Foot soldier - Ashigaru

A name for light infantry that appeared in the Middle Ages, organized after the Sengoku period, and in the early modern period, placed at the lowest level of samurai. In the Middle Ages, they were also called "swift-footed" (shissoku/hayaashi). In "The Tale of the Heike" and "The Taiheiki," they are depicted as soldiers who disrupted the enemy. They are said to be descended from the bandits who were active during the civil war between the Northern and Southern Courts. The activities of the ashigaru became prominent around the time of the Onin War (1467-1477), when they were described in "Shodancho" as "excessive villains" and "daytime robbers," and were a threat to the samurai and noble classes. The ashigaru's fighting tactics are said to be "without putting on armor or removing spears, they simply take a sword and charge into the enemy army" (Hekizan Nichiroku), and unlike samurai, they had no shame in running away and excelled in group battles. At the time, ashigaru had a strong mercenary character and were made up of various classes. One of the main sources of troops was the suburban manors and villages of Kyoto and Nara, and it is thought that there was some overlap with the military power of the peasant uprisings and the Tokusei uprisings. In Kyoto, arson and robbery by ashigaru were also noticeable, and this phenomenon became a social problem, as Toji Temple banned people from joining ashigaru. During the Sengoku period, sengoku daimyo tried to organize ashigaru, and as control over villages and villages progressed, they strengthened the conscription of peasant soldiers. On the other hand, as guns became more widespread, there was a strong tendency to form standing armies, as exemplified by Oda Nobunaga's foot soldiers and the organization of foot soldiers by weapon type. In the early modern period, foot soldiers were fixed as the lowest class of samurai, and in peacetime they also performed menial tasks. After the Meiji Restoration, they were called "sotsuzoku," and after the abolition of the feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures, they were incorporated into the samurai class.

[Akira Kojima]

"The National Assembly in the Warring States Period" and "Peasant Revolts" by Miura Shuko (included in "Studies in Japanese History, Vol. 1," 1922, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "The Onin War" by Suzuki Ryoichi (Iwanami Shinsho)" ▽ "Tales of the Foot Soldiers and Others, edited by Nakamura Michio and Yuzawa Kokichirō (Iwanami Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中世において出現した軽装歩兵の呼称で、戦国時代以後組織化され、近世になって武士の最下層に位置づけられた身分。中世では、疾足(しっそく／はやあし)ともよばれた。『平家物語』『太平記』などには、敵方を攪乱(かくらん)するための兵として描かれている。南北朝内乱期に活躍した野伏(のぶし)の系譜を引くともいわれる。足軽の活動が顕著となるのは、応仁(おうにん)・文明(ぶんめい)の乱（1467～1477）のころで、『樵談治要(しょうだんちよう)』では「超過したる悪党」「ひる強盗」と記され、武士・公家(くげ)階級を脅かす存在であった。足軽の戦法は「甲ヲ擐(かん)セズ戈ヲトラズ、タダ一剣ヲモツテ敵軍ニ突入ス」（『碧山日録(へきざんにちろく)』）ともいわれるが、武士と異なり逃げることを恥とせず、集団戦を得意としていた。当時、足軽は傭兵(ようへい)的性格が強く、多様な階層より構成され、京都、奈良の近郊荘園(しょうえん)村落が主要な供給源の一つであり、土一揆(つちいっき)、徳政一揆の武力とも重なるところがあったと思われる。また、京都市中では足軽の放火、略奪行為も目だち、東寺が、足軽に加わることを禁じているように、社会問題化した現象でもあった。戦国時代、戦国大名は足軽の組織化を図り、郷村(ごうそん)支配の進展に伴って農兵の徴発を強化した。一方、織田信長の足軽鉄砲隊に代表されるように、鉄砲の普及によって常備軍化する傾向も強く、足軽の武器別編成も生まれた。近世、足軽は武士の最下層に身分として固定され、平時には雑役をも務めた。なお、明治維新後は卒(そつ)族と呼称され、廃藩置県後には士族に編入されている。

［小島　晃］

『三浦周行著「戦国時代の国民議会」「土一揆」（『日本史の研究　第1輯』1922・岩波書店・所収）』▽『鈴木良一著『応仁の乱』（岩波新書）』▽『中村通夫・湯沢幸吉郎校訂『雑兵物語・他』（岩波文庫）』

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