Servant - Hokoushuu

In the Muromachi Shogunate, direct vassals with the rank of Omemie or higher served the Shogun. They were also called bankata, banshu, or gobanshu. They were also sometimes used broadly as a term for bugyoshu, including goshobanshu and otomoshu. From the beginning, the Muromachi Shogunate had a system of "tosanbōko" that took over the Kamakura Shogunate's Gosho Naiban guards and organized direct vassals, but the hōkō system was established during the period from Ashikaga Yoshimitsu to Yoshinori, who sought to strengthen the Shogun's power against the increasingly independent Shugo daimyo. They came from a variety of backgrounds, including branch families of Shugo daimyo, subordinate officials of the Ashikaga clan, and local lords. The Hokushu were organized into five groups, and in daily life, they worked under the head clerk in various duties within the Imperial Palace and served as attendants to the Shogun when he went out, and in times of war, they served as the Shogun's personal guards. The Shogun was careful to provide for the Hokushu, such as by paying them the Imperial Estate and approving that shugoshi (military governors) not enter the Shogun's territory. The Hokushu system continued to function until the time Shogun Yoshitane went to Kawachi after the Onin War and Bunmei War, but it effectively collapsed with the Meiō Coup and became a mere formality, becoming Tsumeshu and the like.

[Toyohiko Fukuda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

室町幕府において将軍に近侍した御目見(おめみえ)以上の直勤御家人。番方(ばんかた)、番衆(ばんしゅう)、五番衆(ごばんしゅう)ともいう。また御相伴衆(ごしょうばんしゅう)・御伴衆(おともしゅう)なども含め、奉行衆(ぶぎょうしゅう)に対する呼称として広く使われた場合もある。室町幕府には当初から、鎌倉幕府の御所内番を受け継ぎ、直勤の御家人を編成する「当参奉公」の制度があったが、自立性を増す守護大名に対して将軍権力の強化を図った足利義満(あしかがよしみつ)から義教(よりのり)の時期に奉公衆の制度が確立した。彼らの出自は守護大名の庶流、足利氏の根本被官、国人(こくじん)領主など多様であった。奉公衆は五番に編成され、日常的には番頭の下で御所内の諸役や将軍御出の供奉(ぐぶ)などを務め、戦時には将軍の親衛隊として出陣した。将軍は奉公衆に対し、御料所の給与や所領への守護使不入の承認など、その給養に意を用いた。奉公衆の制度は、応仁・文明の乱後に将軍義稙(よしたね)が河内(かわち)へ赴く頃までは機能していたが、明応の政変によって事実上崩壊、詰衆(つめしゅう)などとして形骸化する。

［福田豊彦］

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