Ryukyu Kingdom
Encyclopedia
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands
(Nansei Islands) from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island
and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands
in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture
, and the Sakishima Islands
near Taiwan
. Despite its small size, the kingdom played a central role in the maritime trade networks of mediæval East
and Southeast Asia
.
were unified into three principalities: , and . This was known as the Three Kingdoms or Sanzan
(三山, Three Mountains) period. Hokuzan, which constituted much of the northern half of the island, was the largest in terms of land area, and strong militarily, but was economically the weakest of the three. Nanzan comprised the southern portion of the island. Chūzan lay in the center of the island, and was the strongest economically. Its political capital at Shuri, neighbored the major trade port of Naha and center of traditional Chinese learning, Kumemura
. These sites, and Chūzan as a whole, would continue to form the center of the Ryūkyū Kingdom until its abolition.
Many Chinese moved to Ryukyu to serve the government or engage in business during this period. The Ming dynasty
Chinese sent from Fujian
36 Chinese families at the request of the Ryukyuan King to manage oceanic dealings in the kingdom in 1392 during the Hongwu Emperor
's reign. Many Ryukuan officials were descended from these Chinese immigrants, being born in China or having Chinese grandfathers. They assisted in the Ryukyuans in advancing their techonology and diplomatic relations. The Chinese used the fact that the descendants of these Chinese families still lived on Ryukyu as justification for China's "special claim" on the islands, as Li Hongzhang
told Ulysses S. Grant
. The Ryukyu had paid tribute to China for hundreds of years, and the Chinese reserved certrain trade rights for them in an amicable and beneficial relationship.
These three principalities, or tribal federations, led by major chieftains, battled, and Chūzan emerged victorious, and the Chūzan leaders were officially recognized by Ming dynasty China as the rightful kings over those of Nanzan and Hokuzan, thus lending great legitimacy to their claims, if not victory outright. The ruler of Chūzan passed his throne to King Hashi; Hashi conquered Hokuzan in 1416 and Nanzan in 1429, uniting the island of Okinawa for the first time, and founded the first Shō Dynasty. Hashi received the surname "Shang" 尚 from the Ming emperor
in 1421, becoming known as Shang Bazhi
(尚巴志).
Shang Bazhi adopted the Chinese hierarchical court system, built Shuri Castle
and the town as his capital, and constructed Naha harbor. In 1469, King Shō Toku
died without a male heir; a palatine servant declared he was Toku's adopted son and gained Chinese investiture. This pretender, Shō En
, began the Second Shō Dynasty. Ryūkyū's golden age occurred during the reign of Shō Shin
, the second king of that dynasty, who reigned from 1478 to 1526.
The kingdom extended its authority over the southernmost islands in the Ryukyu archipelago by the end of the 15th century, and by 1571 the Amami-Ōshima Islands, to the north, near Kyūshū, were incorporated into the kingdom as well. While the kingdom's political system was adopted, and the authority of Shuri recognized, in the Amami-Ōshima Islands, however, the kingdom's authority over the Sakishima Islands to the south remained for centuries at the level of a tributary
-suzerain relationship.
and East Asia
. Central to the kingdom's maritime activities was the continuation of the tributary
relationship with Ming Dynasty
China, begun by Chūzan in 1372, and enjoyed by the three Okinawan kingdoms which preceded it. China provided ships for Ryūkyū's maritime trade activities, allowed a limited number of Ryukyuans to study at the Imperial Academy
in Beijing, and formally recognized the authority of the King of Chūzan, allowing the kingdom to trade formally at Ming ports. Ryukyuan ships, often provided by China, traded at ports across the entire region as well, journeying to ports in Korea
, China
, and Japan
, as well as Siam
, Malacca
, Java
, Sumatra
, Đại Việt
(Vietnam), Pattani
, and Palembang
, among others in the region.
Japanese products—silver
, swords, fans, lacquer
ware, folding screens
—and Chinese products—medicinal herbs, minted coins, glazed ceramics, brocades, textiles—were traded within the kingdom for Southeast Asian sappanwood
, rhino
horn, tin
, sugar
, iron
, ambergris
, Indian ivory
and Arabian frankincense
. Altogether, 150 voyages between the kingdom and Southeast Asia on Ryūkyūan ships were recorded in the Rekidai Hōan
, an official record of diplomatic documents compiled by the kingdom, as having taken place between 1424 and the 1630s, with 61 of them bound for Siam, 10 for Malacca, 10 for Pattani and 8 for Java, among others.
