It has hitherto been the mainstream to recognize the Abe clan as a local Dogo (powerful family) in the Tohoku region, and to interpret Zen Kunen no Eki (the Earlier Nine Years' War) as a rebellion against the domination over the remote regions by the central government.
従来、安倍氏を東北地方の在地の土豪と捉え、前九年の役を中央による辺境支配への反乱と見る解釈が主流であった。