BEST ANSWER GETS 28 POINTS

Read the following passage and answer the question.

To keep the noble landowners happy, the emperor decreed that the nobles could stop paying taxes on the land they controlled; however, he did require them to take over governing the lands they owned. Noble families needed soldiers to protect the estates and enforce the laws. You also learned that during the Nara period, the emperor began to require all of the men in Japan to serve in the imperial military. When this practice was discontinued in the late 700s C.E., local landholders became the source of Japan's military strength. To build their private armies, the nobles offered land to warriors who were willing to fight for them.

Which statement analyzes the effect of the conditions described in the passage?

a. The military was eliminated when local landowners began to build their own armies
b. The need for private armies in the provinces contributed to the rise of the samurai and military rule
Selected:c. Nobles used samurai to defeat the emperorThis answer is incorrect.
d. Military conflicts led to the creation of the samurai class