The Chinese policy of hai jin
(海禁, "sea bans"), limiting trade with China to tributary states and those with formal authorization, along with the accompanying preferential treatment of the Ming Court towards Ryūkyū, allowed the kingdom to flourish and prosper for roughly 150 years. In the late 16th century, however, the kingdom's commercial prosperity fell into decline. The decline of the wokou
("Japanese pirate") threat among other factors led to the gradual loss of Chinese preferential treatment; the kingdom also suffered from increased maritime competition from Europeans.
asked the Ryūkyū Kingdom to aid in his campaign to conquer Korea. If successful, Hideyoshi intended to then move against China. As the Ryūkyū Kingdom was a tributary state of the Ming Dynasty
, the request was refused. The Tokugawa shogunate
that emerged following Hideyoshi's fall authorized the Shimazu family
—feudal lords
of the Satsuma
domain
(present-day Kagoshima prefecture
)—to send an expeditionary force to conquer the Ryūkyūs. The subsequent invasion
took place in 1609. Occupation occurred fairly quickly, with a minimum of armed resistance, and King Shō Nei
was taken as a prisoner to the Satsuma domain and later to Edo
(modern day Tokyo). When he was released two years later, the Ryūkyū Kingdom regained a degree of autonomy; however, the Satsuma domain seized control over some territory of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, notably the Amami-Ōshima
island group, which was incorporated into the Satsuma domain and remains a part of Kagoshima prefecture, not Okinawa prefecture, today.
The Ryūkyū Kingdom found itself in a period of "dual subordination" to Japan and China, wherein Ryūkyūan tributary relations were maintained with both the Tokugawa shogunate and the Ming Chinese court. In 1655, tribute relations between Ryukyu and Qing Dynasty
(the dynasty that followed Ming on 1644) were formally approved by the shogunate. This was seen to be justified, in part, because of the desire to avoid giving Qing any reason for military action against Japan.
Since Ming China prohibited trade with Japan, the Satsuma domain, with the blessing of the Tokugawa shogunate, used the trade relations of the kingdom to continue to maintain trade relations with China. Considering that Japan had previously severed ties with most of the European countries except the Dutch
, such trade relations proved especially crucial to both the Tokugawa shogunate and Satsuma domain which would use its power and influence, gained in this way, to help overthrow the shogunate in the 1860s.
The Ryūkyūan king was a vassal of the Satsuma daimyō, but his land was not considered as part of any han (fief): up until the formal annexation of the islands and abolition of the kingdom in 1879, the Ryūkyūs were not truly considered part of Japan, and the Ryūkyūan people not considered Japanese. Though technically under the control of Satsuma, Ryūkyū was given a great degree of autonomy, to best serve the interests of the Satsuma daimyō and those of the shogunate, in trading with China. Ryūkyū was a tributary state of China, and since Japan had no formal diplomatic relations with China, it was essential that Beijing not realize that Ryūkyū was controlled by Japan. Thus, ironically, Satsuma—and the shogunate—was obliged to be mostly hands-off in terms of not visibly or forcibly occupying Ryūkyū or controlling the policies and laws there. The situation benefited all three parties involved—the Ryūkyū royal government, the Satsuma daimyo, and the shogunate—to make Ryūkyū seem as much a distinctive and foreign country as possible. Japanese were prohibited from visiting Ryūkyū without shogunal permission, and the Ryūkyūans were forbidden from adopting Japanese names, clothes, or customs. They were even forbidden from acknowledging their knowledge of the Japanese language during their trips to Edo; the Shimazu family, daimyo of Satsuma, gained great prestige by putting on a show of parading the King, officials, and other people of Ryūkyū to and through Edo. As the only han to have a king and an entire kingdom as vassals, Satsuma gained significantly from Ryūkyū's exoticness, reinforcing that it was an entire separate kingdom.
In 1872, the Japanese tributary kingdom was reconfigured as the Ryūkyū Province. The Ryūkyū kingdom was made part of Japan as the Ryūkyū han. At the same time, the fiction of independence was maintained for diplomatic reasons.
The Meiji Japanese government abolished the Ryūkyū Kingdom when the islands were incorporated as Okinawa Prefecture
on March 11, 1879. The Amami-Ōshima island group which had been integrated into Satsuma domain became a part of Kagoshima prefecture. The last king of the Ryūkyūs was forced to relocate to Tokyo; and he was given a compensating kazoku
rank as Marquis Shō Tai
. His death in 1901 diminished the historic connections with the former kingdom.
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
(Nansei Islands) from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...
and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands
Amami Islands
The are a group of islands that is part of the Satsunan Islands, which are then part of the Nansei Islands. The islands are part of Kagoshima Prefecture, in the Kyūshū region of Japan...
in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
, and the Sakishima Islands
Sakishima Islands
The are an island chain located at the southernmost end of the Japanese Archipelago. They are part of the Nansei Islands and include the Miyako Islands and the Yaeyama Islands...
near Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. Despite its small size, the kingdom played a central role in the maritime trade networks of mediæval East
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
Origins of the Kingdom
In the 14th century, small domains scattered on Okinawa IslandOkinawa Island
Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...
were unified into three principalities: , and . This was known as the Three Kingdoms or Sanzan
Sanzan period
The is a period of history of the Ryūkyū Kingdom that lasted from 1322 until 1429.The early 13th century saw a growth in the construction of Gusuku by a number of powerful kings leading to the emergence of three kingdoms in the 14th century: , and...
