Changes

* ''Founded: c. [[1314]]''

:''Founded: c. [[1314]]''

* ''Becomes [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]]: [[1429]]''

:''Becomes [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]]: [[1429]]''

* ''Dissolved: [[1879]]/3/11''

:''Dissolved: [[11 March]] [[1879]]''

* ''Japanese/Chinese:'' 中山 ''(Chuuzan / Zhōngshān)''

Chûzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled [[Okinawa]] in the [[14th century]]. Based at [[Urasoe]], between [[Hokuzan]] to the north and [[Nanzan]] to the south, it was the wealthiest and most powerful of the three kingdoms on the island. 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 [[1314]]; the [[Sanzan period]] thus began, and would end roughly one hundred years later, when Chûzan's King [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]]<ref>Technically, Hashi's father [[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]] was king of Chûzan in 1419, and neither was called "Shô" until that name was granted them by the [[Ming Dynasty|Ming court]] in 1421.</ref> conquered Hokuzan in [[1419]] and Nanzan in [[1429]].

Chûzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled [[Okinawa]] in the 14th century. Based at [[Urasoe]], between [[Hokuzan]] to the north and [[Nanzan]] to the south, it was the wealthiest and most powerful of the three kingdoms on the island. 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 [[1314]]; the [[Sanzan period]] thus began, and would end roughly one hundred years later, when Chûzan's King [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]]<ref>Technically, Hashi's father [[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]] was king of Chûzan in 1419, and neither was called "Shô" until that name was granted them by the [[Ming Dynasty|Ming court]] in 1421.</ref> conquered Hokuzan in [[1419]] and Nanzan in [[1429]].

The united Okinawan state was called the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]], but would continue to be referred to as "Chûzan" in various official documents of the Ryukyuan royal government, and those of many other states in the region, until the kingdom was formally dissolved in [[1879]] and annexed to Japan as Okinawa Prefecture.

The united Okinawan state was called the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]], but would continue to be referred to as "Chûzan" in various official documents of the Ryukyuan royal government, and those of many other states in the region, until the kingdom was formally dissolved in [[1879]] and annexed to Japan as Okinawa Prefecture.

Tamagusuku died in 1336, and was succeeded by his son [[Seii]], then ten years of age. Seii's reign was relatively short, and defined by the interference and political abuses of his mother which led to an erosion of what little support the young king may have had from the territorial lords. It is important to note that the three "kingdoms" were little different from the loosely unified chiefdoms which came before, and the "kings" did not wield considerably greater power, nor were their administrations more organized or more politically stable than what came before. However, this became gradually less true over the generations; the king's power and organization advanced considerably by the time all three kingdoms were unified as the Kingdom of Ryûkyû.

Tamagusuku died in 1336, and was succeeded by his son [[Seii]], then ten years of age. Seii's reign was relatively short, and defined by the interference and political abuses of his mother which led to an erosion of what little support the young king may have had from the territorial lords. It is important to note that the three "kingdoms" were little different from the loosely unified chiefdoms which came before, and the "kings" did not wield considerably greater power, nor were their administrations more organized or more politically stable than what came before. However, this became gradually less true over the generations; the king's power and organization advanced considerably by the time all three kingdoms were unified as the Kingdom of Ryûkyû.

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. The first [[Ming Dynasty]] envoys arrived in Okinawa in 1372, marking the beginning of [[tribute|tributary relations]] with China. 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.

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 Siamese kingdom of [[Ayutthaya]] 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.

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.

