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* ''Born: [[1371]]''
* ''Died: [[1439]]''
* ''Sons: [[Sho Chu|Shô Chû]]''
* ''Titles: [[Anji|Lord]] of [[Soshiki Mairi]], King of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]], King of [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryûkyû]]''
* ''Other names: Hashi, Shang Bazhi<ref>This is the Chinese reading of 尚巴志, the same characters read as "Shô Hashi" in Japanese.</ref>''
Shô Hashi was the first king of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]] (today [[Okinawa Prefecture]]), having united the islands' three kingdoms of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]], [[Hokuzan]], and [[Nanzan]] by conquest.
As lord (''[[anji]]'') of [[Soshiki Mairi]], he was seen as an able, well-liked administrator within his own lands, who rose in prominence at the opening of the 15th century. He led a small rebellion against the lord of [[Azato district]] in [[1402]]. Hashi then went on to overthrow King [[Bunei]] of Chûzan in [[1404]]<ref>Sources appear to differ somewhat on the dates involved here, which range from 1404 to 1407. Kerr gives 1407, while Frederic gives 1404, and Smits cites 1405.</ref> and placed his father [[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]] on the throne. Even with his father as King, however, Hashi held true political power, and organized envoys to [[Nanking]], to assure [[China]], to which the Ryûkyû kingdoms were [[tribute|tributaries]], of his kingdom's continued cooperation and friendship. He also reorganized much of the administrative organs of the kingdom to better fit Chinese models. The people of Chûzan also quickly adopted many elements of Chinese culture, and came to be recognized as "civilized", at least somewhat more so than earlier, by the Chinese. Hashi also oversaw the expansion and embellishment of [[Shuri Castle]], and the placement of distance markers throughout the land, marking the distance to [[Shuri]].
Meanwhile, though Hokuzan, the neighboring kingdom to the north, held no advantages over Chûzan economically or in terms of political influence, Hashi viewed their capital city castle of [[Nakijin gusuku]] as a threat militarily. When the opportunity presented itself in [[1419]], after three Hokuzan ''anji'' (local lords) turned to his side, Hashi led his father's army, and conquered [[Nakijin]] in a swift series of attacks. The king of Hokuzan, along with his closest retainers, committed suicide after a fierce resistance. A year after his father's death in [[1421]], Hashi requested official recognition and investiture from the Chinese imperial court, and received it in due course. It may be interesting to note that, despite the nominal independence of Ryûkyû into the 19th century, this practice would continue. The court bestowed upon him the family name Shang (''[[Sho Dynasty|Shô]]'' in Japanese), registered a new title in their annals: ''Liuqiu Wang'' (琉球王, Japanese: ''Ryûkyû-Ô'', King of Ryûkyû), and sent Hashi's emissary back with a ceremonial [[dragon robe]], and a [[lacquer]] tablet with the word ''Chûzan'' inscribed upon it. This Chûzan tablet was then placed on display outside Shuri Castle, where it remained until the 20th century.
Thus, succeeding his father as king of Chûzan in [[1422]], and appointing his younger brother Warden of Hokuzan, he seized [[Shimajiri Osato gusuku|Shimajiri Osato]], capital of Nanzan, in [[1429]], from Lord [[Taromai]]. Thus uniting the island of Okinawa, he founded the Ryûkyû Kingdom and the Shô Dynasty.
