Shoen at that time had a dual class structure, which was divided into the group which included the hyakusho-myoshu who owned myoden (rice field lots in charge of a nominal holder) and the zaike-jumin; and the group which included sakunin (tenant cultivators), kobyakusho (peasants who owned little plowlands), shoju, and genin.
当時の荘園は名田を有する百姓名主や在家住人とそれ以外の作人・小百姓・所従・下人などの2階層に分かれていた。