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> Initially, amidst a severe [[wako|pirate]] problem, the Ming placed no restrictions on the number of ships the three Ryukyuan kingdoms could send, nor on the size of the ships, and further provided ships to the Ryukyuan kingdoms, designating them official "carriers of [Ming] goods," a series of privileges extended to no other polity. This lasted only briefly, however.<ref>Akamine Mamoru, Lina Terrell (trans.), Robert Huey (ed.), ''The Ryukyu Kingdom: Cornerstone of East Asia'', University of Hawaii Press (2017), 6.</ref> Chûzan also entered into direct relations with the Korean kingdom of Goryeo, albeit in [[1389]], only a few years before the fall of that dynasty, when Chûzan repatriated a number of Korean subjects who had been captives of ''wakô'' pirates, sending them back to Korea along with gifts of pepper and [[sappanwood]]. Ryûkyû's relations with Korea continued into the Joseon Dynasty, albeit largely aboard chartered Japanese ships (and not Ryukyuan ones), but declined by [[1480]] after a significant number of Japanese traders began masquerading as official representatives of Ryûkyû, damaging the relationship.<ref>Mark McNally, "A King's Legitimacy and a Kingdom's Exceptionality: Ryûkyû's Bankoku Shinryô no Kane of 1458," ''International Journal of Okinawan Studies'' 6 (2015), 91-92.</ref>

Satto's son [[Bunei]] suceeded him in 1395, and oversaw the continuation of the policies and developments of his father's reign. Relations with China grew stronger, and a number of institutions were established to cater to Chinese envoys to Chûzan. Trade boomed, and relations with other countries likewise continued to be expanded. Though China accepted tributary missions from Hokuzan and Nanzan as well at this time, they officially recognized only the King of Chûzan as a head of state in Ryukyu. Chûzan continued to enjoy formal diplomatic relations with Ayutthaya and Korea, and trade relations with [[Java]], [[Sumatra]], and other states, as did the other two Ryukyuan kingdoms. However, only Chûzan managed to establish formal relations with Japan's [[Ashikaga shogunate]], having sent a mission in 1403. These political advantages, coupled with control of Naha, the most active port on Okinawa, allowed Chûzan to gain significant political and economic superiority over its two neighbors. It also benefited greatly culturally; trade always brings cultural exchange along with it, and many of the states in the region were experiencing great cultural surges as a result. In particular, it is believed that [[Buddhism]] from Korea and [[Shintô]] from Japan were first introduced to Okinawa to a significant extent at this time. Students and other travelers to Korea brought back texts, statues, rituals, and other Buddhist objects and ideas, and in exchange, King Bunei promised to send shipwrecked Koreans, and those who were the victims of Japanese pirates (''[[wako|wakô]]''), back home safely.

 

Satto's son [[Bunei]] suceeded him in 1395, and oversaw the continuation of the policies and developments of his father's reign. Relations with China grew stronger, and a number of institutions were established to cater to Chinese envoys to Chûzan. Trade boomed, and relations with other countries likewise continued to be expanded. Though China accepted tributary missions from Hokuzan and Nanzan as well at this time, they officially recognized only the King of Chûzan as a head of state in Ryukyu. Chûzan continued to enjoy formal diplomatic relations with Ayutthaya and Korea, and trade relations with [[Java]], [[Sumatra]], and other states, as did the other two Ryukyuan kingdoms. However, only Chûzan managed to establish formal relations with Japan's [[Ashikaga shogunate]], having sent a mission in 1403. The Ryûkyû trade, which consisted chiefly of aromatic woods imported from Southeast Asia, was of such importance to the Ashikaga that they established a new office, the ''[[Ryukyu bugyo|Ryûkyû bugyô]]'', to oversee the trade.<ref>Yokoyama, 36.</ref> Trade with Ryûkyû became all the more important for Japan after [[Ashikaga Yoshimochi]] severed Japan's tributary relations with China in [[1408]]; Japanese [[Zen]] monks played a key role in facilitating trade & formal relations between Japan and Ryûkyû in this period, especially after the chaos of the [[Onin War|Ônin War]] ([[1467]]-[[1477]]) and the onset of the [[Sengoku period]] forced much Ryûkyû trade to limit itself to Kyushu, for fear of getting caught up in the violence.<ref>McNally, 94.</ref>

 

These political advantages, coupled with control of Naha, the most active port on Okinawa, allowed Chûzan to gain significant political and economic superiority over its two neighbors. It also benefited greatly culturally; trade always brings cultural exchange along with it, and many of the states in the region were experiencing great cultural surges as a result. In particular, it is believed that [[Buddhism]] from Korea and [[Shinto]] from Japan were first introduced to Okinawa to a significant extent at this time. Students and other travelers to Korea brought back texts, statues, rituals, and other Buddhist objects and ideas, and in exchange, King Bunei promised to send shipwrecked Koreans, and those who were the victims of Japanese pirates (''[[wako|wakô]]''), back home safely.

