Sotsuzoku (low-ranking samurai) (卒族)

Sotsuzoku was a name of social status in the early Meiji period. Low-ranking samurai called differently as Doshin or Ashigaru (a foot soldier) in each domain, who did not have the status of samurai, were examples. In 1870, the designation started; however, it was abolished two years later.

In the abolition of Sotsuzoku, the hereditary Sotsuzoku was incorporated into Shizoku (the samurai class), and the one-off generation of Sotsuzoku into Heimin (commoner).

[Original Japanese]