Since the Muromachi period, the soryo system (a system in which the shoryo of a clan were inherited by clan members, but they and their shoryo were ruled by the soryo) was gradually enhanced; the family line of chakuryu formed the soke and honke, and the shoshi-ke (families other than the chakuryu in a clan) as shoke (branch families) were integrated as its vassals, in some cases.
室町時代以降、武家においては次第に惣領制が強化されつつあり、嫡流の家系が宗家・本家を形成し、庶子家が次第に庶家として、宗家の家臣として編入される例もみられた。