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 shōgun 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
  | This Japanese history–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This job-, occupation-, or vocation-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |