Moreover, making a contract with the landholders of shoen and the kokushi (provincial governors) to pay them nengu from income, shugo virtually dominated the shoen and the territories of kokuga, which were called "shugo-uke" (the work undertaken by shugo).
また、荘園領主・国司と請負契約を結び、収入の中から領主・国司へ年貢納入する一方で、実質的に荘園・国衙領を支配していく守護請（しゅごうけ）も行われるようになった。