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Government of the Ryukyu Kingdom (view source)
Revision as of 01:14, 1 February 2020
, 01:14, 1 February 2020→History
==History==
==History==
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'' or ''kokusô'' (sometimes translated as "prime minister") and a pair of ''chôshi'' ("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 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.