Under the stratified land ruling structure of shoen koryo sei, the right to rule lands/peasants and the right to the proceeds of lands were very complicated because these were entangled in a multi-layered way, as seen in the structure of honke (official/nominal owner of shoen (manor)) - ryoke (lord of shoen) - shokan/jito (officer of governing shoen/manager of shoen).
荘園公領制では、本家－領家－荘官・地頭らの関係に見られるように、土地や百姓に対する支配関係、また土地からの収益に関する権利関係が重層的に絡み合っており、著しく複雑な様相を呈していた。