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Hatamoto, lit. "bannermen," were a class of roughly six thousand middle-ranking samurai of the [[Edo period]] who, instead of serving a ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' or being ''daimyô'' themselves, were direct retainers of the [[Tokugawa shogunate|Tokugawa shogun]].

Hatamoto, lit. "bannermen," were a class of roughly six thousand middle-ranking samurai of the [[Edo period]] who, instead of serving a ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' or being ''daimyô'' themselves, were direct retainers of the [[Tokugawa shogunate|Tokugawa shogun]].

They held small territories in fief, enjoyed stipends of anywhere from 100 to nearly 10,000 ''[[koku]]'', and held various middle- or upper-middle-level government posts. Some had their own retainers in turn.

They held small territories in fief, enjoyed stipends of anywhere from 100 to nearly 10,000 ''[[koku]]'', and many held various middle- or upper-middle-level government posts. Some had their own retainers in turn. As many as 1/4 of the ''hatamoto'', however, were unable to secure government posts, while many others were severely underemployed for extended periods, working only half-days, or only on a month-to-month basis.

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