also: そうぼう
noun
commoner; humble subject
Formal or literary term for a person of low social status, often used humbly to refer to oneself as a subject. Rare in modern conversation.
草莽の臣として申し上げます。
I humbly state this as a common subject.
noun
anti-shogunate activist (Bakumatsu)
Historical term for a private citizen who opposed the Tokugawa shogunate during the Bakumatsu period. Not used in modern contexts.
幕末には多くの草莽が志士として活動した。
During the Bakumatsu period, many anti-shogunate activists worked as patriots.
noun
grassy place; bush
Obsolete literal meaning referring to a grassy or bushy area. Not used in modern Japanese.
古語では「草莽」は草むらを指した。
In old language, '草莽' referred to a grassy thicket.
Composed of 草 (grass) and 莽 (thicket), originally meaning a grassy place. By extension, it came to refer to commoners living in obscurity, and later specifically to anti-shogunate activists during the Bakumatsu period.