Gokenin was appointed as shugo or jito by shogun to be approved their shoryo (territory), and also given a protection such as exemption of kuji that were supposed to be imposed to commoners and peasants, but as a compensation, they bore different kinds of kuji called gokeninyaku (favour and service).
御家人は将軍から守護・地頭などに任命されて所領を安堵され、平民百姓に対する公事の負担を免除されるなどの保護を受けており、その代償として御家人役と呼ばれる各種の公事を負担したのである（御恩と奉公）。