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Due to a large span of ocean, or "gap," between [[Okinawa Island]] to the north and the Miyakos, the Miyako and [[Yaeyama Islands]], especially in ancient times, were somewhat isolated from areas to the north, and developed a separate culture. For example, while the [[Yayoi culture]] dominant throughout much of the Japanese archipelago around the 11th century BCE to the 3rd century CE extended as far south as the [[Amami Islands]], artifacts of that culture have not been found in the Miyakos or Yaeyamas.<ref>Tokugawa Yoshinobu, "Ryukyu and the Art of Lacquer," ''Okinawa bijutsu zenshû'' vol 2, Okinawa Times (1989), i.</ref>
Due to a large span of ocean, or "gap," between [[Okinawa Island]] to the north and the Miyakos, the Miyako and [[Yaeyama Islands]], especially in ancient times, were somewhat isolated from areas to the north, and developed a separate culture. For example, while the [[Yayoi culture]] dominant throughout much of the Japanese archipelago around the 11th century BCE to the 3rd century CE extended as far south as the [[Amami Islands]], artifacts of that culture have not been found in the Miyakos or Yaeyamas.<ref>Tokugawa Yoshinobu, "Ryukyu and the Art of Lacquer," ''Okinawa bijutsu zenshû'' vol 2, Okinawa Times (1989), i.</ref>
According to traditional histories of the kingdom, the Miyako Islands were united under a single authority for the first time in the 14th century, when a figure named [[Meguro Mori]] defeated the [[Yonahabaru]] army under [[Sata Ubunto]], claiming control over the entire island group. Miyako is believed to have first begun sending tribute to Shuri in the 1390s, but without being controlled in any way by Shuri (i.e. the kingdom of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]], or the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]]) until after [[1500]].
By the 1480s-1490s, however, the Miyakos were embroiled in violence between two clans known as the [[Nakasone family|Nakasone]] and [[Kaneshigawa family|Kaneshigawa families]] fighting for dominance; [[Oyake Akahachi]], a powerful leader from nearby [[Ishigaki Island]] attempted to take advantage of the chaos and disunity by invading the Miyakos and placing them under his control, but [[Nakasone Toyomiya|Nakasone Tuyumya Genga]], a great-great-grandson of Meguro Mori, not only fought off Akahachi's invasion, he even managed to go on to invade the Yaeyamas himself, seizing control of many of those islands before moving on to attack even [[Yonaguni Island]], the westernmost of the Ryukyu Islands.<ref>Kerr, 121.; "Oyake Akahachi." Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"). Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p18.; Shinzato, Keiji et al. Okinawa-ken no rekishi (History of Okinawa Prefecture). Tokyo: Yamakawa Publishing, 1996. p57.</ref> King [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]] of Shuri then sent forces to the Miyakos and Yaeyamas in [[1500]] to quell this fighting and to bring peace and civilization to the islands. In the official histories produced by the kingdom, Nakasone Tuyumya is celebrated as a hero for convincing the people of the Miyakos and Yaeyamas to embrace Shuri rule and Ryukyuan culture or "civilization," sparing them the death and destruction that might have come from resisting the invasion more strongly. Nakasone was then rewarded for his support by being recognized as "chieftain" of Miyako, and being permitted to retain a position of authority over the islands, within the framework of the larger Ryûkyû Kingdom.
The islands were then incorporated (albeit loosely) into the kingdom, and officials were dispatched from Shuri to oversee and administer the islands.<ref>Kerr, 115.</ref>
The ''[[kokuo shotokuhi|kokuô shôtoku-hi]]'', a famous stele standing outside of [[Shuri castle]], relates in its inscription that it was erected in [[1543]] in commemoration of the dispatch of a sword and sacred beads from Miyako, during the reign of [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]];<ref>''Okinawa bijutsu zenshû'' 沖縄美術全集. vol. 4. Okinawa Times, 1989. Description of Plates 81-82.</ref> according to the traditional histories, this sword (likely the one known as [[Famous Samurai Swords|Jiganemaru]]) was a gift from Nakasone to the king explicitly as an expression of gratitude for Shuri's recognition of his position and authority.<ref>Kerr, 118, 121-122.; "[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%BB%B2%E5%AE%97%E6%A0%B9%E8%B1%8A%E8%A6%8B%E8%A6%AA Nakasone Toyomiya]." Kotobank.jp. (Originally from Takara, Kurayoshi. "Nakasone Toyomiya." ''Asahi Nippon Rekishi Jinbutsu Jiten'', Asahi Shimbun Publishers.) Accessed 11 July 2009.; "Nakasone Tuyumya." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). [http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-42371-storytopic-121.html Ryukyu Shimpo] (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 11 July 2009.; "Nakasone Tuyumiya Genga." ''Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten'' (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"). Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p54.</ref>