(三山, Three Mountains) period. Hokuzan, which constituted much of the northern half of the island, was the largest in terms of land area, and strong militarily, but was economically the weakest of the three. Nanzan comprised the southern portion of the island. Chūzan lay in the center of the island, and was the strongest economically. Its political capital at Shuri, neighbored the major trade port of Naha and center of traditional Chinese learning, Kumemura
Kumemura
Kumemura , located on Okinawa, in the port city of Naha and near the royal capital of Shuri, was a community of scholars, bureaucrats, and diplomats, and a center of culture and learning during the time of the Ryūkyū Kingdom...
. These sites, and Chūzan as a whole, would continue to form the center of the Ryūkyū Kingdom until its abolition.
Many Chinese moved to Ryukyu to serve the government or engage in business during this period. The Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
Chinese sent from Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
36 Chinese families at the request of the Ryukyuan King to manage oceanic dealings in the kingdom in 1392 during the Hongwu Emperor
Hongwu Emperor
The Hongwu Emperor , known variably by his given name Zhu Yuanzhang and by his temple name Taizu of Ming , was the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China...
's reign. Many Ryukuan officials were descended from these Chinese immigrants, being born in China or having Chinese grandfathers. They assisted in the Ryukyuans in advancing their techonology and diplomatic relations. The Chinese used the fact that the descendants of these Chinese families still lived on Ryukyu as justification for China's "special claim" on the islands, as Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
told Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
. The Ryukyu had paid tribute to China for hundreds of years, and the Chinese reserved certrain trade rights for them in an amicable and beneficial relationship.
These three principalities, or tribal federations, led by major chieftains, battled, and Chūzan emerged victorious, and the Chūzan leaders were officially recognized by Ming dynasty China as the rightful kings over those of Nanzan and Hokuzan, thus lending great legitimacy to their claims, if not victory outright. The ruler of Chūzan passed his throne to King Hashi; Hashi conquered Hokuzan in 1416 and Nanzan in 1429, uniting the island of Okinawa for the first time, and founded the first Shō Dynasty. Hashi received the surname "Shang" 尚 from the Ming emperor
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
in 1421, becoming known as Shang Bazhi
Sho Hashi
Shō Hashi was the first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom , uniting the three kingdoms of Chūzan, Hokuzan, and Nanzan by conquest...
(尚巴志).
Shang Bazhi adopted the Chinese hierarchical court system, built Shuri Castle
Shuri Castle
Shuri Castle is a gusuku in Shuri, Okinawa. It was the palace of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroyed...
and the town as his capital, and constructed Naha harbor. In 1469, King Shō Toku
Shō Toku
Shō Toku 尚徳王 was the son of Shō Taikyū and last king of his dynasty. He came to power as a young man in a kingdom whose treasury had been depleted. He engaged in efforts to conquer islands and took Hachiman as his banner to emphasize his martial spirit. His conquest of Kikai did not help financial...
died without a male heir; a palatine servant declared he was Toku's adopted son and gained Chinese investiture. This pretender, Shō En
Sho En
' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the founder of the Second Shō Dynasty. Prior to becoming king, he was known as '.-Early life and rise to power:...
, began the Second Shō Dynasty. Ryūkyū's golden age occurred during the reign of Shō Shin
Sho Shin
' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the third of the line of the Second Shō Dynasty. Shō Shin's long reign has been described as "the Great Days of Chūzan", a period of great peace and relative prosperity. He was the son of Shō En, the founder of the dynasty, by Yosoidon, Shō En's second wife,...
, the second king of that dynasty, who reigned from 1478 to 1526.
The kingdom extended its authority over the southernmost islands in the Ryukyu archipelago by the end of the 15th century, and by 1571 the Amami-Ōshima Islands, to the north, near Kyūshū, were incorporated into the kingdom as well. While the kingdom's political system was adopted, and the authority of Shuri recognized, in the Amami-Ōshima Islands, however, the kingdom's authority over the Sakishima Islands to the south remained for centuries at the level of a tributary
Tributary state
The term tributary state refers to one of the two main ways in which a pre-modern state might be subordinate to a more powerful neighbour. The heart of the relationship was that the tributary would send a regular token of submission to the superior power...
-suzerain relationship.
Golden age of maritime trade
For nearly two hundred years, the Ryūkyū Kingdom would thrive as a key player in maritime trade with SoutheastSoutheast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
. Central to the kingdom's maritime activities was the continuation of the tributary
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
relationship with Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
China, begun by Chūzan in 1372, and enjoyed by the three Okinawan kingdoms which preceded it. China provided ships for Ryūkyū's maritime trade activities, allowed a limited number of Ryukyuans to study at the Imperial Academy
Guozijian (Beijing)
The Beijing Guozijian , located at the Guozijian Street or Chengxian Street in Beijing, China, was the imperial college during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and it was the last Guozijian of China and is an important national cultural heritage...
in Beijing, and formally recognized the authority of the King of Chūzan, allowing the kingdom to trade formally at Ming ports. Ryukyuan ships, often provided by China, traded at ports across the entire region as well, journeying to ports in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, as well as Siam
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
, Malacca
Malacca Sultanate
Established by the Malay ruler Parameswara, the Sultanate of Malacca was first a Hindu kingdom in 1402 and later became Muslim following the marriage of the princess of Pasai in 1409. Centered in the modern town of Malacca, the sultanate bordered the Ayutthaya Kingdom of Siam in the north to...
