Before the Honmatsu seido was implemented, it was common to follow the sect and the system of teachings of the promoter (the one who had such a wish for a long time), who was the monk that founded or reconstructed the temple; however, there were cases when a powerful temple would suppress the neighboring middle and small temples and became "matsuji."
本末制度成立以前においては、その寺院を創建した発起者（本願主）の意向や、創建あるいは再興した僧侶の所属する宗派・法流に基づく例が基本であったが、中には有力寺院が政治力（場合によっては軍事力や経済力）で周辺の中小寺院を屈服させて末寺化する場合もあった。