Changes

==Early life and rise to power==

==Early life and rise to power==

Kanamaru was born into a family of peasant farmers on [[Izena, Okinawa|Izena Island]]<ref name=jiten>"Shō En." ''Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten'' (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"). Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p39.</ref><ref name=shinpo>"Shō En." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). [http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41722-storytopic-121.html Ryukyu Shimpo] (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 30 October 2008.</ref>, a tiny island which lies off the northwestern coast of [[Okinawa Island]]. It is said that he lost his parents when he was around twenty and undertook to provide for his aunt and uncle, brother and sister, and his wife, whom he married at a very young age<ref name=Kerr>Kerr, George H. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. pp102-104.</ref>.

Kanamaru was born into a family of peasant farmers on [[Izena, Okinawa|Izena Island]]<ref name=jiten>"Shō En." ''Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten'' (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"). Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p39.</ref><ref name=shinpo>"Shō En." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). [http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41722-storytopic-121.html Ryukyu Shimpo] (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 30 October 2008.</ref>, a tiny island which lies off the northwestern coast of [[Okinawa Island]]. It is said that he lost his parents when he was around twenty and undertook to provide for his aunt and uncle, brother and sister, and his wife, whom he married at a very young age<ref name=Kerr>Kerr, George H. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. pp102-104.</ref>. Some sources identify his father as a man named [[Sho Shoku|Shô Shoku]] (in some accounts, King Shô Shoku), of some kind of distant royal ancestry, being related to either the semi-legendary [[Gihon]] (r. [[1249]]-[[1259]]) or the even more legendary [[Tenson dynasty]].<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2019), 152.</ref>

In one year in which the island had suffered from a particularly severe drought, the rice patties of Kanamaru's family were found to be full of water; accused of having stolen the water, Kanamaru was forced to flee his home, and ended up in [[1438]] in Ginama, in the northern region (''[[Kunigami]]'') of Okinawa Island<ref name=jiten/><ref name=shinpo/><ref name=smits115>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2019), 115.</ref>.

According to traditional accounts, in one year in which the island had suffered from a particularly severe drought, the rice patties of Kanamaru's family were found to be full of water; accused of having stolen the water, Kanamaru was forced to flee his home, and ended up in [[1438]] in Ginama, in the northern region (''[[Kunigami]]'') of Okinawa Island<ref name=jiten/><ref name=shinpo/><ref name=smits115>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 115.</ref>.

After several years living in Ginama, there too some type of dispute or disagreement between Kanamaru and his neighbors emerged<ref name=Kerr/>. Leaving Ginama, he traveled to [[Shuri]], the capital of the Ryûkyû Kingdom, in 1441, and became a servant or retainer to the prince, [[Sho Taikyu|Shô Taikyû]]. After Shô Taikyû became king in 1454, Kanamaru was made royal treasurer<ref name=Kerr/>, and was in 1459<ref name=shinpo/> granted the post of ''[[Omonogusuku]] osasu no soba'', a position involving responsibility for matters regarding foreign relations and trade, and oversight of [[Naha]] harbor. In traditional accounts, he was also at this time granted territory, and made the lord of [[Uchima udun]];<ref name=jiten/><ref name=shinpo/> [[Gregory Smits]] suggests, however, that Kanamaru may have already been lord of Uchima at that time, and it was by recognizing his authority there that Taikyû helped secure his loyalty and aid.<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2019), 115.</ref>

After several years living in Ginama, there too some type of dispute or disagreement between Kanamaru and his neighbors emerged<ref name=Kerr/>. Leaving Ginama, he traveled to [[Shuri]], the capital of the Ryûkyû Kingdom, in 1441, and became a servant or retainer to the prince, [[Sho Taikyu|Shô Taikyû]]. After Shô Taikyû became king in 1454, Kanamaru was made royal treasurer<ref name=Kerr/>, and was in 1459<ref name=shinpo/> granted the post of ''[[Omonogusuku]] osasu no soba'', a position involving responsibility for matters regarding foreign relations and trade, and oversight of [[Naha]] harbor. In traditional accounts, he was also at this time granted territory, and made the lord of [[Uchima udun]];<ref name=jiten/><ref name=shinpo/> [[Gregory Smits]] suggests, however, that Kanamaru may have already been lord of Uchima at that time, and it was by recognizing his authority there that Taikyû helped secure his loyalty and aid.<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2019), 115.</ref>