, Java
Mataram Sultanate
The Sultanate of Mataram was the last major independent Javanese empire on Java before the island was colonized by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force in interior Central Java from the late 16th century until the beginning of the 18th century....
, Sumatra
Aceh Sultanate
The Sultanate of Aceh, officially the Kingdom of Aceh Darussalam was a sultanate centered in the modern area of Aceh Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, which was a major regional power in the 16th and 17th centuries, before experiencing a long period of decline...
, Đại Việt
Lê Dynasty
The Later Lê Dynasty , sometimes referred to as the Lê Dynasty was the longest-ruling dynasty of Vietnam, ruling the country from 1428 to 1788, with a brief interruption....
(Vietnam), Pattani
Pattani kingdom
Pattani or Sultanate of Pattani was a Malay sultanate that covered approximately the area of the modern Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and much of the northern part of modern Malaysia. The King of Patani is believed to have converted to Islam some time during the 11th century...
, and Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
, among others in the region.
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, swords, fans, lacquer
Lacquer
In a general sense, lacquer is a somewhat imprecise term for a clear or coloured varnish that dries by solvent evaporation and often a curing process as well that produces a hard, durable finish, in any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss and that can be further polished as required...
ware, folding screens
Byobu
are Japanese folding screens made from several joined panels bearing decorative painting and calligraphy, used to separate interiors and enclose private spaces, among other uses.- History :...
—and Chinese products—medicinal herbs, minted coins, glazed ceramics, brocades, textiles—were traded within the kingdom for Southeast Asian sappanwood
Sappanwood
Caesalpinia sappan is a species of flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is native to Southeast Asia and the Malay archipelago. Common names include Sappanwood, Sapanwood, and Suou . Sappanwood belongs to the same genus as Brazilwood , and was originally called "brezel wood" in...
, rhino
Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros , also known as rhino, is a group of five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia....
horn, tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, ambergris
Ambergris
Ambergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish color produced in the digestive system of and regurgitated or secreted by sperm whales....
, Indian ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
and Arabian frankincense
Frankincense
Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra, B. carteri, B. thurifera, B. frereana, and B. bhaw-dajiana...
. Altogether, 150 voyages between the kingdom and Southeast Asia on Ryūkyūan ships were recorded in the Rekidai Hōan
Rekidai Hoan
The Rekidai Hōan , Precious Documents of Successive Generations, is an official compilation of diplomatic documents of the royal government of the Ryūkyū Kingdom...
, an official record of diplomatic documents compiled by the kingdom, as having taken place between 1424 and the 1630s, with 61 of them bound for Siam, 10 for Malacca, 10 for Pattani and 8 for Java, among others.
The Chinese policy of hai jin
Hai jin
The Hǎi Jìn order was a ban on maritime activities imposed during China's Ming Dynasty and again at the time of the Qing Dynasty. Intended to curb piracy, the ban proved ineffective for that purpose...
(海禁, "sea bans"), limiting trade with China to tributary states and those with formal authorization, along with the accompanying preferential treatment of the Ming Court towards Ryūkyū, allowed the kingdom to flourish and prosper for roughly 150 years. In the late 16th century, however, the kingdom's commercial prosperity fell into decline. The decline of the wokou
Wokou
Wokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
("Japanese pirate") threat among other factors led to the gradual loss of Chinese preferential treatment; the kingdom also suffered from increased maritime competition from Europeans.
Japanese invasion and subordination
Around 1590, Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
asked the Ryūkyū Kingdom to aid in his campaign to conquer Korea. If successful, Hideyoshi intended to then move against China. As the Ryūkyū Kingdom was a tributary state of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, the request was refused. The Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
that emerged following Hideyoshi's fall authorized the Shimazu family
Shimazu family
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
—feudal lords
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of the Satsuma
Satsuma han
The Satsuma domain was one of the most powerful feudal domains in Tokugawa Japan, and played a major role in the Meiji Restoration and in the government of the Meiji period which followed...
domain
Han (Japan)
The or domain was the name of the estate belonging to a warrior in Japan after the 17th century. The fiefs of the daimyos of the samurai class of Japan during the Edo period were called han.-Edo period:...
(present-day Kagoshima prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
)—to send an expeditionary force to conquer the Ryūkyūs. The subsequent invasion
Invasion of Ryukyu
The invasion of Ryukyu by forces of the Japanese feudal domain of Satsuma took place in 1609, and marked the beginning of the Ryūkyū Kingdom's status as a vassal state under Satsuma...
took place in 1609. Occupation occurred fairly quickly, with a minimum of armed resistance, and King Shō Nei
Sho Nei
' was king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom from 1587–1620. He reigned during the 1609 invasion of Ryūkyū and was the first king of Ryūkyū to be a vassal to the Shimazu clan of Satsuma, a Japanese feudal domain....
was taken as a prisoner to the Satsuma domain and later to Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
(modern day Tokyo). When he was released two years later, the Ryūkyū Kingdom regained a degree of autonomy; however, the Satsuma domain seized control over some territory of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, notably the Amami-Ōshima
Amami Islands
The are a group of islands that is part of the Satsunan Islands, which are then part of the Nansei Islands. The islands are part of Kagoshima Prefecture, in the Kyūshū region of Japan...
island group, which was incorporated into the Satsuma domain and remains a part of Kagoshima prefecture, not Okinawa prefecture, today.
