Hikan - subordinate

Originally written as 'hikan', it meant being under the jurisdiction of a person. (1) In the ryo system, it meant a lower-ranking government office directly under a higher-ranking government office, such as a shiki (official post), ryo (office), or shi (office) under a ministry. By extension, it also meant a lower-ranking government official directly under a higher-ranking official. (2) In the Middle Ages, it meant a lower-ranking samurai who made a contract to perform military service or other services in exchange for a grant of assurance of his or her fief, a stipend, or a stipend from a higher-ranking samurai. From the late Kamakura period to the Muromachi period, the number of manor officials and village headmen who became vassals of shugo (provincial constables), shugodai (deputy shugo), and jito (local lords) and who broke away from the control of nobles, temples, and shrines gradually increased. Although their degree of subservience to their masters was not as strong as that of the Fudai vassals and retainers, the shugo of the Muromachi Shogunate strengthened their power by making many kokujin vassals, while the daimyo of the Sengoku period strengthened their control by incorporating the local lords who had been vassals into their vassals. (3) In the early modern period, they were the same as hikan peasants.

[Makoto Ogawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

本来は被管と書き、管轄を受けることをいった。（1）令(りょう)制では、上級官庁に直属する下級官庁、たとえば省に属する職(しき)、寮(りょう)、司(し)など。転じて、上級官吏に直属する下級官吏をもいう。（2）中世では上級武士から本領安堵(あんど)や扶持(ふち)、給分を受けて軍役などの奉仕をする契約を結んだ下級武士。鎌倉後期から室町時代にかけて、荘官(しょうかん)・名主(みょうしゅ)層には守護、守護代、地頭などの被官となって公家(くげ)、寺社の支配から離脱するものがしだいに増加した。主人に対する隷属度は譜代(ふだい)の家子(いえのこ)・郎党(ろうとう)ほど強くなかったが、室町幕府の守護は国人層を多数被官化して勢力を強め、戦国大名は被官化した土豪を家臣団に組み入れて統制力を強めた。（3）近世では被官百姓に同じ。

［小川　信］

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