During the Heian period, the lord of the manor called 'ryoke' or 'honjo' legally warranted samurai the control over the manor; on the other hand, the local notables who actually developed the land did office-seeking by assiduously contributing their territory, offering a certificate given to the leader with the retainer's name on it and had his sons be retainers.
平安時代には武士の支配を法的に保証するのは荘園領主たる「領家」「本所」であり、開発領主たちはその所領を孜々として寄進し、名簿（みょうぼ）を奉って子弟を近侍させ、猟官活動を行った。