Taromai
Encyclopedia
was the last king of the Okinawan
kingdom of Nanzan
.
The details of Taromai's birth are not known for sure, and a number of theories exist. According to Kyūyō, an official history compiled by officials of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
, Taromai was the eldest son of the previous king of Nanzan, Ououso.
Taromai received investiture
from officials of the Ming Dynasty
in 1415, and sent tribute
missions to Ming China eight times during his short reign.
Nanzan was invaded and conquered by Chūzan
to the north, in 1429, marking the unification of Okinawa Island, and the emergence of the unified Ryūkyū Kingdom
. According to some sources, Taromai's fall was the result of a loss of popular support among the peasantry, after Taromai greedily traded Chūzan a spring (i.e. a precious source of fresh water) for a gold-painted fence. Historian George H. Kerr
, however, notes that succession disputes among Taromai's heirs were seen as a sign of weakness by Shō Hashi
, king of Chūzan, and as an opportunity to seize control of the kingdom.
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...
kingdom of Nanzan
Nanzan
Nanzan , 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...
.
The details of Taromai's birth are not known for sure, and a number of theories exist. According to Kyūyō, an official history compiled by officials of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
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...
, Taromai was the eldest son of the previous king of Nanzan, Ououso.
Taromai received investiture
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
from officials 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...
in 1415, and sent tribute
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...
missions to Ming China eight times during his short reign.
Nanzan was invaded and conquered by Chūzan
Chuzan
Chūzan 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...
to the north, in 1429, marking the unification of Okinawa Island, and the emergence of the unified Ryūkyū Kingdom
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...
. According to some sources, Taromai's fall was the result of a loss of popular support among the peasantry, after Taromai greedily traded Chūzan a spring (i.e. a precious source of fresh water) for a gold-painted fence. 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, notes that succession disputes among Taromai's heirs were seen as a sign of weakness by 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...
, king of Chūzan, and as an opportunity to seize control of the kingdom.