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Created page with "*''Japanese'': 奄美諸島 ''(Amami shotou)'' The Amami Islands are a string of islands, Amami Ôshima the largest of them, strung between Kyushu and [[..."
*''Japanese'': 奄美諸島 ''(Amami shotou)''
The Amami Islands are a string of islands, [[Amami Oshima|Amami Ôshima]] the largest of them, strung between [[Kyushu]] and [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]]. Geographically considered part of the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]], and associated with the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] until [[Invasion of Ryukyu|1609]], the islands were at that time annexed by [[Satsuma han]], and remain a part of [[Kagoshima prefecture]] (not [[Okinawa prefecture]]) today. The islands maintain a distinctive culture, with strong similarities to Okinawan culture, but marked differences as well (see [[Amami music]]).
==History==
Amami Ôshima is said to have sent [[tribute]] to the [[Yamato state]] (i.e. Japan) as early as the year [[699]]. This can be presumed to have tapered off by the 11th or 12th century, if not earlier. Amami sent tribute however, to the Kingdom of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]], and later the Ryûkyû Kingdom (on Okinawa Island) from [[1266]] through the end of the 16th century; as with tribute received from the more southerly islands (the [[Yaeyama Islands|Yaeyamas]] and [[Miyako Islands|Miyako]]), tribute from Amami was received and stored at the port of [[Tomari]], just outside [[Naha]]. The Ryûkyû Kingdom did not, however, possess any true control over the Amami Islands at that time, and as late as the 16th century was engaged in military efforts to conquer these islands; as Ryûkyû moved north, and the [[Shimazu clan]] samurai of [[Satsuma province|Satsuma]] moved south, both seeking to extend their control into the Amamis, Ryûkyû and Satsuma clashed on a number of occasions. One such clash took place in [[1493]]; Amami Ôshima formally submitted to Ryûkyû's authority in [[1571]]. That same year, the Shimazu attacked the island as part of efforts to seize control over all of Ryûkyû.
Satsuma succeeded in conquering the Amamis and Okinawa in [[1609]]. Following its defeat, the Ryûkyû Kingdom was permitted to remain intact and quasi-independent. Okinawa and all the [[Sakishima Islands|islands to the south]] remained under the control of the kingdom, which paid taxes to Satsuma and was in certain other respects subordinated to Satsuma's control. The Amamis, meanwhile, were wholly incorporated into Satsuma's territory. Satsuma undertook land surveys in [[1621]], assessing the agricultural productivity of the land in order to calculate taxation rates. A samurai official known as a ''[[daikan]]'' served as the chief Satsuma official on Amami Ôshima, though the local elites or official structure were permitted to remain intact to some extent. These local Amami officials were banned from interacting with officials of the Ryûkyû Kingdom, beginning in [[1623]].
However, Ryûkyû or local Amami elites were seen as still possessing some residual rights or sovereignty, and as late as the 1870s, there were steps taken to have the Ryukyuan royal family officially relinquish all claims to the islands.
{{stub}}
==References==
*Explanatory plaques on-site at [[Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum]].
[[Category:Ryukyu]]
[[Category:Geographic Locations]]
The Amami Islands are a string of islands, [[Amami Oshima|Amami Ôshima]] the largest of them, strung between [[Kyushu]] and [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]]. Geographically considered part of the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]], and associated with the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] until [[Invasion of Ryukyu|1609]], the islands were at that time annexed by [[Satsuma han]], and remain a part of [[Kagoshima prefecture]] (not [[Okinawa prefecture]]) today. The islands maintain a distinctive culture, with strong similarities to Okinawan culture, but marked differences as well (see [[Amami music]]).
==History==
Amami Ôshima is said to have sent [[tribute]] to the [[Yamato state]] (i.e. Japan) as early as the year [[699]]. This can be presumed to have tapered off by the 11th or 12th century, if not earlier. Amami sent tribute however, to the Kingdom of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]], and later the Ryûkyû Kingdom (on Okinawa Island) from [[1266]] through the end of the 16th century; as with tribute received from the more southerly islands (the [[Yaeyama Islands|Yaeyamas]] and [[Miyako Islands|Miyako]]), tribute from Amami was received and stored at the port of [[Tomari]], just outside [[Naha]]. The Ryûkyû Kingdom did not, however, possess any true control over the Amami Islands at that time, and as late as the 16th century was engaged in military efforts to conquer these islands; as Ryûkyû moved north, and the [[Shimazu clan]] samurai of [[Satsuma province|Satsuma]] moved south, both seeking to extend their control into the Amamis, Ryûkyû and Satsuma clashed on a number of occasions. One such clash took place in [[1493]]; Amami Ôshima formally submitted to Ryûkyû's authority in [[1571]]. That same year, the Shimazu attacked the island as part of efforts to seize control over all of Ryûkyû.
Satsuma succeeded in conquering the Amamis and Okinawa in [[1609]]. Following its defeat, the Ryûkyû Kingdom was permitted to remain intact and quasi-independent. Okinawa and all the [[Sakishima Islands|islands to the south]] remained under the control of the kingdom, which paid taxes to Satsuma and was in certain other respects subordinated to Satsuma's control. The Amamis, meanwhile, were wholly incorporated into Satsuma's territory. Satsuma undertook land surveys in [[1621]], assessing the agricultural productivity of the land in order to calculate taxation rates. A samurai official known as a ''[[daikan]]'' served as the chief Satsuma official on Amami Ôshima, though the local elites or official structure were permitted to remain intact to some extent. These local Amami officials were banned from interacting with officials of the Ryûkyû Kingdom, beginning in [[1623]].
However, Ryûkyû or local Amami elites were seen as still possessing some residual rights or sovereignty, and as late as the 1870s, there were steps taken to have the Ryukyuan royal family officially relinquish all claims to the islands.
{{stub}}
==References==
*Explanatory plaques on-site at [[Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum]].
[[Category:Ryukyu]]
[[Category:Geographic Locations]]