In Japan's Edo Period (1603-1868), when impoverished peasants finally couldn't take it anymore and decided to revolt, they would sign their list of demands with all their names in a big circle.
The had specific reasons for doing this...
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The had specific reasons for doing this...
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First, this format expressed their solidarity and commitment to each other, like an endless ring that cannot not be broken.
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But perhaps more importantly, the usual way daimyo lords dealt with peasant revolts was torturing and executing the ringleaders but letting everyone else live. After all, they needed peasants to till the fields!
By signing in a circle, nobody could tell who the leaders were.
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By signing in a circle, nobody could tell who the leaders were.
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In Japanese, these are called "umbrella-style joint covenants" (傘型連判状), because they look like a traditional Japanese-style umbrella as viewed from above.
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