There were all conceivable motives for factional strife, such as rivalry between a veteran elder of established lineage and a newcomer retainer or group leader, clash between conservative and progressive groups over domain government reform, conflict over credo in the last years of the Edo Period, and disagreements over domain policy and race for power between vassals.
古参ともいうべき譜代の家臣と新参の家臣や出頭人との対立、藩政改革にともなう守旧派と改革派の対立、幕末期における信条の対立など、家臣間には主導権や藩政の方向性をめぐってあらゆる派閥抗争の動機があった。