Sho Dynasty

• Japanese: 尚王統 (Shou outou)

The Shô family which ruled the Ryûkyû Kingdom was in fact two separate lineages.

After Hashi, king of Chûzan, conquered the kingdoms of Hokuzan and Nanzan, uniting the island of Okinawa and establishing the Ryûkyû Kingdom in 1429, he was granted the name Shô (C: Shang) by the Ming Court as a royal surname, and was recognized as the legitimate ruler of Ryûkyû as a tributary state. This name was then passed down as the royal, dynastic, surname of the Kings of Ryûkyû.

A few decades later, in 1469, a high-ranking government official & court aristocrat, Kanamaru, staged a coup, overthrowing the First Shô Dynasty, and installing himself (and his descendants) as king of Ryûkyû. As part of efforts to establish his legitimacy, he took the name Shô, so as to give some impression of a continuation of a Shô family as the rulers of the kingdom, despite being of no actual blood relation. He took the name King Shô En for himself, and passed on the name Shô to his descendants; thus began the Second Shô Dynasty.

Lineage of the First Shô Dynasty

• Shô Shishô (d. 1421) - 1st king of the Shô Dynasty
  • Shô Hashi (1371-1439) - son of Shô Shishô, 2nd king of the Shô Dynasty, united Okinawa and established Ryûkyû Kingdom
    • Shô Chû (1391-1444) - 2nd son of Shô Hashi, 3rd king of the Shô Dynasty
      • Shô Shitatsu (1408-1449) - son of Shô Chû, 4th king of the Shô Dynasty
    • Shô Kinpuku (1398-1453) - 6th son of Shô Hashi, 6th king of the Shô Dynasty
    • Shô Taikyû (d. 1461) - 7th son of Shô Hashi, 7th king of the Shô Dynasty
      • Shô Toku (1441-1469) - son of Shô Taikyû, 8th king of the Shô Dynasty

Lineage of the Second Shô Dynasty

• Shô Shoku
  • Shô Sen'i (r. 1477) - 2nd king of Second Shô Dynasty, son of Shô Shoku
  • Shô En (r. 1470-1476, aka Kanamaru) - founder of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô Shoku
    • Yosoidon - second wife of Shô En
    • Shô Shin (r. 1477-1526) - 3rd king of Second Shô Dynasty, son of Shô En & Yosoidon
      • Sho Ikô (Urasoe Chôman) - eldest son of Shô Shin
        • Bainan - daughter of Shô Ikô, kikôe-ôgimi
        • Shô Kôgyô (Urasoe Chôkyô) - eldest son of Shô Ikô
          • Shô I - eldest son of Shô Kôgyô
            • Shô Nei (r. 1589-1620) - 7th king of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô I, adopted son of Shô Ei
            • Shô Kô - son of Shô I
      • Shô Chôrai - second son of Shô Shin
      • Shô Shôi - third son of Shô Shin
      • Shô Ryûtoku - fourth son of Shô Shin
      • Shô Kyôjin - sixth son of Shô Shin
      • Shô Gendô - seventh son of Shô Shin
      • Shô Sei (r. 1527-1555) - 4th king of Second Shô Dynasty, fifth son of Shô Shin
        • Shô Tei - eldest son of Shô Sei
        • Shô Yôsô - third son of Shô Sei
        • Shô Kanshin - fourth son of Shô Sei
        • Shô Kan - fifth son of Shô Sei
        • Shô Hangoku - sixth son of Shô Sei
        • Shô Sôken - seventh son of Shô Sei
        • Shô Kôtoku - eighth son of Shô Sei
        • Shô Gen (r. 1556-1572) - 5th king of Second Shô Dynasty, second son of Shô Sei