I was just going to chime in with the fact that history, especially the one from the last century, proves most uprisings, no matter peaceful or leading to a war, always benefit a few of the masses, but the masses nearly always perceive it as a mive they want. Hell, the so called communism (bolshevism, totalitarism) turned out bad, yet people still keep wanting most of it back. I'd undertand the notion in Russia, where they overthrew the monarchy, but plenty of countries kicked out much more reasonable governments (in a way) to install purely oppressive regimes.
Does it actually say that in Uprising? Because the Edo-period caste system was locked permanently. Your grandfather was a farmer, your grandchildren will be farmers (this isn't a bad place, actually, since you're the second-highest caste!); Your grandfather was an artisan, your grandchildren will be artisans; Your grandfather was a merchant, your grandchildren will be merchants (lowest of the spoken classes). And you needed to be a samurai in a large estate to actually be able to afford to eat. At low levels, you had too many required retainers to support on your official stipend.
The fluff for units like the Tanko, and just in articles about the place, mentions that people join the JSA military as a way for social advancement.
