During this period, the fighting between Masakado and his adversaries was viewed as merely private warfare (personal skirmishes among the gozoku [regional ruling families]) and it is thought that the Imperial Court did not see them as rebellious acts against the country.
この時期には将門と敵対者の戦いはあくまでも私戦（豪族間の個人的ないざこざ）とみなされ、国家に対する反乱であるという認識は朝廷側にはなかったと考えられている。