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The Shiro Furi dispute was a succession dispute which took place in the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]] in [[1453]]. Following the death of King [[Sho Kinpuku|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 [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] (and thus younger brother to Furi, and uncle to Shiro), then took the throne as King [[Sho Taikyu|Shô Taikyû]].
The Shiro Furi dispute was a succession dispute which took place in the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]] in [[1453]]. Following the death of King [[Sho Kinpuku|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 [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] (and thus younger brother to Furi, and uncle to Shiro), then took the throne as King [[Sho Taikyu|Shô Taikyû]].
''[[Chuzan seifu|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").<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2019), 113.</ref> 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.<ref>George Kerr, ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. Revised Edition. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000, 97.</ref>
The graves of Shiro and Furi can be found in Nanjô City, in the southern portion of [[Okinawa Island]].
The graves of Shiro and Furi can be found in Nanjô City, in the southern portion of [[Okinawa Island]].