samurai serving the shogunate
Historical term for samurai who served the shogunate, often contrasted with 公家衆 (court nobles). Used in contexts discussing the Muromachi or Edo periods.
See also: 公家衆
The samurai serving the shogunate pledged loyalty to the shogun.
Both the samurai serving the shogunate and the court nobles participated in this ceremony.
Compound of 武家 (buke, 'samurai family') and 衆 (shū, 'group of people'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally associated with samurai retainers of the shogunate.