Domestically, Bunei's reign saw significant development in the organization and formalization of the royal administration, and increased literacy and education among the administrative officials. Government documents, particularly those concerning trade and diplomacy, were first compiled in 1403. This compilation, the "Treasury of Royal Succession," is called ''[[Rekidai Hoan|Rekidai Hôan]]'' in the Japanese pronunciation, and continued to be compiled fairly regularly until 1619. However, this increased organization was not accompanied by political stability; the kings of Nanzan and Hokuzan, along with the emperor of China, all died within the span of just a few years (1395-1398). These events heightened tensions between the three kingdoms, all of which sought the favor of the Ming court, which was largely unresponsive; Bunei only received his formal investiture in 1406, ten years after succeeding his father, and less than a year before his own death.

Domestically, Bunei's reign saw significant development in the organization and formalization of the royal administration, and increased literacy and education among the administrative officials. Government documents, particularly those concerning trade and diplomacy, were first compiled in 1403. This compilation, the "Treasury of Royal Succession," is called ''[[Rekidai Hoan|Rekidai Hôan]]'' in the Japanese pronunciation, and continued to be compiled fairly regularly until 1619. However, this increased organization was not accompanied by political stability; the kings of Nanzan and Hokuzan, along with the emperor of China, all died within the span of just a few years (1395-1398). These events heightened tensions between the three kingdoms, all of which sought the favor of the Ming court, which was largely unresponsive; Bunei only received his formal investiture in 1406, ten years after succeeding his father, and less than a year before his own death.

!Name!![[Kanji]]!!Reign!!Line or Dynasty!!Notes

!Name!![[Kanji]]!!Reign!!Line or Dynasty!!Notes

|-

|-

|[[Shunten]]||舜天||[[1187]]-[[1237]]||Tenson Line||&nbsp;

|[[Shunten]]||舜天||[[1187]]-[[1237]]||Shunten Line||&nbsp;

|-

|-

|[[Shun Bajunki]]||舜馬順熈||[[1238]]-[[1248]]||Tenson Line||&nbsp;

|[[Shun Bajunki]]||舜馬順熈||[[1237]]-[[1248]]||Shunten Line||&nbsp;

|-

|-

|[[Gihon]]||義本||[[1249]]-[[1259]]||Tenson Line||&nbsp;

|[[Gihon]]||義本||[[1249]]-[[1259]]||Shunten Line||&nbsp;

|-

|-

|[[Eiso]]||英祖||[[1260]]-[[1299]]||Eiso Line||&nbsp;

|[[Eiso]]||英祖||[[1260]]-[[1299]]||Eiso Line||&nbsp;

|[[Satto]]||察度||[[1355]]-[[1395]]|| - ||&nbsp;

|[[Satto]]||察度||[[1355]]-[[1395]]|| - ||&nbsp;

|-

|-

|[[Bunei]]||武寧||[[1396]]-[[1407]]|| - ||&nbsp;

|[[Bunei]]||武寧||[[1398]]-[[1407]]|| - ||&nbsp;

|-

|-

|[[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]]||尚思紹||[[1407]]-[[1421]]||First Shô Dynasty||&nbsp;

|[[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]]||尚思紹||[[1407]]-[[1421]]||First Shô Dynasty||&nbsp;

|}

|}

==Notes==

==References==

<references/>

<references/>

[[Category:Ryukyu]]

 

[[Category:Locations]]