Ancestor book - Senzogaki

Japanese: 先祖書 - せんぞがき

Also called a history book. In the Edo period, this document listed the names and careers of direct ancestors written by samurai. It often took the form of a list of military achievement records and service records for each generation. Some also listed ancient documents that had been handed down. While a family tree lists the next and third sons, daughters, etc., an ancestral book lists only direct descendants and often does not include private information. It was required to submit this when entering the government or when conducting genealogical investigations of vassals. In early modern samurai society, family history and lineage were respected more than individual ability, and the contents of an ancestral book symbolize this.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

由緒書ともいう。江戸時代，武士が直系の先祖の氏名･経歴などを書き連ねた文書。代々の軍功書，奉公書を並べた形式をとることが多い。また，伝来の古文書を記載したものもある。系図が次･三男，女などを記載するのに対し，先祖書は直系のみを記載し，プライベートな記述がないことが多い。仕官のときや，家臣団の家系調査などのとき提出させた。近世武家社会では，個人の能力より由緒･家柄が尊重されたが，先祖書の内容は，これを象徴するものである。

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

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