Kenin (Japanese history)
Kenin (家人, house person) was the third of the five lower castes of the Japanese ritsuryō system[1]. A privately-owned servant, a kenin had a better social status than a slave (shinuhi (私奴婢)), could be inherited but not sold, could participate to the life of the family and have one of his own[1].
The term can also be synonymous with gokenin[1]. The gokenin were vassals of the shogun during the Kamakura, Ashikaga, and Tokugawa shogunates[1]. The meaning of the term evolved in time, so its exact meaning changes with the historical period.
Notes
References
- Iwanami Kōjien (広辞苑) Japanese dictionary, 5th Edition (2000), CD version
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