The Tekiya are itinerant Japanese street peddlers, who were historically one of the forerunners of the infamous yakuza crime syndicates. The tekiya may have begun either as nomadic peddlers at castle towns and trading centers, as yashi bandits who originated as ronin outlaws roaming the countryside, or as yashi medicine peddlers who roamed the countryside as "snake-oil salesmen" devoted to the Chinese god of agriculture and medicine Shinno. By the mid-1700s, the tekiya had banded together for mutual interest and protection from the perils of Tokugawa Shogunate-era Japan. The gangs established control over the portable booths in market fairs held at temples and shrines, and they became known for their shody goods and deceptive salesmanship such as selling customers bonsai trees without roots. The tekiya were organized according to feudal status, with members falling into one of five ranks: the oyabun (boss), the underboss, officers, enlisted men, and apprentices. The gang was headquartered at the home of the oyabun, and it served as a training center foor new members who lived in the boss' home and learned the business. All members were bound by the "Three Commandments of Tekiya", namely: "Do not touch the wife of another member; Do not reveal the secrets of the organization to the police; Keep strict loyalty to the oyabun-kobun relationship." The boss collected rents and protection money, demanding payment from street peddlers for the privilege of opening their stalls. Those who refused found their goods stolen, their customers driven away, and even being assaulted by gang members anxious to maintain their monopoly over the region. There were frequent fights between tekiya bosses over territory, but a good deal of cooperation existed among the gangs. The tekiya, unlike the bakuto itinerant gamblers, mostly engaged in legal work, annd feudal authorities increased the power of the tekiya bosses by granting official recognition of their status from 1735 to 1740. The government appointed a number of oyabun as supervisors and allowed them the dignity of a surname and two swords, attaining them near-samurai status and allowing them to combat fraud among tekiya vendors and to prevent future turf wars. The tekiya gangs began to expand over the next century, organizing fairs of their own, selling food, gifts, and housewares at such events, and taking into their vast network wanted criminals and other fugitives. The tekiya not only took in misfits, but also the burakumin, Japan's "untouchable" caste. During the Meiji Restoration era of the late 19th century, the tekiya and bakuto gangs played politics and formed close ties to important officials and politicians for government sanction and freedom from government harassment. Tekiya still exist in Japan, and the yakuza are still referred to as tekiya and bakuto by many in Japanese society.