Sho Dynasty

A posthumous official royal portrait of King Shô En

Japanese: 尚王統 (Shou outou)

The Shô family which ruled the Ryûkyû Kingdom was in fact two separate lineages.

After Hashi, king of Chûzan, conquered the kingdoms of Hokuzan and Nanzan, uniting the island of Okinawa and establishing the Ryûkyû Kingdom in 1429, he was granted the name Shô (C: Shang) by the Ming Court as a royal surname, and was recognized as the legitimate ruler of Ryûkyû as a tributary state. This name, which might have a connotation of being loyally "in service of royal affairs,"^[1] was then passed down as the royal, dynastic, surname of the Kings of Ryûkyû.

A few decades later, in 1469, a high-ranking government official & court aristocrat, Kanamaru, staged a coup, overthrowing the First Shô Dynasty, and installing himself (and his descendants) as king of Ryûkyû. As part of efforts to establish his legitimacy, he took the name Shô, so as to give some impression of a continuation of a Shô family as the rulers of the kingdom, despite being of no actual blood relation. He took the name King Shô En for himself, and passed on the name Shô to his descendants; thus began the Second Shô Dynasty.

Each king was memorialized in an official posthumous royal portrait known as an ogoe (御後絵) in Japanese. These survive today only in black-and-white pre-war reproductions, as all the full-color painted originals were destroyed in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa.^[2]

Lineage of the First Shô Dynasty

Shô Shishô (d. 1421) - 1st king of the Shô Dynasty
- Shô Hashi (1371-1439) - son of Shô Shishô, 2nd king of the Shô Dynasty, united Okinawa and established Ryûkyû Kingdom
  - Shô Chû (1391-1444) - 2nd son of Shô Hashi, 3rd king of the Shô Dynasty
    - Shô Shitatsu (1408-1449) - son of Shô Chû, 4th king of the Shô Dynasty
  - Shô Kinpuku (1398-1453) - 6th son of Shô Hashi, 5th king of the Shô Dynasty
  - Shô Taikyû (d. 1461) - 7th son of Shô Hashi, 6th king of the Shô Dynasty
    - Shô Toku (1441-1469) - son of Shô Taikyû, 7th king of the Shô Dynasty

Lineage of the Second Shô Dynasty

Shô Shoku
- Shô Sen'i (r. 1477) - 2nd king of Second Shô Dynasty, son of Shô Shoku
- Shô En (r. 1470-1476, aka Kanamaru) - founder of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô Shoku
  - Yosoidon - second wife of Shô En
  - Shô Shin (r. 1477-1526) - 3rd king of Second Shô Dynasty, son of Shô En & Yosoidon
    - Sho Ikô (Urasoe Chôman) - eldest son of Shô Shin
      - Bainan - daughter of Shô Ikô, kikoe-ôgimi
      - Shô Kôgyô (Urasoe Chôkyô) - eldest son of Shô Ikô
        Shô I - eldest son of Shô Kôgyô
        Shô Nei (r. 1589-1620) - 7th king of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô I, adopted son of Shô Ei
        Shô Kokushi (Nakijin Chôyô, d. 1609), son of Shô Nei
        
        Shô Kô - son of Shô I
    - Shô Chôrai - second son of Shô Shin
    - Shô Shôi - third son of Shô Shin
    - Shô Ryûtoku - fourth son of Shô Shin
    - Shô Kyôjin - sixth son of Shô Shin
    - Shô Gendô - seventh son of Shô Shin
    - Shô Sei (r. 1527-1555) - 4th king of Second Shô Dynasty, fifth son of Shô Shin
      - Shô Tei - eldest son of Shô Sei
      - Shô Yôsô - third son of Shô Sei
      - Shô Kanshin - fourth son of Shô Sei
      - Shô Kan - fifth son of Shô Sei
      - Shô Hangoku - sixth son of Shô Sei
      - Shô Sôken - seventh son of Shô Sei
      - Shô Kôtoku - eighth son of Shô Sei
      - Shô Gen (r. 1556-1572) - 5th king of Second Shô Dynasty, second son of Shô Sei
        Shô Kôhaku - eldest son of Shô Gen
        
        Shô Ei (r. 1573-1588) - 6th king of Second Shô Dynasty, second son of Shô Gen
        
        Shô Kyû - third son of Shô Gen
        Shô Ken - eldest son of Shô Kyû
        
        Shô Kan - second son of Shô Kyû
        
        Shô Tei - third son of Shô Kyû
        
        Shô Sei (Kin Chôtei) - fifth son of Shô Kyû
        
        Shô Ô - sixth son of Shô Kyû
        
        Shô Kyô (Kume Gushikawa Chôei) - seventh son of Shô Kyû
        
        Shô Zenku - eighth son of Shô Kyû
        
        Shô Hô (r. 1621-1640) - 8th king of Second Shô Dynasty, fourth son of Shô Kyû
        Shô Kyô - eldest son of Shô Hô
        
