soldiers were required to supply their own weapons, and in return were exempted from duties and taxes. This was one of the first attempts by the Imperial government to form an organized army modeled after the Chinese system. It was called gundan-sei(軍団制) by later historians and is believed to have been short lived.Fact: date=March 2007

The Taihō Code classified Imperial bureaucrats into 12 ranks, each divided into two sub-ranks, 1st rank being the highest adviser to the emperor. Those of 6th rank and below were referred to as "samurai" and dealt with day-to-day affairs. Although these "samurai" were civilian public servants, the name is believed to have derived from this term. Military men, however, would not be referred to as "samurai" for many more centuries.Fact: date=June 2007

In the early Heian period, the late 8th and early 9th centuries, Emperor Kammu (lang: 桓武天皇) sought to consolidate and expand his rule in northern Honshū, but the armies he sent to conquer the rebellious Emishi people lacked motivation and discipline, and were unable to prevail.Fact: date=June 2007 Emperor Kammu introduced the title of Seiitaishogun (lang: 征夷大将軍) or shogun, and began to rely on the powerful regional clans to conquer the Emishi. Skilled in mounted combat and archery (kyūdō, lang: 弓道), these clan warriors became the emperor's preferred tool for putting down rebellions.Fact: date=June 2007 Although these warriors may have been educated, at this time (7th to 9th century) the Imperial court officials considered them to be little more than barbarians.Fact: date=June 2007