So - Yes

A self-governing association of villages that developed from the end of the Kamakura period to the Muromachi period. It is also called a sochu, a soson, or a sosho. As the small peasant class became more independent from the mid-Kamakura period onwards, the traditional village associations consisting only of the myoshu class were replaced by so that small peasant classes were also included in the associations. However, in accordance with the degree of disintegration of the peasant class, there were regional differences in the nature of the so. In other words, in the most backward regions, so were district-sized and centered on the jizamurai class, while in intermediate regions, the power of the myoshu remained strong within the so. However, in developed regions, especially in the plains area of ​​Omi, the so had many members, including headmen and ordinary peasants, and the influence of the ordinary peasants within the so was also great.

For the peasants, the so played a major role in their daily lives and production activities, as well as in their struggles against the feudal lords. The so had assets such as soyuden (fields) and soyama (mountains), which they jointly managed and used, and which became the economic base of the so. For this purpose, the so-okite (rules) were established, which covered a wide range of matters, including not only the management of forests and irrigation water, but also the prevention of crimes, lending and borrowing to other villages, and military assistance, and sanctions such as banishment and fines were also determined for violations of these rules. Meetings were often held to manage these, and since these were held at the village guardian deity's shrine, they were closely related to the Miyaza (shrine) organization. Also, when making decisions on important matters, the villagers would drink water offered to the gods, called ichimishinsui, together to strengthen their unity. During busy farming seasons, labor was pooled, and the organization became an essential part of farmers' daily lives.

During this period, there were widespread struggles known as Shoke Ikki, in which people demanded reductions in taxes from manor lords or the payment of Iryo (a fee for managing irrigation water), and these were based on the organization of the So. The Tokusei Ikki, which occurred frequently in various places, mainly in Kyoto and Nara, were also the result of farmers from various places communicating with each other and rising up through the So. In times of war, they also built moats and forts to protect their villages. However, within the So, the power of village leaders, mainly the adult (otona) class, was strong, and as this class became subordinate to samurai or were appointed as village officials, their character as a resistance organization weakened.

[Naonori Kurokawa]

Keiichi Miura, "A Study of the Life History of the Common People in the Middle Ages" (1981, Shibunkaku Publishing) Hiroko Kuroda, "The Structure of the History of Medieval Soumura Villages" (1985, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉末期から室町時代に発達をみた村落の自治的結合組織。惣中(そうちゅう)、惣村(そうそん)、惣荘(そうしょう)とよばれることもある。鎌倉中期以降、小農民層の自立化が進行すると、旧来の名主(みょうしゅ)層のみを構成員とする村落結合にかわって、小農民層をも含めて運営される惣が各地に生まれてくるが、農民層分解の進行の度合いに照応して、惣の性格にも地域差がみられた。すなわち、もっとも後進的な地域では地侍(じざむらい)層を中核とし一郡的規模での惣がみられ、また、中間的地域では惣内部における名主の力が強く残存していた。しかし先進地域、ことに近江(おうみ)の平野地帯の惣は、名主・平百姓(ひらびゃくしょう)を含めた多数の構成員をもち、平百姓の惣内部での力も大きかった。

　惣は農民にとって、日常の生活や生産活動のうえで大きな意味をもつとともに、領主に対する闘争を行ううえでも重要な役割を果たしていた。惣は惣有田(そうゆうでん)・惣山(そうやま)などの財産をもち、これを共同で管理し利用するとともに、それを惣の経済的基盤とした。そのために惣掟(おきて)を制定していたが、その内容は多岐にわたり、山林・用水の管理のほか、犯罪の防止、他村との貸借や軍事援助などについても定められており、この掟に違反した場合には、追放や罰金などの制裁も決められていた。その運営のために、しばしば寄合が開かれたが、それは村の鎮守(ちんじゅ)などで行われたために、宮座(みやざ)の組織とも深い関連があった。また、重要な事項の決定をするときには、一味神水(いちみしんすい)といって神前に供えた水を一同で飲み、団結を強めることもあった。農繁期には労働力の共同利用なども行われ、農民の日常生活に不可欠の組織となっていた。

　この時代には、荘園領主に対して年貢の減免を要求したり、用水の管理に用いる費用である井料(いりょう)の下行(げぎょう)（用水の管理費の給付）を求める荘家(しょうけ)の一揆(いっき)とよばれる闘争が広範に展開されたが、これらは惣の組織に基づいていた。京都や奈良を中心に各地で頻発した徳政(とくせい)一揆も、惣を基盤に各地の農民が連絡をとって蜂起(ほうき)したものであった。戦乱に際しては、村を守るために堀をつくり、砦(とりで)を築くことなども行っている。しかし、惣の内部では大人（乙名）(おとな)層を中心とする村落指導者の力が強く、この層が武士の被官となったり、村役人に任命されるようになると、抵抗の組織としての性格が弱まっていった。

［黒川直則］

『三浦圭一著『中世民衆生活史の研究』（1981・思文閣出版）』▽『黒田弘子著『中世惣村史の構造』（1985・吉川弘文館）』

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