Servant - Shoju

A term for the status of slaves in the Middle Ages. Like "Jujo" (attendant), it means "one who obeys." In the case of women, they are sometimes called "Jujo" (female servants). In the Kamakura Shogunate Law, there were cases where a distinction was made between those who were enslaved to land lords and those who were enslaved to ordinary peasants, but the same social entity was often referred to by both terms, and generally, "Shoju" can be considered a slave status that was subject to hereditary inheritance and trade, just like "Genin." However, there were also those who formed families and ran their own businesses, and there is a theory that such people are considered to be serfs in reality. The uses of labor were diverse, depending on the social character and purpose of the master, such as serving as an attendant or doing odd jobs for nobles, serving as a samurai's attendant, or doing agricultural work or odd jobs for ordinary farmers. The term "Genin" remained for quite some time even after the early modern period, while the word "Shoju" was rarely used.

[Fujio Isogai]

"The Establishment and Structure of the Shogunate-Han System, Supplementary Edition" by Moriaki Arashiro (1964, Ochanomizu Shobo) " "Research on the History of Medieval Rural Areas in Japan" by Kyohei Oyama (1978, Iwanami Shoten)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中世の隷属身分の呼称。「従者」と同じく「従う所の者」という意味である。女性の場合「従女」などとよばれることもある。鎌倉幕府法では、地頭に隷属している者を「所従」、一般百姓に隷属している者を「下人(げにん)」と区別して用いた場合もあるが、しばしば同一の社会的存在が両呼称でよばれており、一般的には「所従」は「下人」と同じく相伝・売買の対象となる奴隷身分とみてよいであろう。ただ家族をなし自己経営をもつ者もおり、そのような者は、実態は農奴であるとみなす説がある。労働力の用途は、貴人の伴(とも)や雑用、武士の従者や一般農民の農業労働や雑用など、主人の社会的性格と用途に応じ多様である。なお、「下人」の呼称は近世以後もかなり残るのに対し、「所従」の語のほうはあまり使われなくなる。

［磯貝富士男］

『安良城盛昭著『増補幕藩体制社会の成立と構造』（1964・御茶の水書房）』▽『大山喬平著『日本中世農村史の研究』（1978・岩波書店）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例