In the Muromachi period, people formed various unions including Kokujin-ikki (kokujin ryoshu [local samurai lord] union) formed by the people in the kokujin stratum, as well as soson (a community consisting of peasants' self-governing association) and goson (autonomous village) formed by peasants living in villages.
室町期の人民は、国人層では国人一揆（国人領主連合）などの、村落の百姓らでは惣村・郷村などの結合形態をとっていた。