Moreover, some researches pointed out that the evidence showing that samurai were not always equal to the local lord, the existence of local lords who were not local resident samurais, and the fact that the local people who were supposed to be dominated by the local lord did not always bear hardship, but were autonomous and self-determined.
更に武士が必ずしも在地領主であった訳ではない事例や在地領主ではない在地居住の武士（「村の侍」）の存在、そして領主に支配される在地の民衆が必ずしも支配を甘受するだけの存在ではなく主体的・自律的性格を併せ持った存在であったことなども指摘されるようになった。