At that time, many lower ranking aristocrats with samurai rank who could not get posts in the central government went down to the provinces, and shokan established heirachichal relationships with them in order to solve conflicts over the manors.
当時、中央の官職にあぶれた武士身分の下級貴族が多数、地方へ下向してきており、荘官たちは荘園を巡る紛争解決のために、それらの武士貴族と主従関係を築いていった。