Fudai were the descendents of Gokenin who had served the Shogun family as police from when the Edo bakufu (shogunate) was founded by Ieyasu TOKUGAWA until the fourth shogun, Ietsuna TOKUGAWA.
譜代は江戸幕府草創の初代徳川家康から四代徳川家綱の時代に将軍家に与力・同心として仕えた経験のある者の子孫である。