Sho En
Encyclopedia
was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
, the founder of the Second Shō Dynasty. Prior to becoming king, he was known as .
, a tiny island which lies off the northwestern coast of Okinawa Island
. It is said that he lost his parents when he was around twenty and undertook to provide for his aunt and uncle, brother and sister, and his wife, whom he married at a very young age.
In one year in which the island had suffered from a particularly severe drought, the rice patties of Kanamaru's family were found to be full of water; accused of having stolen the water, Kanamaru was forced to flee his home, and ended up in Ginama, in the northern region (Kunigami) of Okinawa Island.
After several years living in Ginama, there too some type of dispute or disagreement between Kanamaru and his neighbors emerged. Leaving Ginama, he traveled to Shuri, the capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in 1441, and became a servant or retainer to the prince, Shō Taikyū
. After Shō Taikyū became king in 1454, Kanamaru was made royal treasurer, and was in 1459 granted the post of , a position involving responsibility for matters regarding foreign relations and trade. He was also granted territory, and made .
There emerged a difference of opinion between Kanamaru, and Shō Toku
, who succeeded Shō Taikyū as king in 1461, possibly over the king's costly military efforts on the island of Kikaigashima
, leading Kanamaru to leave Shuri and retire to Uchima. Shō Toku died shortly afterwards, however, and it is said that in the ensuing discussions among the elder bureaucrats to choose a successor, Kanamaru was selected by popular demand, and thus came to the throne, taking the royal name Shō En. Historian George H. Kerr
, however, points out that official histories produced in the following centuries were written with the patronage of Shō En's successors; also that the circumstances surrounding Shō Toku's death remain something of a mystery, and the traditional account may simply indicate that there was a shift in allegiances among the aristocrats and bureaucrats towards Kanamaru, or that those parties in support of Kanamaru simply outnumbered those on the side of the late king.
Shō En thus established the Second Shō Dynasty, taking on the honorary surname granted the kings of Ryūkyū by Ming Dynasty
(and later, Qing Dynasty
) China
. He also banned members of the former Shō lineage from high government office, and from marrying into the lineage of the new dynasty, and took steps to elevate the prestige of his own family. His father came to be honored as King of Izena, and a formal tomb was constructed for Shō En's parents on Izena Island. Shō En also named his sister high priestess, or "noro
", of Izena; the lineage of high priestesses descended from her continued until the 20th century.
His reign marked the beginning of an institutional shift in the royal government, away from rule by a charismatic or otherwise gifted individual leader, i.e. the king, and towards a more bureaucratic system, with the king at its center.
Shō En's childhood wife is believed to have died, or otherwise separated from Kanamaru, before he rose to prominence at Shuri. He had his first son with his second wife, Yosoidon. Shō En died in 1476, after ruling for only a few years, and was succeeded by his brother Shō Sen'i, to Yosoidon's chagrin. Presently, the high priestess, daughter of the late king and Yosoidon, received a divine message indicating that Shō Sen'i should abdicate in favor of his nephew, son of Shō En, who then took the throne as Shō Shin
.
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu 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...
, the founder of the Second Shō Dynasty. Prior to becoming king, he was known as .
Early life and rise to power
Kanamaru was born into a family of peasant farmers on Izena IslandIzena, Okinawa
is a village occupying Izena Island in the north of Okinawa, Japan . There are five villages of about equal size and population located on the island: Izena, Nakada, Shomi, Uchihana, and Jicchaku .Izena's primary claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of King Shō En, the first king of the...
, a tiny island which lies off the northwestern coast of 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...
. It is said that he lost his parents when he was around twenty and undertook to provide for his aunt and uncle, brother and sister, and his wife, whom he married at a very young age.
In one year in which the island had suffered from a particularly severe drought, the rice patties of Kanamaru's family were found to be full of water; accused of having stolen the water, Kanamaru was forced to flee his home, and ended up in Ginama, in the northern region (Kunigami) of Okinawa Island.
After several years living in Ginama, there too some type of dispute or disagreement between Kanamaru and his neighbors emerged. Leaving Ginama, he traveled to Shuri, the capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in 1441, and became a servant or retainer to the prince, 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 :...
. After Shō Taikyū became king in 1454, Kanamaru was made royal treasurer, and was in 1459 granted the post of , a position involving responsibility for matters regarding foreign relations and trade. He was also granted territory, and made .
There emerged a difference of opinion between Kanamaru, and 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...
, who succeeded Shō Taikyū as king in 1461, possibly over the king's costly military efforts on the island of Kikaigashima
Kikai, Kagoshima
is a town located in Ōshima District, Kagoshima, Japan.As of 2008, the town had an estimated population of 8,207 and the density of 144 persons per km². The total area is 56.94 km².Kikai Airport is located in the town....
, leading Kanamaru to leave Shuri and retire to Uchima. Shō Toku died shortly afterwards, however, and it is said that in the ensuing discussions among the elder bureaucrats to choose a successor, Kanamaru was selected by popular demand, and thus came to the throne, taking the royal name Shō En. Historian George H. Kerr
George H. Kerr
George H. Kerr , also known in Taiwan as 葛超智 , was a United States diplomat during World War II, and in later years he was an author and an academic...
, however, points out that official histories produced in the following centuries were written with the patronage of Shō En's successors; also that the circumstances surrounding Shō Toku's death remain something of a mystery, and the traditional account may simply indicate that there was a shift in allegiances among the aristocrats and bureaucrats towards Kanamaru, or that those parties in support of Kanamaru simply outnumbered those on the side of the late king.
Reign
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...
(and later, 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....
) 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...
. He also banned members of the former Shō lineage from high government office, and from marrying into the lineage of the new dynasty, and took steps to elevate the prestige of his own family. His father came to be honored as King of Izena, and a formal tomb was constructed for Shō En's parents on Izena Island. Shō En also named his sister high priestess, or "noro
Noro
Noro is a town in the Solomon Islands, in the Western Province. It has about 5000 inhabitants. It has a cannery, which was owned by Taiyo Fisheries until 2001 and is now run by the Solomon Islands government....
", of Izena; the lineage of high priestesses descended from her continued until the 20th century.
His reign marked the beginning of an institutional shift in the royal government, away from rule by a charismatic or otherwise gifted individual leader, i.e. the king, and towards a more bureaucratic system, with the king at its center.
Shō En's childhood wife is believed to have died, or otherwise separated from Kanamaru, before he rose to prominence at Shuri. He had his first son with his second wife, Yosoidon. Shō En died in 1476, after ruling for only a few years, and was succeeded by his brother Shō Sen'i, to Yosoidon's chagrin. Presently, the high priestess, daughter of the late king and Yosoidon, received a divine message indicating that Shō Sen'i should abdicate in favor of his nephew, son of Shō En, who then took the throne as 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,...
.
See also
- List of monarchs of Ryukyu Islands
- 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...