[[Gregory Smits]] takes a critical approach to the histories written by the kingdom, however, noting that they "take on the qualities of a Chinese-style morality play," emphasizing certain figures as heroes or villains, and coloring the narrative of Miyako-Shuri interactions overall as one of uncivilized, "barbaric" places prone to violence which needed to be shown the morality and superior culture of [[Confucianism|Confucian]] civilization. Putting aside stories which cannot be verified by other sources, Smits suggests that all we can know with any certainty is that there was some factionalism and fighting in the Miyako Islands in the 14th century. He suggests that after [[Okinawa Island]] began engaging in formal tribute trade with the Ming Empire in the 1370s, rumors of the prosperity or luxury goods brought to Okinawa through that trade may have reached the Miyakos and inspired efforts to establish stronger (and/or more official) trade relations with Okinawa. Miyako and Yaeyama Islanders were likely also trading with the Chinese coast, and Shô Shin's attack on the islands may have been aimed at reining this trade in and claiming a stronger Shuri monopoly on the China trade.<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2019), 55.</ref>
Shuri appointed officials known as ''[[Shuri oyako|Ufu Sui uyaku]]'' and ''[[zaiban (Ryukyu)|zaiban]]'' to oversee matters in the outer islands, on behalf of the royal government.<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41458-storytopic-121.html Zaiban]," Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia 沖縄コンパクト事典, Ryukyu Shimpo, 1 March 2003.</ref> These ''zaiban'' operated under the authority of a ''kuramutu'' (J: ''[[kuramoto]]'') based on [[Ishigaki Island]].<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41219-storytopic-121.html Kuramoto]." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). Ryukyu Shimpô. 1 March 2003. Accessed 16 January 2010.</ref> Beginning as early as [[1503]], Shuri also appointed ''Ôamu tsukasa'', priestess officials under the [[Oamushirare|Makabe Ôamushirare]] (''Makan Ufuanshitari'') high priestess based in Shuri, to serve as the chief religious officials in the Miyakos.<ref>Plaque at former site of Makan dunchi. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15442912996/in/photostream/]</ref>
Following Shuri's defeat of the islanders, the islands were then incorporated (albeit loosely) into the kingdom, and officials were dispatched from Shuri to oversee and administer the islands.<ref>Kerr, 115.</ref> Shuri appointed officials known as ''[[Shuri oyako|Ufu Sui uyaku]]'' and ''[[zaiban (Ryukyu)|zaiban]]'' to oversee matters in the outer islands, on behalf of the royal government.<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41458-storytopic-121.html Zaiban]," Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia 沖縄コンパクト事典, Ryukyu Shimpo, 1 March 2003.</ref> These ''zaiban'' operated under the authority of a ''kuramutu'' (J: ''[[kuramoto]]'') based on [[Ishigaki Island]].<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41219-storytopic-121.html Kuramoto]." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). Ryukyu Shimpô. 1 March 2003. Accessed 16 January 2010.</ref> Beginning as early as [[1503]], Shuri also appointed ''Ôamu tsukasa'', priestess officials under the [[Oamushirare|Makabe Ôamushirare]] (''Makan Ufuanshitari'') high priestess based in Shuri, to serve as the chief religious officials in the Miyakos.<ref>Plaque at former site of Makan dunchi. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15442912996/in/photostream/]</ref>
One of the most oft-discussed and perhaps most oppressive aspects of life under the kingdom for residents of the Miyakos was a [[poll tax]] (or "head tax") implemented in [[1637]] and continued by the Empire of Japan through the abolition of the kingdom, into the early years of the 20th century. Each individual (i.e. each "head") in the islands owed a certain amount to Shuri (and, later, to the prefectural government in [[Naha]]). This was not only a heavy tax burden simply in terms of the amount to be paid, but also because islanders were often obliged to pay in X, thus requiring them to convert their grain, textiles, or other products into X. This heavy tax burden frequently led to uprisings, riots, and protests. One particularly notable set of protests, known as the [[Miyako Island Peasantry Movement]], took place in [[1893]] to [[1895]], and not only involved local protests in the Miyakos, but also Miyako Islanders traveling to Tokyo to petition before the [[Imperial Diet]] for an end to the oppressive tax burden. The poll tax system was eventually abolished in [[1903]].
One of the most oft-discussed and perhaps most oppressive aspects of life under the kingdom for residents of the Miyakos was a [[poll tax]] (or "head tax") implemented in [[1637]] and continued by the Empire of Japan through the abolition of the kingdom, into the early years of the 20th century. Each individual (i.e. each "head") in the islands owed a certain amount to Shuri (and, later, to the prefectural government in [[Naha]]). This was not only a heavy tax burden simply in terms of the amount to be paid, but also because islanders were often obliged to pay in X, thus requiring them to convert their grain, textiles, or other products into X. This heavy tax burden frequently led to uprisings, riots, and protests. One particularly notable set of protests, known as the [[Miyako Island Peasantry Movement]], took place in [[1893]] to [[1895]], and not only involved local protests in the Miyakos, but also Miyako Islanders traveling to Tokyo to petition before the [[Imperial Diet]] for an end to the oppressive tax burden. The poll tax system was eventually abolished in [[1903]].