        Shô Bun - second son of Shô Hô
        
        Shô Ken (r. 1641-1647) - 9th king of Second Shô Dynasty, third son of Shô Hô
        
        Shô Shitsu (r. 1648-1668) - 10th king of Second Shô Dynasty, fourth son of Shô Hô
        Shô Kôki - second son of Shô Shitsu
        
        Shô Kônin - third son of Shô Shitsu
        
        Shô Kôsai - fourth son of Shô Shitsu
        
        Shô Kôtoku - fifth son of Shô Shitsu
        
        Shô Kôshin - sixth son of Shô Shitsu
        
        Shô Kôzen - seventh son of Shô Shitsu
        
        Shô Tei (r. 1669-1709) - 11th king of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô Shitsu
        Shô Kei (Tomigusuku Chôryô) - second son of Shô Tei
        
        Shô Mô (Oroku Chôki) - third son of Shô Tei
        
        Shô Ki - fourth son of Shô Tei
        
        Shô Jun - eldest son of Shô Tei
        Shô Kan (Noguni Chôchoku) - second son of Shô Jun
        
        Shô Sei (Goeku Chôtoku) - third son of Shô Jun
        
        Shô Eki (r. 1710-1712) - 12th king of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô Jun
        Shô Tetsu - second son of Shô Eki
        
        Shô Kei (r. 1713-1752) - 13th king of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô Eki
        Shô Wa - second son of Shô Kei
        
        Shô Boku (r. 1752-1795) - 14th king of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô Kei
        Shô To - second son of Shô Boku
        
        Shô Shû - third son of Shô Boku
        
        Shô Yô (Ginowan Chôshô) - fourth son of Shô Boku
        
        Shô Kaku - fifth son of Shô Boku
        
        Shô Tetsu - eldest son of Shô Boku
        Shô Hô - eldest son of Shô Tetsu
        
        Shô On (r. 1795-1802) - 15th king of Second Shô Dynasty, second son of Shô Tetsu
        Shô Sei (r. 1803) - 16th king of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô On
        
        Prince Shô Kô - third son of Shô Tetsu
        
        Shô Kô (r. 1804-1834) - 17th king of Second Shô Dynasty, fourth son of Shô Tetsu
        Shô Yô - second son of Shô Kô
        
        Shô Jun (Ôzato Chôkyô) - third son of Shô Kô
        
        Shô I - fourth son of Shô Kô
        
        Shô Ken (Ie Chôchoku) - fifth son of Shô Kô
        
        Shô Ken (Yoshimura Chôshô) - sixth son of Shô Kô
        
        Shô Shin (Tamagawa Chôtatsu) - seventh son of Shô Kô
        
        Shô Ten - eighth son of Shô Kô
        
        Shô Shû (Nago Chôboku) - ninth son of Shô Kô
        
        Shô Iku (r. 1835-1847) - 18th king of Second Shô Dynasty, eldest son of Shô Kô
        Shô Shun - eldest son of Shô Iku
        
        Shô Hitsu - third son of Shô Iku
        
        Shô Tai (r. 1848-1879) - 19th and final king of Second Shô Dynasty, second son of Shô Iku
        Shô Ten - eldest son of Shô Tai, final Crown Prince of Ryûkyû
        
        Shô In - second son of Shô Tai
        
        Shô Kyô - third son of Shô Tai
        
        Shô Jun - fourth son of Shô Tai
        
        Shô Shû (Tamagusuku Shôshû) - fifth son of Shô Tai
        
        Shô Kô - sixth son of Shô Tai
        
        Shô Ji - seventh son of Shô Tai

References

Miyakonojô to Ryûkyû ôkoku 都城と琉球王国, Miyakonojô Shimazu Residence (2012), 5.

↑ Chan, Ying Kit. “A Bridge between Myriad Lands: The Ryukyu Kingdom and Ming China (1372-1526).” MA Thesis, National University of Singapore, 2010, 29n76. http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/20602.
↑ Gallery labels, Shuri castle.

[1] Chan, Ying Kit. “A Bridge between Myriad Lands: The Ryukyu Kingdom and Ming China (1372-1526).” MA Thesis, National University of Singapore, 2010, 29n76. http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/20602.

[2] Gallery labels, Shuri castle.

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