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Revision as of 07:19, 15 November 2019
, 07:19, 15 November 2019→Aristocratic Life
[[File:Ryukyu-aristocrats.JPG|right|thumb|320px|Mannequins wearing reproductions of traditional Ryukyuan court costume, on display at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum]]
[[File:Ryukyu-aristocrats.JPG|right|thumb|320px|Mannequins wearing reproductions of traditional Ryukyuan court costume, on display at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum]]
The scholar-aristocracy of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] consisted of four groups of families, claiming elite pedigree, education, and culture, from which government official positions were filled. They were distinguished from Ryukyuan commoners by their possession of family lineage registers known as ''[[kafu]]'' or ''keizu'', and were thus also known as ''keimochi'' (lit. "possessing lineage"). While members of the aristocratic families of [[Shuri]] and [[Kumemura]] dominated the highest positions in the central government, those from the aristocratic families of [[Naha]] and [[Tomari]] occupied other positions.
The scholar-aristocracy of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] consisted of four groups of families, claiming elite pedigree, education, and culture, from which government official positions were filled. They were distinguished from Ryukyuan commoners by their possession of family lineage registers known as ''[[kafu]]'' or ''keizu'', and were thus also known as ''chiimuchi'' (J: ''keimochi'', lit. "possessing lineage"). While members of the aristocratic families of [[Shuri]] and [[Kumemura]] dominated the highest positions in the central government, those from the aristocratic families of [[Naha]] and [[Tomari]] occupied other positions.
The [[Sai family|Sai (蔡)]], [[Tei family (鄭)|Tei (鄭)]], [[Tei family (程)|Tei (程)]], [[Rin family|Rin (林)]], [[Kin family|Kin (金)]], and [[Ryo family|Ryô (梁)]] families were the chief lineages of the Kumemura community.<ref>Plaques on display at [[Shuri castle]].[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15282359859/]</ref> They served in a variety of positions within the administration of Kumemura, as well as in the central government.
The [[Sai family|Sai (蔡)]], [[Tei family (鄭)|Tei (鄭)]], [[Tei family (程)|Tei (程)]], [[Rin family|Rin (林)]], [[Kin family|Kin (金)]], and [[Ryo family|Ryô (梁)]] families were the chief lineages of the Kumemura community.<ref>Plaques on display at [[Shuri castle]].[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15282359859/]</ref> They served in a variety of positions within the administration of Kumemura, as well as in the central government.
==Aristocratic Life==
==Aristocratic Life==
When a child was born into the scholar-aristocracy, whether they were a son or a daughter, they were to be brought to an office known as the ''[[okumiza|ôkumiza]]'' to be formally registered and assigned a childhood name (童名, warabina). This was to be done no later than 17 days after the birth; if the child was older than 17 days when the parents submitted the paperwork (a ''shôshi shômon'' 生子證文), the parents were penalized with either the punishment of ''terairi'', or a monetary fine.
When a child was born into the scholar-aristocracy, whether they were a son or a daughter, they were to be brought to an office known as the ''[[okumiza|ôkumiza]]'' to be formally registered and assigned a childhood name (童名, warabina). This was to be done no later than 17 days after the birth; if the child was older than 17 days when the parents submitted the paperwork (a ''shôshi shômon'' 生子證文), the parents were penalized with either the punishment of ''terairi'', or a monetary fine.
Aristocratic children were educated from the age of 7 or 8 until the age of 14 or 15 at one of 21 local village schools (''mura gakkôjo'') in [[Naha]], [[Tomari]], or [[Shuri]].<ref>Including one in Tomari, 14 in Shuri, and six in Naha.</ref> The curriculum included the [[Confucian classics]], the [[Three-Character Classic]]<!--三字経-->, and [[The Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety]]<!--二十四孝-->, among other works. At the time of the [[Ryukyu Shobun|fall of the kingdom]] in the 1870s, the one of these schools located in Wakasa-machi had one head lecturer and 82 students. Each school doubled as a local administrative office; the Wakasa-machi school housed one ''nakadori'' and two ''hissha'' (secretaries).<ref>Plaque on-site at former site of the Wakasa-machi muragakkôjo.[http://www.rekishi-archive.city.naha.okinawa.jp/archives/site/%E8%8B%A5%E7%8B%AD%E7%94%BA%E6%9D%91%E5%AD%A6%E6%A0%A1%E6%89%80%E8%B7%A1]</ref>
When the child was around 15 years old, the parents, along with the rest of the family (''ichimon'') and their local group of families (''kumijû'', 與中), submitted a request for permission to perform the ''katakashira yui'', a coming-of-age ritual which in which the child was given an adult haircut, and was ceremonially introduced into adulthood. The child was then granted an adult name (''nanori'') and rank (''ikai''), with young men typically being granted the very low rank of ''shi'' (子) or ''niya'' (仁屋) at this time.
When the child was around 15 years old, the parents, along with the rest of the family (''ichimon'') and their local group of families (''kumijû'', 與中), submitted a request for permission to perform the ''katakashira yui'', a coming-of-age ritual which in which the child was given an adult haircut, and was ceremonially introduced into adulthood. The child was then granted an adult name (''nanori'') and rank (''ikai''), with young men typically being granted the very low rank of ''shi'' (子) or ''niya'' (仁屋) at this time.
