Goshi - Goshi

Samurai who lived in rural areas during the Edo period. The basic requirements were that they were members of a group of vassals, were assigned fiefs, and paid military service, but had a different samurai status from castle samurai. This does not include castle samurai who lived in rural areas but stayed temporarily, or wealthy farmers who were allowed to use their family name and carry a sword, and who acquired samurai status by purchasing a goshi stock. Although they had different names, these samurai existed throughout the country, including Mito, Ogaki, Awa, Tosa, Kumamoto, Hitoyoshi, Kagoshima, and Tsushima. There were many of them in the Tozama domains of Shikoku and Kyushu, especially in Kagoshima (Satsuma) Domain, which had the Tojo system (in 1783, the outer castles were renamed Go), and they not only had a large number of people, but also a high proportion (about 20% of the residents), and they played an exceptionally large role in the domain's administration. From the Sengoku period through the early modern period, Shimazu retainers in this domain moved around according to the policies of the feudal lord, and trusted generals were stationed in border areas, living throughout the domain as shuju. Samurai who lived in rural areas integrated into rural life over time, became involved in farming, and became half farmers and half samurai. After the Genroku period (18th century), public order stabilized, and as the hierarchy of social status progressed with the main castle as the core, samurai who lived in the main castle town were classified as castle town samurai, and samurai who lived in rural areas were classified as goshi (in 1780, shuju was renamed goshi). In 1786 (Tenmei 6), marriage between castle town samurai and goshi was prohibited, and a hierarchical social relationship was created between the two. Many of the goshi lived in villages at the foot of the mountains, and although they were in reality farmers, they had a strong sense of being a ruling class, and many of them were prominent in rural areas, with many becoming village officials or landowners and local rulers. In 1872 (Meiji 5), a proclamation from the Dajokan designated them as samurai, and the title of goshi was abolished. In 1914 (Taisho 3), when the social status registration system under the Family Registration Act was abolished, the title of samurai disappeared.

[Yasushi Miki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸時代、農村に住んだ武士。基本的要件は家臣団の一員で、知行を宛行(あてが)われ、軍役を負担したが、城下士身分とは別の武士身分であること。農村に住んでいても一時的に滞在する城下士や、富裕農民のうち苗字(みょうじ)帯刀を許され、郷士株を購入して武士身分となった者などは含まれない。名称は異なるが、こうした武士は水戸、大垣、阿波(あわ)、土佐、熊本、人吉、鹿児島、対馬(つしま)など全国に存在した。ことに四国、九州の外様(とざま)藩に多く、とくに鹿児島（薩摩(さつま)）藩は外城制(とじょうせい)（1783年外城を郷と改称）があって、人員が多いばかりでなく、構成比も高く（住民の2割程度）、藩政における役割は際だって大きかった。同藩では戦国期から近世初期にかけて、島津氏の家臣は大名の政策で移動し、境界地域には大名に信頼された部将が配置され、衆中(しゅうじゅう)として領内各地に住んだ。農村に住んだ武士は、時代とともに農村生活に溶け込んで農耕にかかわり半農半士となった。元禄(げんろく)年間（18世紀）以降、治安が安定化し、本城の城下を中核として身分の序列化が進むと、本城の城下に住んだ武士は城下士身分、農村に住んだ武士は郷士（1780年衆中は郷士と改称）身分に分けられた。1786年（天明6）、城下士と郷士身分間の婚姻が禁じられ、両者の間に身分的上下関係が生まれた。郷士の多くは麓(ふもと)集落に集住し、実態としては農民だったが支配身分意識が強く、農村では優勢者も多くいて、村役人や地主となった地域統治者も多かった。1872年（明治5）太政官布告により士族とされて、郷士の称は廃止された。1914年（大正3）戸籍法上身分登記制が廃止された際、士族の称が消滅した。

［三木　靖］

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