Up to this point, the three kingdoms had operated on a very simple feudal model. Peasants were subsistence farmers who paid taxes to their local ''anji'' and performed various other labors and services to him; the ''anji'' in turn owed taxes and services to the head of their kingdom (hypothetically a king, but called a prince in many English-language texts on the subject). Shô Hashi did not effect drastic dramatic changes upon this system, but reinforced it as part of his unification efforts; ''anji'' were made to owe their allegiance to his royal government at Shuri, rather than becoming lordless rebels or the like upon the defeat and absorption of their kingdom. Hashi also oversaw a significant expansion of trade, particularly with China, and organized envoys to other Asian countries as well. Documents survive today chronicling a number of missions to [[Ayutthaya]], the capital of [[Siam]] at the time, to resolve trade issues. Recognizing the importance of trade to Ryûkyû's continued prosperity, Shô Hashi promoted it strongly, and even ordered a bell cast and installed at Shuri Castle, upon which was inscribed "Ships are means of communication with all nations; the country is full of rare products and precious treasures."<ref name=Kerr>Kerr, George H. (2000). <u>Okinawa: the History of an Island People</u>. (revised ed.) Boston: Tuttle Publishing.</ref>
Through this trade, friendly diplomatic relations, and the overall organization and unity created by Shô Hashi, Ryûkyû absorbed much of the foreign influences that would come to define its culture. Some examples include the Chinese ceremonial robes worn by kings and high officials when meeting with Chinese officials, the Japanese-inspired custom of aristocratic members of society wearing [[daisho|two swords]], and the fusion of native, Japanese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian elements of music and dance.
Shô Hashi died in [[1439]], at the age of sixty-eight, having united Ryûkyû and established its place as a small, but recognized, power in the region. Upon his death, the court appointed his second son, [[Sho Chu|Shô Chû]], his successor, and sent emissaries to the Chinese court to ask for investiture, to the Japanese [[Ashikaga shogunate|Shogun]] in [[Kyoto]] and to the courts of a number of other kingdoms, as diplomatic missions.
<center>
{| border="3" align="center"
|- align="center"
|width="32%"|Preceded by:<br>[[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]]
|width="35%"|'''Reign as King of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]] and [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryûkyû]]'''<br> 1422-1439
|width="32%"|Succeeded by:<br>'''[[Sho Chu|Shô Chû]]'''
|}
</center>
==References==
*''This article was written by [[User:LordAmeth]] for both Wikipedia and the Samurai Archives; the author gives permission for his work to be used in this way.''
<references/>
[[Category:Royalty]]
[[Category:Ryukyu]]
[[Category:Muromachi Period]]
* ''Died: [[1439]]''
* ''Sons: [[Sho Chu|Shô Chû]]''
* ''Titles: [[Anji|Lord]] of [[Soshiki Mairi]], King of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]], King of [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryûkyû]]''
* ''Other names: Hashi, Shang Bazhi<ref>This is the Chinese reading of 尚巴志, the same characters read as "Shô Hashi" in Japanese.</ref>''
Shô Hashi was the first king of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]] (today [[Okinawa Prefecture]]), having united the islands' three kingdoms of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]], [[Hokuzan]], and [[Nanzan]] by conquest.
As lord (''[[anji]]'') of [[Soshiki Mairi]], he was seen as an able, well-liked administrator within his own lands, who rose in prominence at the opening of the 15th century. He led a small rebellion against the lord of [[Azato district]] in [[1402]]. Hashi then went on to overthrow King [[Bunei]] of Chûzan in [[1404]]<ref>Sources appear to differ somewhat on the dates involved here, which range from 1404 to 1407. Kerr gives 1407, while Frederic gives 1404, and Smits cites 1405.</ref> and placed his father [[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]] on the throne. Even with his father as King, however, Hashi held true political power, and organized envoys to [[Nanking]], to assure [[China]], to which the Ryûkyû kingdoms were [[tribute|tributaries]], of his kingdom's continued cooperation and friendship. He also reorganized much of the administrative organs of the kingdom to better fit Chinese models. The people of Chûzan also quickly adopted many elements of Chinese culture, and came to be recognized as "civilized", at least somewhat more so than earlier, by the Chinese. Hashi also oversaw the expansion and embellishment of [[Shuri Castle]], and the placement of distance markers throughout the land, marking the distance to [[Shuri]].
