However, a recent study shows that the characteristics of the pirates that were restrained by Sumitomo and that of the armed group that he later led in the rebellion were not the same.
しかし最近の研究では、純友が鎮圧の任に当たった海賊と、乱を起こした純友らの武装勢力の性格が異なっていることが指摘されている。