The Ryūkyū Kingdom found itself in a period of "dual subordination" to Japan and China, wherein Ryūkyūan tributary relations were maintained with both the Tokugawa shogunate and the Ming Chinese court. In 1655, tribute relations between Ryukyu and Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
(the dynasty that followed Ming on 1644) were formally approved by the shogunate. This was seen to be justified, in part, because of the desire to avoid giving Qing any reason for military action against Japan.
Since Ming China prohibited trade with Japan, the Satsuma domain, with the blessing of the Tokugawa shogunate, used the trade relations of the kingdom to continue to maintain trade relations with China. Considering that Japan had previously severed ties with most of the European countries except the Dutch
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
, such trade relations proved especially crucial to both the Tokugawa shogunate and Satsuma domain which would use its power and influence, gained in this way, to help overthrow the shogunate in the 1860s.
The Ryūkyūan king was a vassal of the Satsuma daimyō, but his land was not considered as part of any han (fief): up until the formal annexation of the islands and abolition of the kingdom in 1879, the Ryūkyūs were not truly considered part of Japan, and the Ryūkyūan people not considered Japanese. Though technically under the control of Satsuma, Ryūkyū was given a great degree of autonomy, to best serve the interests of the Satsuma daimyō and those of the shogunate, in trading with China. Ryūkyū was a tributary state of China, and since Japan had no formal diplomatic relations with China, it was essential that Beijing not realize that Ryūkyū was controlled by Japan. Thus, ironically, Satsuma—and the shogunate—was obliged to be mostly hands-off in terms of not visibly or forcibly occupying Ryūkyū or controlling the policies and laws there. The situation benefited all three parties involved—the Ryūkyū royal government, the Satsuma daimyo, and the shogunate—to make Ryūkyū seem as much a distinctive and foreign country as possible. Japanese were prohibited from visiting Ryūkyū without shogunal permission, and the Ryūkyūans were forbidden from adopting Japanese names, clothes, or customs. They were even forbidden from acknowledging their knowledge of the Japanese language during their trips to Edo; the Shimazu family, daimyo of Satsuma, gained great prestige by putting on a show of parading the King, officials, and other people of Ryūkyū to and through Edo. As the only han to have a king and an entire kingdom as vassals, Satsuma gained significantly from Ryūkyū's exoticness, reinforcing that it was an entire separate kingdom.
In 1872, the Japanese tributary kingdom was reconfigured as the Ryūkyū Province. The Ryūkyū kingdom was made part of Japan as the Ryūkyū han. At the same time, the fiction of independence was maintained for diplomatic reasons.
The Meiji Japanese government abolished the Ryūkyū Kingdom when the islands were incorporated as Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
on March 11, 1879. The Amami-Ōshima island group which had been integrated into Satsuma domain became a part of Kagoshima prefecture. The last king of the Ryūkyūs was forced to relocate to Tokyo; and he was given a compensating kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
rank as Marquis Shō Tai
Sho Tai
was the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom . His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe and the United States, as well as the eventual end of the kingdom and its annexation by Japan as Okinawa Prefecture.In 1879, the deposed king was forced to...
. His death in 1901 diminished the historic connections with the former kingdom.
Major events
- 1372 The first Ming dynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
envoy visits Okinawa, which had been divided into three kingdoms, during the Sanzan periodSanzan periodThe is a period of history of the Ryūkyū Kingdom that lasted from 1322 until 1429.The early 13th century saw a growth in the construction of Gusuku by a number of powerful kings leading to the emergence of three kingdoms in the 14th century: , and...
. Formal tributary relations with the Chinese EmpireMid-Imperial ChinaMid-Imperial China begins with the reunification of China by the short-lived Sui dynasty in 589. The Sui replaced the nine-rank system with the imperial examination and embarked on major public works such as connecting the various canals to form the Grand Canal...
begin. - 1416 ChūzanChuzanChūzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more solidly defined kingdoms within a few years after...
, led by Shō Hashi, occupies Nakijin gusukuNakijin gusukuis a gusuku located in Nakijin, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is currently in ruins. In the late 14th century, the Ryukyus consisted of three principalities: Nanzan to the south, Chūzan in the central area, and Hokuzan in the north. Nakijin was the fortress of Hokuzan...
, capital of HokuzanHokuzanHokuzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more solidly defined kingdoms within a few years...
. - 1429 Chūzan occupies Shimajiri Osato gusuku, capital of NanzanNanzanNanzan , sometimes called Sannan , was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more solidly defined...
