General officer - Soukan

Japanese: 惣官 - そうかん

In the Middle Ages, a person who controlled a group of people who served a powerful family through official duties and performing arts. In 731 (Tenpyo 3), the government of Fujiwara no Muchimaro forced the redistribution of land and placed a sokan in Kinai and chinbushi in various provinces to suppress public discontent, but these sokan were temporary officials with military authority. In 1181 (Yowa 1), in response to the establishment of a government in the eastern provinces by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the Taira government, which sought to strengthen its military system, appointed Taira no Munemori as sokan for the five provinces of Kinai, Iga, Ise, Omi, and Tamba. There may have been an awareness of following in the footsteps of the sokan of the Tenpyo period, but rather this position was similar to the sokan of the already established kugonin (attendants) and jinin (shrine servants), and was appointed as a military leader of samurai throughout the province, including the local government, and can be seen as a forerunner of the later shugo.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中世，職掌･芸能によって権門に奉仕した人的集団の統轄者。731年(天平3)藤原武智麻呂の政権は口分田の再配分を強行し，民衆の不満を抑えるため畿内に惣官，諸道に鎮撫使を置いたが，この惣官は軍事的な権限を持つ臨時の官であった。1181年(養和1)源頼朝による東国政権の成立に対抗し，軍事体制の強化をはかる平氏政権は，平宗盛を五畿内，伊賀，伊勢，近江，丹波などの諸国の惣官とした。ここには天平の惣官の先蹤にならう意識もあったであろうが，むしろこれは，すでに成立していた供御人（くごにん），神人（じにん）の惣官に準じ，在庁をはじめ国中の武士の軍事的統轄者として補任された職で，のちの守護の先駆とみることができる。

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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