Old clan samurai

…Goshi were one rank lower than regular samurai, but higher than farmers, and sometimes played a key role in governing a territory. There were many types of goshi, and it is not easy to categorize them, but they can be broadly divided into (1) old-family goshi and (2) toritate goshi. (1) Old-family goshi were those who would have originally become regular samurai, but became goshi for some reason in the early modern period or later. Well-known examples include the Tojiyo-shu of the Satsuma domain, the goshi of the Tosa domain, the footless people of the Tsu domain and Koga-gun in Omi, and the Totsukawa goshi. …

*Some of the terminology that refers to "old clan samurai" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…郷士は正規の武士より一段低い身分ではあったが，農民よりは上位の身分で，領内支配のかなめとなる場合もあった。郷士にはさまざまな種類があり，類型化は容易ではないが，大きくは(1)旧族郷士，(2)取立郷士に分けられる。(1)旧族郷士は，元来は正規の武士になるべきものが，近世初頭あるいはその後になんらかの事情により郷士となったもので，薩摩藩の外城（とじよう）衆，土佐藩の郷士，津藩や近江甲賀郡の無足人，十津川郷士などが知られている。…

※「旧族郷士」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報