, unifying Okinawa Island. Shō Hashi establishes the Kingdom of Ryūkyū, ruling as king with his capital at Shuri (now part of modern-day NahaNaha, Okinawais the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
). - 1470 Shō En (Kanemaru) establishes the Second Shō Dynasty.
- 1477 The third king, Shō ShinSho Shin' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the third of the line of the Second Shō Dynasty. Shō Shin's long reign has been described as "the Great Days of Chūzan", a period of great peace and relative prosperity. He was the son of Shō En, the founder of the dynasty, by Yosoidon, Shō En's second wife,...
, ascends to the throne. Golden age of the kingdom. - 1609 (April 5) daimyōDaimyois a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
(Lord) of SatsumaSatsuma Provincewas an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
in southern KyūshūKyushuis the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
conquers the kingdom. King of Ryūkyū becomes a Japanese vassal. - 1624 Lord of Satsuma annexes the Amami Islands.
- 1846 Dr. Bernard Jean Bettelheim (d. 1870), a British Protestant missionary, arrives in Ryūkyū Kingdom. He establishes the first foreign hospital on the island at the Naminoue Gokoku-jiGokoku-ji (Okinawa)' is a Buddhist temple in Naha, Okinawa. Established in 1367, the temple served as a major national temple for the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan and the unified Ryūkyū Kingdom which would follow. It is perhaps most well-known for its associations with Christian missionary Dr...
Temple. - 1853 Commodore Matthew PerryMatthew Perry (naval officer)Matthew Calbraith Perry was the Commodore of the U.S. Navy and served commanding a number of US naval ships. He served several wars, most notably in the Mexican-American War and the War of 1812. He played a leading role in the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854...
of the US Navy visits the kingdom. Betteleheim leaves with Perry. - 1866 The last official mission from the Qing Empire visits the kingdom.
- 1872 The Japanese government unilaterally abolished the Ryukyu Kingdom, and declared the islands to be the Ryukyu Han (Ryukyu fief), with as the head of the fief .
- 1874 The last tributary envoy to China is dispatched from Naha.
- 1879 Japan replaces the Ryūkyū han with Okinawa PrefectureOkinawa Prefectureis one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, formally annexing the islands. The former monarch is granted the Japanese title of and relocated to Tokyo.
List of Ryūkyūan kings
| Name | Kanji Kanji Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet... | Reign | Line or Dynasty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shunten Shunten ' was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Shunten is the earliest king in Okinawa for whom a name is known. He is said to have taken power after defeating a usurper to the throne by the name of Riyū who had overthrown the 25th king of the Tenson Dynasty.... |
舜天 | 1187–1237 | Tenson Lineage | |
| Shunbajunki Shunbajunki was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Shunbajunki was the second of the Shunten Line. He succeeded his father Shunten in 1237.Shunbajunki's reign is noted for the construction of Shuri Castle, and the introduction of the Japanese kana writing system... |
舜馬順熈 | 1238–1248 | Tenson Lineage | |
| Gihon Gihon (Ryukyu) ' , also known as Yoshimoto or as Yiben in Chinese, was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Gihon was the third and last of the Shunten Lineage. He succeeded his father Shunbajunki at the age of 44, in 1248.... |
義本 | 1249–1259 | Tenson Lineage | |
| Eisō Eiso (Ryukyu) ' , also known as Yingzu, was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Eisō was a member of the Tenson family; and he is also known as the first of the Eiso Lineage of Ryukyuan monarchs... |
英祖 | 1260–1299 | Eisō Lineage | |
| Taisei Taisei (Ryukyu) was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.He was the second ruler in the Eisō lineage of monarchs; that is, his father was King Eisō and his son was King Eiji. The years of Taisei's reign at Shuri were uneventful... |
大成 | 1300–1308 | Eisō Lineage | |
| Eiji Eiji (Ryukyu) was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.He was the third ruler in the Eisō lineage of monarchs; that is, his grandfather was King Eiso and his father was King Taisei... |
英慈 | 1309–1313 | Eisō Lineage |
| Tamagusuku Tamagusuku was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Tamgusuku was a "king" of the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan from roughly 1314-1336.He was the third son of Eiji , he was the fourth ruler of the lineage of Eiso was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Tamgusuku was a "king" of the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan from roughly... |
玉城 | 1314–1336 | Eisō Lineage | |
| Seii Seii Seii was the second king of the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan. He succeeded his father, Tamagusuku, in 1336, at the age of ten. His reign is characterized by the meddling of his mother in government affairs, and her corruption. The king's mother took advantage of her privileges and position, and... |
西威 | 1337–1354 | Eisō Lineage | |
| Satto Satto Satto , also known as Chadu, was a king of Chūzan, one of three kingdoms formerly on the island of Okinawa. His reign was marked by expansion and development of Chūzan's trade relations with other states, and the beginning of Okinawa's tributary relations with Ming Dynasty China, a relationship... |
察度 | 1355–1397 | - | |
| Bunei Bunei (Ryukyu) Bunei , also known as Wuning, was the last king of Chūzan, one of three kingdoms on the island of Okinawa, before it was united into the Ryūkyū Kingdom by Shō Hashi.Bunei inherited the throne upon the death of his father, King Satto... |
武寧 | 1398–1406 | - | |
| Shō Shishō Shō Shishō , also known as Talumei, was a king of Chūzan, one of three kingdoms on the island of Okinawa, before they were united into one island kingdom. He was the progenitor of what became the Shō Dynasty.... |
尚思紹 | 1407–1421 | First Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Hashi Sho Hashi Shō Hashi was the first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom , uniting the three kingdoms of Chūzan, Hokuzan, and Nanzan by conquest... |
尚巴志 | 1422–1429 | First Shō Dynasty | as King of Chūzan |
| Name | Kanji Kanji Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet... | Reign | Line or Dynasty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shō Hashi Sho Hashi Shō Hashi was the first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom , uniting the three kingdoms of Chūzan, Hokuzan, and Nanzan by conquest... |
