Same name Sou - Doumyouso

Japanese: 同名惣 - どうみょうそう

A united organization of warriors with the same surname that appeared in the late Middle Ages. In Japan, there were powerful warrior groups with strong control by the head of the family, and weaker warrior groups. The latter often united as parties, but among the even weaker warrior groups, there were some that were made up of people with the same surname, and were called "dongyo-sō" or "dongyo-chū-sō." In addition to members of the same family, they also included vassals who were allowed to use the surname of their master, and sometimes people with different surnames who seemed to be related by marriage. A typical example was the warrior group that made up the Koga-gun-chū-sō in Koga County, Omi Province, which elected by mutual vote the magistrate and annual officer who represented the doongyo-sō externally and handled general affairs internally.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

中世後期にあらわれる同姓武士団の団結組織。日本の武士団には，惣領（そうりよう）による支配の強い強大な武士団と，それの薄弱な武士団とがあり，後者は多く党として結合したが，さらに弱小な武士団のなかには，同姓者が集まって惣をつくるものがあり，これを同名惣または同名中惣と呼ぶ。同族以外に被官（ひかん）で主家から姓を許されたものを含み，ときには姻戚らしい異姓者をも含むこともある。典型的なものは近江国甲賀郡の甲賀郡中惣を構成していた武士団で，対外的には同名惣を代表し，対内的には庶務を執行する奉行･年行事を互選によって選出した。

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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