Daimyo was the Japanese title for a powerful feudal territorial lord during the samurai era.
The word daimyo means “great name.” Daimyo controlled domains, maintained castles and armies, collected agricultural revenue, and governed subordinate samurai. Their influence varied widely: some ruled large, wealthy domains, while others held much smaller territories and depended on stronger neighbors.
Under the Tokugawa shogunate, daimyo were classified into groups based partly on their relationship with the Tokugawa family. Fudai daimyo had been hereditary allies, while tozama daimyo became allies after the Tokugawa rise to power. The shogunate also regulated them through laws and obligations.
The alternate-attendance system, sankin-kotai, required many daimyo to spend alternating periods in Edo and their home domains. This was expensive and helped the shogunate monitor powerful lords. Daimyo authority ended during the Meiji government’s abolition of the domains in 1871.