尚巴志 | 1429–1439 | First Shō Dynasty | as King of Ryūkyū |
| Shō Chū | 尚忠 | 1440–1442 | First Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Shitatsu | 尚思達 | 1443–1449 | First Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Kinpuku | 尚金福 | 1450–1453 | First Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Taikyū Shō Taikyū ' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the fifth of the line of the first Shō Dynasty. His reign saw the construction of many Buddhist temples, and the casting of the .- Life and reign :... |
尚泰久 | 1454–1460 | First Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Toku Shō Toku Shō Toku 尚徳王 was the son of Shō Taikyū and last king of his dynasty. He came to power as a young man in a kingdom whose treasury had been depleted. He engaged in efforts to conquer islands and took Hachiman as his banner to emphasize his martial spirit. His conquest of Kikai did not help financial... |
尚徳 | 1461–1469 | First Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō En Sho En ' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the founder of the Second Shō Dynasty. Prior to becoming king, he was known as '.-Early life and rise to power:... |
尚円 | 1470–1476 | Second Shō Dynasty | AKA Kanamaru Uchima |
| Shō Sen'i | 尚宣威 | 1477 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Shin Sho Shin ' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the third of the line of the Second Shō Dynasty. Shō Shin's long reign has been described as "the Great Days of Chūzan", a period of great peace and relative prosperity. He was the son of Shō En, the founder of the dynasty, by Yosoidon, Shō En's second wife,... |
尚真 | 1477–1526 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Sei Sho Sei *For the 19th century king of Ryūkyū , see Shō Sei .Shō Sei was king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom from 1526 to 1555... |
尚清 | 1527–1555 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Gen Sho Gen Shō Gen was king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom from 1556 to 1572. He was called "Gen, the mute." the king required considerable support from the Sanshikan , the chief council of royal advisors... |
尚元 | 1556–1572 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Ei | 尚永 | 1573–1586 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Nei Sho Nei ' was king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom from 1587–1620. He reigned during the 1609 invasion of Ryūkyū and was the first king of Ryūkyū to be a vassal to the Shimazu clan of Satsuma, a Japanese feudal domain.... |
尚寧 | 1587–1620 | Second Shō Dynasty | ruled during Satsuma invasion; first king to be Satsuma vassal |
| Shō Hō Sho Ho ', also known as Shengfeng, was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. He succeeded Shō Nei, whose reign saw the invasion of Ryūkyū by Japanese forces in 1609 and the subjugation of the kingdom to Satsuma Domain, and ruled from 1621 until 1640.... |
尚豊 | 1621–1640 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Ken | 尚賢 | 1641–1647 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Shitsu Sho Shitsu ' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom who held the throne from 1648 until his death in 1668.The fourth son of King Shō Hō, he was named Prince of Sashiki in 1637, at the age of eight, and was granted Sashiki magiri as his domain... |
尚質 | 1648–1668 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Shōken Sho Shoken Shō Shōken , also known as Haneji Chōshū , was a Ryūkyūan scholar and served as sessei, a post often translated as "prime minister," from 1666 to 1673... |
向象賢 | 1666–1673 | Sessei Sessei was the highest government post of the Ryūkyū Kingdom below the king; the sessei served the function of royal or national advisor. In the Ryukyuan language at the time, the pronunciation was closer to shisshii, and has only changed relatively recently... (prime minister) |
first Ryūkyūan historian; lived 1617–1675 |
| Shō Tei Shō Tei ' was the 11th King of the Second Shō Dynasty of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, who held the throne from 1669 until his death in 1709. He was the ruler of Ryūkyū at the time of the compiling of the Chūzan Seibu .... |
尚貞 | 1669–1709 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Eki | 尚益 | 1710–1712 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Kei Sho Kei ' was king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom from 1713-1752. His reign, strongly guided by royal advisor Sai On, is regarded as a political and economic golden age and period of the flowering of Okinawan culture.... |
尚敬 | 1713–1751 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Sai On Sai On ', also known as ' was a scholar-bureaucrat official of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, serving as regent, instructor, and advisor to King Shō Kei... |
蔡温 | 1711–1752 | State instructor/regent | major Ryūkyūan scholar and historian; lived 1682–1761 |
| Shō Boku Shō Boku ' was a king of Ryukyu. His reign began in 1756. Although a period of relative stability he had to contend with a tsunami in 1771 that devastated the Miyako Islands and Yaeyama Islands. His reign also saw the Chinese envoy Chou Huang who wrote a sixteen volume topography of the islands for the... |
尚穆 | 1752–1795 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō On | 尚温 | 1796–1802 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Sei (r. 1803) | 尚成 | 1803 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Kō Sho Ko ' was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, who held the throne from 1804 to 1828, when he was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Shō Iku... |
尚灝 | 1804–1828 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Iku | 尚育 | 1829–1847 | Second Shō Dynasty | |
| Shō Tai Sho Tai was the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom . His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe and the United States, as well as the eventual end of the kingdom and its annexation by Japan as Okinawa Prefecture.In 1879, the deposed king was forced to... |
尚泰 | 1848–March 11, 1879 | Second Shō Dynasty | last Ryūkyū king |
See also
- GusukuGusuku, or just , is the term used for the distinctive Okinawan form of castles or fortresses. In standard Japanese, the same kanji is pronounced "shiro", but the word is probably cognate with a different Japanese word, "soko" , which means "fortress"...
