contributor
26,977
edits
Changes
Chinese investiture envoys (view source)
Revision as of 23:41, 10 January 2010
, 23:41, 10 January 2010more expansion to come
[[Satto]] became, in [[1372]], the first Ryukyuan king to submit to Chinese suzerainty<ref>Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. (revised ed.) Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p65.</ref>. Beginning with the investiture of Satto's successor, [[Bunei]], in [[1406]]<ref name=kerr83>Kerr. p83.</ref>, twenty-two such missions traveled to Ryûkyû in total<ref name=shimpo>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41495-storytopic-121.html Sappôshi]." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). 1 March 2003. Accessed 7 November 2009.</ref>, the last in [[1866]], for the investiture of [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]]<ref name=kerr352>Kerr. p352.</ref>.
[[Satto]] became, in [[1372]], the first Ryukyuan king to submit to Chinese suzerainty<ref>Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. (revised ed.) Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p65.</ref>. Beginning with the investiture of Satto's successor, [[Bunei]], in [[1406]]<ref name=kerr83>Kerr. p83.</ref>, twenty-two such missions traveled to Ryûkyû in total<ref name=shimpo>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41495-storytopic-121.html Sappôshi]." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). 1 March 2003. Accessed 7 November 2009.</ref>, the last in [[1866]], for the investiture of [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]]<ref name=kerr352>Kerr. p352.</ref>.
==Preparation==
Upon the death of the King of Ryûkyû, the kingdom sent an emissary to Fuzhou to formally report the sovereign's death. This type of mission was called ''pao-sang''<ref>Chinese terms are presented here in Wade-Giles and not the more modern and elegant pinyin, on account of the source.</ref> in Chinese. Following the 1609 [[invasion of Ryukyu]], beginning with the succession of [[Sho Ho|Shô Hô]], [[Satsuma han]] also had to be notified and asked for approval and confirmation of the new king<ref>Kerr. p185.</ref>.
It took several years for the Ryukyuan government to prepare to receive a Chinese investiture mission, an undertaking which was quite expensive for the small kingdom, and for which the Chinese government contributed not at all. When preparations were ready, Ryûkyû would sent another emissary, to present the official request for investiture (C: ''ch'ing feng''). This would be accompanied by a formal document, signed or sealed by a great many Ryukyuan officials, from the highest posts down to local lords, acknowledging widespread recognition of this particular king as the rightful king, and declaring loyalty to the man to be invested. Finally, once envoys were selected, a Ryukyuan official would meet the envoys (C: ''chieh-feng'') in Fuzhou<ref name=chen>Ch'en, Ta-Tuan. "Investiture of Liu-Ch'iu Kings in the Ch'ing Period." in Fairbank, John King (ed.) ''The Chinese World Order''. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1968. pp135-164.</ref>. All of these emissaries would travel with [[Ryukyuan tribute missions to China|Ryukyuan tribute missions]], and not on separate journeys in separate craft.
The envoys, known as ''tien-shih'' in Chinese (J: 天史, ''tenshi''), were selected from a pool of nominees nominated by the Board of Rites, Grand Secretariat, Hanlin Academy, and Censorate. The roughly fifteen or so nominees would be presented to the Emperor, who would select a chief envoy and a vice-envoy from among them. As the investiture mission was one of formal ceremony and not one of diplomatic negotiations or foreign policy, diplomatic skill or experience was not a criterion for selection; envoys were generally chosen based on their formal classical education. Dressed and equipped with accoutrements far above their rank, the envoys
were provided with a minimal amount of funds to support them on their journey. Local officials in Fuzhou saw to their accommodations there, and once in Ryûkyû, the burden was placed on the Ryukyuan government to pay for the envoys' food, shelter, entertainment, and other needs.<ref name=chen/>
==The Envoys in Shuri==
==The Envoys in Shuri==
The Chinese envoys arrived in ships called ''ukwanshin'' (御冠船, lit. "Crown Ships") in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]]. The mission would usually consist of two official envoy ships, separate crafts carrying the chief envoy and his deputy, as some uncertainty accompanied the journey<ref name=kerr181>Kerr. p181.</ref>; these would be accompanied by a number of merchant ships. During Japan's [[Edo period]], an agent from Satsuma known as a ''kansen bugyô'' (冠船奉行, "Investiture (Crown) Ships Magistrate") would be sent down to Ryûkyû to supervise the exchanges and interactions between Chinese and Ryukyuan officials, albeit from somewhat of a distance, given the policy of hiding Satsuma's involvement in Ryûkyû from the Chinese<ref>Matsuda, Mitsugu. ''The Government of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, 1609-1872''. Gushikawa: Yui Publishing, Co., 2001. pp46-47.</ref>.