Meanwhile, though Hokuzan, the neighboring kingdom to the north, held no advantages over Chûzan economically or in terms of political influence, Hashi viewed their capital city castle of [[Nakijin gusuku]] as a threat militarily. When the opportunity presented itself in [[1419]], after three Hokuzan ''anji'' (local lords) turned to his side, Hashi led his father's army, and conquered [[Nakijin]] in a swift series of attacks. The king of Hokuzan, along with his closest retainers, committed suicide after a fierce resistance. A year after his father's death in [[1421]], Hashi requested official recognition and investiture from the Chinese imperial court, and received it in due course. It may be interesting to note that, despite the nominal independence of Ryûkyû into the 19th century, this practice would continue. The court bestowed upon him the family name Shang (''[[Sho Dynasty|Shô]]'' in Japanese), registered a new title in their annals: ''Liuqiu Wang'' (琉球王, Japanese: ''Ryûkyû-Ô'', King of Ryûkyû), and sent Hashi's emissary back with a ceremonial [[dragon robe]], and a [[lacquer]] tablet with the word ''Chûzan'' inscribed upon it. This Chûzan tablet was then placed on display outside Shuri Castle, where it remained until the 20th century.
Thus, succeeding his father as king of Chûzan in [[1422]], and appointing his younger brother Warden of Hokuzan, he seized [[Shimajiri Osato gusuku|Shimajiri Osato]], capital of Nanzan, in [[1429]], from Lord [[Taromai]]. Thus uniting the island of Okinawa, he founded the Ryûkyû Kingdom and the Shô Dynasty.
Up to this point, the three kingdoms had operated on a very simple feudal model. Peasants were subsistence farmers who paid taxes to their local ''anji'' and performed various other labors and services to him; the ''anji'' in turn owed taxes and services to the head of their kingdom (hypothetically a king, but called a prince in many English-language texts on the subject). Shô Hashi did not effect drastic dramatic changes upon this system, but reinforced it as part of his unification efforts; ''anji'' were made to owe their allegiance to his royal government at Shuri, rather than becoming lordless rebels or the like upon the defeat and absorption of their kingdom. Hashi also oversaw a significant expansion of trade, particularly with China, and organized envoys to other Asian countries as well. Documents survive today chronicling a number of missions to [[Ayutthaya]], the capital of [[Siam]] at the time, to resolve trade issues. Recognizing the importance of trade to Ryûkyû's continued prosperity, Shô Hashi promoted it strongly, and even ordered a bell cast and installed at Shuri Castle, upon which was inscribed "Ships are means of communication with all nations; the country is full of rare products and precious treasures."<ref name=Kerr>Kerr, George H. (2000). <u>Okinawa: the History of an Island People</u>. (revised ed.) Boston: Tuttle Publishing.</ref>
Through this trade, friendly diplomatic relations, and the overall organization and unity created by Shô Hashi, Ryûkyû absorbed much of the foreign influences that would come to define its culture. Some examples include the Chinese ceremonial robes worn by kings and high officials when meeting with Chinese officials, the Japanese-inspired custom of aristocratic members of society wearing [[daisho|two swords]], and the fusion of native, Japanese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian elements of music and dance.
Shô Hashi died in [[1439]], at the age of sixty-eight, having united Ryûkyû and established its place as a small, but recognized, power in the region. Upon his death, the court appointed his second son, [[Sho Chu|Shô Chû]], his successor, and sent emissaries to the Chinese court to ask for investiture, to the Japanese [[Ashikaga shogunate|Shogun]] in [[Kyoto]] and to the courts of a number of other kingdoms, as diplomatic missions.
<center>
{| border="3" align="center"
|- align="center"
|width="32%"|Preceded by:<br>[[Sho Shisho|Shô Shishô]]
|width="35%"|'''Reign as King of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]] and [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryûkyû]]'''<br> 1422-1439
|width="32%"|Succeeded by:<br>'''[[Sho Chu|Shô Chû]]'''
|}
</center>
==References==
*''This article was written by [[User:LordAmeth]] for both Wikipedia and the Samurai Archives; the author gives permission for his work to be used in this way.''
<references/>
[[Category:Royalty]]
[[Category:Ryukyu]]
[[Category:Muromachi Period]]