- History of Amami Islands
- History of Ryukyu Islands
- History of Sakishima Islands
- Hua-Yi distinctionHua-Yi distinctionThe distinction between Hua and Yi is an ancient Chinese conception that differentiated a culturally defined "China" from cultural or ethnic outsiders...
- Ryūkyū independence movementRyukyu independence movementThe or Republic of the Ryūkyūs is a movement for the independence of Okinawa and the surrounding islands , from Japan. The movement emerged in 1945, after the end of the Pacific War...
- Ryukyu IslandsRyukyu IslandsThe , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
- Ryukyuan people
- TamaudunTamaudunis a mausoleum in Shuri, Okinawa, built for Ryūkyūan royalty in 1501 by King Shō Shin, the third king of the second Shō dynasty a short distance from Shuri Castle....
(intact royal tombs) - List of monarchs of Ryukyu Islands
- Genealogy of the Shō DynastiesGenealogy of the Shō DynastiesThe First Shō Dynasty and Second Shō Dynasty ruled the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1406-1469 and 1470-1879, respectively. In spite of the names, they were unrelated. Abbreviated genealogies of the two dynasties follow here.- First Shō Dynasty :*Samekawa Unushi...
- Ryukyuan missions to EdoRyukyuan missions to EdoOver the course of Japan's Edo period, the Okinawan Kingdom of Ryūkyū sent eighteen , the capital of Tokugawa Japan. The unique pattern of these diplomatic exchanges evolved from models established by the Chinese, but without denoting any predetermined relationship to China or to the Chinese world...
- Ryukyuan missions to Imperial ChinaRyukyuan missions to Imperial ChinaRyukyuan missions to Imperial China were diplomatic missions which were intermittently sent from the Ryukyuan kings to the Ming and Qing emperors. These diplomatic contacts were within the Sinocentric system of bilateral and multinational relationships in East Asia.-History:King Satto...
- Imperial Chinese missions to Ryūkyū KingdomImperial Chinese missions to Ryūkyū KingdomImperial Chinese missions to the Ryūkyū Kingdom were diplomatic missions which were intermittently sent by the Yuan, Ming and Qing emperors to Shuri, Okinawa in the Ryūkyū Islands...
- Imperial Chinese missions to Ryūkyū Kingdom
- Foreign relations of Imperial ChinaForeign relations of Imperial ChinaImperial China had a long tradition of foreign relations. From the Qin Dynasty until the Qing Dynasty, the Culture of China had an impact upon neighboring and distant countries, while gradually being transformed by outside influences as well....
- Ryukyuan missions to JoseonRyukyuan missions to JoseonRyukyuan missions to Joseon were diplomatic and trade ventures of the Ryūkyū Kingdom which were intermittently sent in the years 1392-1879. These diplomatic contacts were within the Sinocentric system of bilateral and multinational relationships in East Asia...
- Joseon missions to Ryūkyū KingdomJoseon missions to Ryūkyū KingdomJoseon missions to Ryūkyū Kingdom were diplomatic and trade ventures of the Joseon Dynasty which were intermittently sent after 1392. These diplomatic contacts were within the Sinocentric system of bilateral and multinational relationships in East Asia...
- Joseon missions to Ryūkyū Kingdom
- Ryukyu territorial question
- Mudan Incident of 1871Mudan Incident of 1871Mudan Incident of 1871 was the massacre of fifty-four Ryukyuan sailors in Taiwan who wandered into the central part of Taiwan after their ship was shipwrecked. 12 men were rescued by Han Chinese and were transferred to Miyako...
External links
- History of Okinawa沖縄の歴史情報(ORJ) Many Ryukyu historical texts.
- Brief History of the Uchinanchu (Okinawans)
- National Archives of Japan: Ryukyu Chuzano ryoshisha tojogyoretsu, scroll illustrating procession of Ryukyu emissary to Edo, Hōei 7 (1710)