- Japanese: 志魯・布里の乱 (Shiro Furi no ran)
The Shiro Furi dispute was a succession dispute which took place in the Kingdom of Ryûkyû in 1453. Following the death of King Shô Kinpuku, a dispute broke out between his younger brother Furi and son Shiro over the succession. The dispute resulted in the destruction of Shuri castle, and the deaths of both claimants. Prince Goeku, a younger son of Shô Hashi (and thus younger brother to Furi, and uncle to Shiro), then took the throne as King Shô Taikyû.
Chûzan seifu, an official history written by kingdom officials in the early 18th century, characterizes Furi as aggressively and inappropriately seeking to interfere with Shiro's rightful succession as the son and heir of the late Shô Kinpuku; the volume also characterizes Shô Taikyû's ultimate accession to the throne as enjoying the support of local powerholders (J: kokujin, "people of the country").[1] The actual circumstances and politics at the time remain unclear, however.
Among the artifacts said to have been lost in the burning of Shuri castle were a set of silver royal seals bestowed upon Ryûkyû by the Hongwu Emperor as symbols of authority and legitimacy.[2]
The graves of Shiro and Furi can be found in Nanjô City, in the southern portion of Okinawa Island.
References
- "Shiro Furi no ran," Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia, Ryukyu Shimpo, 2003.