Chinese investiture envoys
- Japanese: 冊封使 (sappuushi)
Chinese investiture envoys were diplomatic missions sent by Ming and Qing China to the Kingdom of Ryûkyû to perform investiture rituals, officially confirming the king of Ryûkyû in the eyes of the Chinese Imperial Court, and confirming his position as a tributary subordinate to the Chinese Emperor within the Sinocentric system of diplomatic relations.
Satto became, in 1372, the first Ryukyuan king to submit to Chinese suzerainty[1]. Beginning with the investiture of Satto's successor, Bunei, in 1406[2], twenty-two such missions traveled to Ryûkyû in total[3], the last in 1866, for the investiture of Shô Tai[4].
The Envoys in Shuri
Upon the accession of a new king, the news was generally communicated to the Chinese capital, along with a petition for investiture, by a formal Ryukyuan tribute mission. Following the 1609 invasion of Ryukyu, beginning with the succession of Shô Hô, Satsuma han also had to be notified and asked for approval and confirmation of the new king[5].
Chinese envoys would then be dispatched - sometimes quite quickly, sometimes not until over a decade later - arriving in ships called ukwanshin (御冠船, lit. "Crown Ships") in Okinawan. Separate ships would often carry the chief envoy and his deputy, as some uncertainty accompanied the journey[6].
Arriving in Shuri, the envoys generally stayed for four to eight months[3], and were extensively entertained by the Ryukyuan royal court. A number of structures built for this purpose, including the Ryûtan pond and the Hokuden (North Hall) of Shuri Castle, can still be seen today on the castle grounds. The total Chinese entourage generally numbered between 300 and 800 people, and hosting and entertaining the Chinese envoys was an extremely expensive endeavor for the Ryukyuan court[6].
A "Minister of Dance" (O: udui bugyô) oversaw these entertainments; kumi odori, a traditional form of Ryukyuan dance-drama, was first created and performed for entertaining an investiture envoy and his fellows, in 1719[7].
Timeline of Missions
- 1406 - First investiture mission arrives for the investiture of Bunei[2].
- 1719/9/9 - Kumi odori, a new form of dance-drama, created by Tamagusuku Chôkun for the entertainment of the Chinese envoys, is first performed for the envoys for the investiture of King Shô Kei[7].
- 1757 - Quan Kui and Chou Huang (d. 1785) lead the mission for the investiture of King Shô Boku, as Senior Envoy and Deputy Envoy respectively. During his time in Shuri, Chou Huang compiles the Ryûkyû-koku shiryaku, an account of Ryukyuan history and customs based on the records and reports of earlier Chinese envoys, Ryukyuan records, and Chou's own observations[8].
- 1866 - Final investiture envoys arrive for the investiture of Shô Tai[4].
References
- ↑ Kerr, George. Okinawa: The History of an Island People. (revised ed.) Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p65.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kerr. p83.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Sappûshi." Okinawa konpakuto jiten (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). 1 March 2003. Accessed 7 November 2009.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kerr. p352.
- ↑ Kerr. p185.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kerr. p181.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Foley, Kathy. "Kumi Odori's Historical Context and Performance Practice." in Ryukyu Geino: The Legacy of Kin Ryosho. Jimpu Kai USA Kin Ryosho Ryukyu Geino Kenkyusho Hawaii Shibu, 2008. pp45-56.
- ↑ Hirata, Tsugumasa (trans.). Chou, Huang. Ryûkyû-koku shiryaku. Tokyo: San-ichi Shobô, 1977. pp1-2.
