Changes

Over the course of the 1870s, through a great many individual steps, the [[Meiji government]] gradually abolished the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] and seized control of its territory. Spurred by the [[Taiwan Incident of 1871]], this began with the [[1872]] reorganization of the Kingdom as "[[Ryukyu han|Ryûkyû han]]," and culminated with a series of actions in [[1876]]-[[1879]] known as the ''Ryûkyû shobun'', a plan suggested by [[Minister of the Interior]] [[Okubo Toshimichi|Ôkubo Toshimichi]] and executed under the supervision of [[Matsuda Michiyuki]].

Over the course of the 1870s, through a great many individual steps, the [[Meiji government]] gradually abolished the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] and seized control of its territory. Spurred by the [[Taiwan Incident of 1871]], this began with the [[1872]] reorganization of the Kingdom as "[[Ryukyu han|Ryûkyû han]]," and culminated with a series of actions in [[1876]]-[[1879]] known as the ''Ryûkyû shobun'', a plan suggested by [[Minister of the Interior]] [[Okubo Toshimichi|Ôkubo Toshimichi]] and executed under the supervision of [[Matsuda Michiyuki]].

The population of the islands at the time of the ''shobun'' is said to have been over 310,000 people, occupying over 63,000 homes.<ref>''Ryûkyû shisetsu, Edo he iku!'' 琉球使節、江戸へ行く！, Okinawa Prefectural Museum (2009), 48.</ref>

The population of the islands at the time of the ''shobun'' is said to have been over 310,000 people, occupying over 63,000 homes.<ref name=shisetsu48>''Ryûkyû shisetsu, Edo he iku!'' 琉球使節、江戸へ行く！, Okinawa Prefectural Museum (2009), 48.</ref>

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The 1870s were a very busy and complex time for Ryukyuan-Japanese relations.<ref>For more thorough chronological details, see the [[:Category:Meiji Period Timeline|Timeline]] pages for each individual year.</ref> The [[Meiji Restoration]] in [[1868]] brought the end of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] and the establishment of a [[Meiji government|new Imperial government]] organized with strong influence from Western models. The [[abolition of the han]] brought a need for a re-assessment or redefinition of Ryûkyû's relationship to Japan, and the Taiwan Incident of 1871, in which a number of [[Miyako Islands|Miyako Islanders]] were killed by Taiwanese aborigines, led to disputes with China over claims to Taiwan and Ryûkyû, and spurred the Japanese government's desire to settle the Ryûkyû situation decisively.

The 1870s were a very busy and complex time for Ryukyuan-Japanese relations.<ref>For more thorough chronological details, see the [[:Category:Meiji Period Timeline|Timeline]] pages for each individual year.</ref> The [[Meiji Restoration]] in [[1868]] brought the end of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] and the establishment of a [[Meiji government|new Imperial government]] organized with strong influence from Western models. The [[abolition of the han]] brought a need for a re-assessment or redefinition of Ryûkyû's relationship to Japan, and the Taiwan Incident of 1871, in which a number of [[Miyako Islands|Miyako Islanders]] were killed by Taiwanese aborigines, led to disputes with China over claims to Taiwan and Ryûkyû, and spurred the Japanese government's desire to settle the Ryûkyû situation decisively.

In 1872, the Ryûkyû Kingdom was declared to be "Ryûkyû han," and its king, [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]], to now no longer be ''koku-ô'' (国王, king of a country), but ''han-ô'' (藩王, lord of a domain), despite the fact that all the Japanese ''[[han]]'' (domains) had already been [[abolition of the han|abolished]] the previous year. Ryûkyû was placed under the purview of the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], and then, in [[1874]], under the purview of the newly established Ministry of the Interior. The original copies of treaties the Ryûkyû Kingdom had signed with [[Treaty of Amity (Ryukyu-France)|France]], [[Treaty of Amity (Ryukyu-Holland)|the Netherlands]], and the [[Treaty of Amity (Ryukyu-US)|United States]], were handed over into the possession of the Meiji government.<ref>''Ryûkyû shisetsu, Edo he iku!'' 琉球使節、江戸へ行く！, Okinawa Prefectural Museum (2009), 48.</ref>

In 1872, the Ryûkyû Kingdom was declared to be "Ryûkyû han," and its king, [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]], to now no longer be ''koku-ô'' (国王, king of a country), but ''han-ô'' (藩王, lord of a domain), despite the fact that all the Japanese ''[[han]]'' (domains) had already been [[abolition of the han|abolished]] the previous year. Ryûkyû was placed under the purview of the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs]], and then, in [[1874]], under the purview of the newly established Ministry of the Interior. The original copies of treaties the Ryûkyû Kingdom had signed with [[Treaty of Amity (Ryukyu-France)|France]], [[Treaty of Amity (Ryukyu-Holland)|the Netherlands]], and the [[Treaty of Amity (Ryukyu-US)|United States]], were handed over into the possession of the Meiji government.<ref name=shisetsu48/>

Japan launched a [[Taiwan Expedition of 1874|punitive military expedition to Taiwan]] in 1874, and by the end of that year settled a treaty with China in which the latter officially acknowledged the [[Ryukyuan people]] as Japanese subjects. Ryukyuan envoys regularly met with Japanese officials, and were assured that (for now) Ryûkyû continued to have authority over its own internal affairs, and over its relations with China. However, after Ryûkyû sent a [[tribute]] mission to Beijing in [[1875]], and in light of a myriad of other developments, Ôkubo Toshimichi began to push for the full annexation of Ryûkyû's territory, a plan and a process which today is known as the ''Ryûkyû shobun''.

Japan launched a [[Taiwan Expedition of 1874|punitive military expedition to Taiwan]] in 1874, and by the end of that year settled a treaty with China in which the latter officially acknowledged the [[Ryukyuan people]] as Japanese subjects. Ryukyuan envoys regularly met with Japanese officials, and were assured that (for now) Ryûkyû continued to have authority over its own internal affairs, and over its relations with China. However, after Ryûkyû sent a [[tribute]] mission to Beijing in [[1875]], and in light of a myriad of other developments, Ôkubo Toshimichi began to push for the full annexation of Ryûkyû's territory, a plan and a process which today is known as the ''Ryûkyû shobun''.