Around the eleventh century, as leading samurai like MINAMOTO no Yorinobu who should be called toryo (a leader) appeared, many samurai connected master to servant relationships with toryo and become roto for the toryo.
11世紀ごろに武家の棟梁と呼ぶべき指導的な武士（例えば源頼信など）が登場すると、多数の武士が棟梁と主従関係を結んで、棟梁の郎党となっている。