Changes

The structure and organization of government in the mature Ryûkyû Kingdom (from the 15th century onward) were largely a continuation of those from the previous century, when the Kingdom of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]] established such governmental structures based on Ming models. Over the course of the ensuing centuries, various reforms and adaptations were built atop this foundation.

The structure and organization of government in the mature Ryûkyû Kingdom (from the 15th century onward) were largely a continuation of those from the previous century, when the Kingdom of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]] established such governmental structures based on Ming models. Over the course of the ensuing centuries, various reforms and adaptations were built atop this foundation.

Initially, under Kings [[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]] and [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] at the beginning of the 15th century, the top three officials were known as ''ôsô'' (王相, C: ''wáng xiāng'') or ''kokusô'' (国相, C: ''guó xiāng''), sometimes translated as "prime minister", and a pair of ''chôshi'' (長史, C: ''zhǎng shǐ'', "head officials") of the "left" and "right." The ''chôshi'' of the right also served as head of [[Kumemura]] (with the title Kumemura-okite) and oversaw the [[tribute]] trade.<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii (2019), 111-112.</ref>

Initially, under Kings [[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]] and [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] at the beginning of the 15th century, the top three officials were known as ''ôsô'' (王相, C: ''wáng xiāng'') or ''kokusô'' (国相, C: ''guó xiāng''), sometimes translated as "prime minister", and a pair of ''chôshi'' (長史, C: ''zhǎng shǐ'', "head officials") of the "left" and "right." The ''chôshi'' of the right also served as head of [[Kumemura]] (with the title Kumemura-okite) and oversaw the [[tribute]] trade.<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii (2019), 111-112.</ref> Though ostensibly serving under the king, these Chinese-born officials exercised considerable power, especially in the realm of coordinating Ryûkyû's trade and relations otherwise with the [[Ming dynasty]] and other foreign courts, and sometimes seem to have even acted on behalf of all of Okinawa, despite the [[Sanzan period|three kingdoms]] on the island being ostensibly distinct sovereign entities. As early as the 1450s, however, these Chinese-born officials were replaced as the most prominent and influential figures in kingdom governance by individuals presented as the younger brothers of the kings, and by scholar-officials from Kumemura; it was at this time that the [[Sanshikan]] (Council of Three, the top three royal advisors and administrators) and the bureaucratic hierarchy under them, began to come into form.<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 112-113.</ref>

Though the kingdom was [[invasion of Ryukyu|invaded]] by [[Satsuma han|Kagoshima domain]] in [[1609]] and made a vassal to the [[Shimazu clan]] of that domain, the royal government was allowed to continue intact, maintaining its structures, practices, and administrative authority in most areas, albeit subject at times to Satsuma requests or edicts.

Though the kingdom was [[invasion of Ryukyu|invaded]] by [[Satsuma han|Kagoshima domain]] in [[1609]] and made a vassal to the [[Shimazu clan]] of that domain, the royal government was allowed to continue intact, maintaining its structures, practices, and administrative authority in most areas, albeit subject at times to Satsuma requests or edicts.