Changes

Seii was overthrown by the lord of Urasoe around 1349-55; the reign of the new king, [[Satto]], marked the emergence of Chûzan as a small but not insignificant player in regional trade and politics. A number of domestic policies and foreign relations begun at this time would continue until the end of the kingdom five hundred years later. Satto established diplomatic and trade relations with a number of states in the region, including the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom]] of [[Thailand]] and [[Joseon Dynasty]] [[Korea]], and saw the beginnings of Ryûkyû's role in a flourishing system of regional trade. Rice would remain Ryûkyû's chief import from Ayutthaya well into the period of the united Kingdom,<ref>Chan, Ying Kit. “A Bridge between Myriad Lands: The Ryukyu Kingdom and Ming China (1372-1526).” Thesis, National University of Singapore, 2010, 33n85. http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/20602.</ref> and Okinawan ''[[awamori]]'', the Okinawan distilled rice liquor, remains today distinctive from its Japanese and Korean cousins (''[[shochu|shôchû]]'' and ''soju'') in its use of Thai rather than East Asian rice.

Seii was overthrown by the lord of Urasoe around 1349-55; the reign of the new king, [[Satto]], marked the emergence of Chûzan as a small but not insignificant player in regional trade and politics. A number of domestic policies and foreign relations begun at this time would continue until the end of the kingdom five hundred years later. Satto established diplomatic and trade relations with a number of states in the region, including the [[Ayutthaya Kingdom]] of [[Thailand]] and [[Joseon Dynasty]] [[Korea]], and saw the beginnings of Ryûkyû's role in a flourishing system of regional trade. Rice would remain Ryûkyû's chief import from Ayutthaya well into the period of the united Kingdom,<ref>Chan, Ying Kit. “A Bridge between Myriad Lands: The Ryukyu Kingdom and Ming China (1372-1526).” Thesis, National University of Singapore, 2010, 33n85. http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/20602.</ref> and Okinawan ''[[awamori]]'', the Okinawan distilled rice liquor, remains today distinctive from its Japanese and Korean cousins (''[[shochu|shôchû]]'' and ''soju'') in its use of Thai rather than East Asian rice.

The first [[Ming Dynasty]] envoys arrived in Okinawa in 1372, marking the beginning of [[tribute|tributary relations]] with China.<ref>Prior to unification, this was accomplished through the [[Osofu|Ôsôfu]], a quasi-independent office located in Chûzan and run by people from China. See: Smits, Gregory. "[http://www.japanfocus.org/-Gregory-Smits/3409 Examining the Myth of Ryukyuan Pacifism]." ''The Asia-Pacific Journal'' 37-3-10 (September 13, 2010).</ref> From then on, Chûzan (and unified Ryûkyû later) would send frequent tribute missions, and would rely upon the Chinese court to officially recognize each successive Ryukyuan king with a formal statement of investiture. China would have an incredibly strong influence on Ryûkyû for the next five hundred years, politically, economically, and culturally, as it did with its numerous other tributary states.

The first [[Ming Dynasty]] envoys arrived in Okinawa in 1372, marking the beginning of [[tribute|tributary relations]] with China.<ref>Prior to unification, this was accomplished through the [[Osofu|Ôsôfu]], a quasi-independent office located in Chûzan and run by people from China. See: Smits, Gregory. "[http://www.japanfocus.org/-Gregory-Smits/3409 Examining the Myth of Ryukyuan Pacifism]." ''The Asia-Pacific Journal'' 37-3-10 (September 13, 2010).</ref> From then on, Chûzan (and unified Ryûkyû later) would send frequent tribute missions, and would rely upon the Chinese court to officially recognize each successive Ryukyuan king with a formal statement of investiture. China would have an incredibly strong influence on Ryûkyû for the next five hundred years, politically, economically, and culturally, as it did with its numerous other tributary states. The earliest records of Chûzan's tributary status appear in either the [[Ming shi|Official History of Ming]], or the Korean [[Goryeosa|Official History of Goryeo]], completed in [[1451]].<ref>Yokoyama Manabu 横山学, ''Ryûkyû koku shisetsu torai no kenkyû'' 琉球国使節渡来の研究, Tokyo: Yoshikawa kôbunkan (1987), 1.<ref>

This period also saw the beginnings of a bureaucracy in the royal government which would later grow to rule in the king's place and in his name, replacing direct monarchical rule. [[Kumemura]], a community for Chinese immigrants was established; the Chinese living here, and their Ryukyuan descendants, would serve Chûzan (and later the unified kingdom) as diplomats, interpreters, and government officials. Kumemura quickly grew into Ryûkyû's cultural capital, something of a complement to the political capital at [[Shuri]] and the commercial center at the port of [[Naha]]. A community for Ryukyuan envoys and scholars was similarly established in [[Fukien]] in China, and the first Ryukyuans to study in China's capital did so at this time as well, again establishing precedents for developments which would continue for centuries.

This period also saw the beginnings of a bureaucracy in the royal government which would later grow to rule in the king's place and in his name, replacing direct monarchical rule. [[Kumemura]], a community for Chinese immigrants was established; the Chinese living here, and their Ryukyuan descendants, would serve Chûzan (and later the unified kingdom) as diplomats, interpreters, and government officials. Kumemura quickly grew into Ryûkyû's cultural capital, something of a complement to the political capital at [[Shuri]] and the commercial center at the port of [[Naha]]. A community for Ryukyuan envoys and scholars was similarly established in [[Fukien]] in China, and the first Ryukyuans to study in China's capital did so at this time as well, again establishing precedents for developments which would continue for centuries.