Chinese envoys would then be dispatched - sometimes quite quickly, sometimes not until over a decade later - arriving in ships called ''ukwanshin'' (御冠船, lit. "Crown Ships") in [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]]. The mission would usually consist of two official envoy ships, separate crafts carrying the chief envoy and his deputy, as some uncertainty accompanied the journey<ref name=kerr181>Kerr. p181.</ref>; these would be accompanied by a number of merchant ships. During Japan's [[Edo period]], an agent from Satsuma known as a ''kansen bugyô'' (冠船奉行, "Investiture (Crown) Ships Magistrate") would be sent down to Ryûkyû to supervise the exchanges and interactions between Chinese and Ryukyuan officials, albeit from somewhat of a distance, given the policy of hiding Satsuma's involvement in Ryûkyû from the Chinese<ref>Matsuda, Mitsugu. ''The Government of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, 1609-1872''. Gushikawa: Yui Publishing, Co., 2001. pp46-47.</ref>.
Arriving in Shuri, the envoys generally stayed for four to eight months<ref name=shimpo/>, and were extensively entertained by the Ryukyuan royal court. A number of structures built for this purpose, including the [[Ryutan|Ryûtan]] pond and the Hokuden (North Hall) of [[Shuri Castle]], can still be seen today on the castle grounds. The total Chinese entourage generally numbered between 300 and 800 people, and hosting and entertaining the Chinese envoys was an extremely expensive endeavor for the Ryukyuan court<ref name=kerr181/>.
Arriving in Shuri, the envoys generally stayed for four to eight months<ref name=shimpo/>, and were extensively entertained by the Ryukyuan royal court. A number of structures built for this purpose, including the [[Ryutan|Ryûtan]] pond and the Hokuden (North Hall) of [[Shuri Castle]], can still be seen today on the castle grounds. The total Chinese entourage generally numbered between 300 and 800 people, and hosting and entertaining the Chinese envoys was an extremely expensive endeavor for the Ryukyuan court<ref name=kerr181/>.
A "Minister of Dance" ([[Okinawan language|O]]: ''udui bugyô'') oversaw these entertainments; ''[[kumi odori]]'', a traditional form of Ryukyuan dance-drama, was first created and performed for entertaining an investiture envoy and his fellows, in 1719<ref name=kumi>Foley, Kathy. "Kumi Odori's Historical Context and Performance Practice." in ''Ryukyu Geino: The Legacy of Kin Ryosho''. Jimpu Kai USA Kin Ryosho Ryukyu Geino Kenkyusho Hawaii Shibu, 2008. pp45-56.</ref>.
A "Minister of Dance" ([[Okinawan language|O]]: ''udui bugyô'') oversaw these entertainments; ''[[kumi odori]]'', a traditional form of Ryukyuan dance-drama, was first created and performed for entertaining an investiture envoy and his fellows, in 1719<ref name=kumi>Foley, Kathy. "Kumi Odori's Historical Context and Performance Practice." in ''Ryukyu Geino: The Legacy of Kin Ryosho''. Jimpu Kai USA Kin Ryosho Ryukyu Geino Kenkyusho Hawaii Shibu, 2008. pp45-56.</ref>.
Following the investiture, an emissary would journey to the Chinese capital, to formally express gratitude (C: ''hsieh-en'')<ref name=chen/>.
==Timeline of Missions==
==Timeline of Missions==