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Shô Shin was a king of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]], the third of the line of the Second Shô Dynasty. Shô Shin's long reign has been described as "the Great Days of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]]", a period of great peace and relative prosperity. He was the son of [[Sho En|Shô En]], the founder of the dynasty, by [[Yosoidon]], Shô En's second wife, often referred to as the queen mother. He succeeded his uncle, [[Sho Seni|Shô Sen'i]], who was forced to abdicate in his favor.

Shô Shin was a king of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]], the third of the line of the Second Shô Dynasty. Shô Shin's long reign has been described as "the Great Days of [[Chuzan|Chûzan]]", a period of great peace and relative prosperity. He was the son of [[Sho En|Shô En]], the founder of the dynasty, by [[Yosoidon]], Shô En's second wife, often referred to as the queen mother. He succeeded his uncle, [[Sho Seni|Shô Sen'i]], who was forced to abdicate in his favor.

His reign is characterized by political and military expansion; a height of maritime trade activity and prosperity; the renovation of [[Shuri castle]] and the construction of numerous monuments, temples, shrines, and other structures speaking to the power and glory of Shuri; and the establishment or standardization otherwise of numerous aspects of what would remain the foundation of the structure and character of the Ryûkyû Kingdom for centuries, until its [[Ryukyu Shobun|dissolution in the 1870s]].

His reign is characterized by political and military expansion and the consolidation of power under the royal court at Shuri; a height of maritime trade activity and prosperity; the renovation of [[Shuri castle]] and the construction of numerous monuments, temples, shrines, and other structures speaking to the power and glory of Shuri; and the establishment or standardization otherwise of numerous aspects of what would remain the foundation of the structure and character of the Ryûkyû Kingdom for centuries, until its [[Ryukyu Shobun|dissolution in the 1870s]].

Much of the foundational organization of the kingdom's administration and economy is traced back to developments which occurred during Shô Shin's reign. As government became more institutionalized and organized, the ''[[anji]]'' (local lords) gradually lost power and independence, becoming more closely tied to the central government at [[Shuri]]. In order to strengthen central control over the kingdom, and to prevent insurrection on the part of the ''anji'', Shô Shin gathered weapons from all the ''anji'' to be put to use for the defense of the kingdom, and ordered ''anji'' to make their residences in Shuri; lords separated from their lands and from their people were far less able to act independently or to organize rebellion, and, over time, their emotional connections to Shuri grew, those with their territory weakening. The residences at Shuri of the ''anji'' were divided into three districts - one each for those coming from the northern, central, and southern areas of [[Okinawa Island]] which had formerly been the independent kingdoms of [[Hokuzan]], Chûzan, and [[Nanzan]] respectively. These regions were now renamed [[Kunigami]], [[Nakagami]], and [[Shimajiri]], respectively, place names which remain in use today. Through intermarriage, residence in Shuri, and other factors, the ''anji'' came to be more integrated as a class, more closely associated with life and customs and politics at Shuri, and less attached to their ancestral territorial identities.

Much of the foundational organization of the kingdom's early modern administration and economy is traced back to developments which occurred during Shô Shin's reign. Shô Shin developed a court bureaucracy more centralized and standardized than ever before, including perhaps the first system of standard practices of employing administrative documents and maintaining written records; in this and various other important ways, the kingdom under Shô Shin began to resemble that of a Confucian kingdom (and no longer the domain of rival ''[[wako|wakô]]'' "sea lords") more than ever before.<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii (2019), 137.</ref> As government became more institutionalized and organized, the ''[[anji]]'' (local lords) gradually lost power and independence, becoming more closely tied to the central government at [[Shuri]]. In order to strengthen central control over the kingdom, and to prevent insurrection on the part of the ''anji'', Shô Shin gathered weapons from all the ''anji'' to be put to use for the defense of the kingdom, and ordered ''anji'' to make their residences in Shuri; lords separated from their lands and from their people were far less able to act independently or to organize rebellion, and, over time, their emotional connections to Shuri grew, those with their territory weakening. The residences at Shuri of the ''anji'' were divided into three districts - one each for those coming from the northern, central, and southern areas of [[Okinawa Island]] which had formerly been the independent kingdoms of [[Hokuzan]], Chûzan, and [[Nanzan]] respectively. These regions were now renamed [[Kunigami]], [[Nakagami]], and [[Shimajiri]], respectively, place names which remain in use today. Through intermarriage, residence in Shuri, and other factors, the ''anji'' came to be more integrated as a class, more closely associated with life and customs and politics at Shuri, and less attached to their ancestral territorial identities.

The ''anji'' left deputies, called ''anji okite'', to administer their lands on their behalf, and some years later a system of ''jito dai'', agents sent by the central government to oversee the outlying territories, was established. Some ''anji'' of the northern regions were allowed to remain there, not moving to Shuri, as they were too powerful for the king to force their obedience in this matter; the king's third son [[Sho Shoi|Shô Shôi]] was made [[Warden of the North]], however, and granted authority to maintain peace and order in the region<ref>Kerr. pp105-8.</ref>.

The ''anji'' left deputies, called ''anji okite'', to administer their lands on their behalf, and some years later a system of ''jito dai'', agents sent by the central government to oversee the outlying territories, was established. Some ''anji'' of the northern regions were allowed to remain there, not moving to Shuri, as they were too powerful for the king to force their obedience in this matter; the king's third son [[Sho Shoi|Shô Shôi]] was made [[Warden of the North]], however, and granted authority to maintain peace and order in the region<ref>Kerr. pp105-8.</ref>.

Shô Shin also effected significant changes to the organization of the native ''[[noro]]'' (high priestesses) cult and its relationship to the government. He owed his uncle's abdication, and his own succession to his sister, the ''noro'' of the royal family, a special position known as the ''[[kikoe-ogimi|kikoe-ôgimi]]''. He established a new residence for the ''kikoe-ôgimi'' just outside the gates to the castle, and erected high walls in 1519 around the [[Sonohyan Utaki]], the sacred space and accompanying sacred hearth which she tended. A system by which the king and ''kikoe-ôgimi'' appointed local ''noro'' across the kingdom was established, tying this element of the native Ryukyuan religion into formal systems of authority under the government<ref>Kerr. p111.</ref>.

Shô Shin also effected significant changes to the organization of the native ''[[noro]]'' (high priestesses) cult and its relationship to the government. He owed his uncle's abdication, and his own succession to his sister, the ''noro'' of the royal family, a special position known as the ''[[kikoe-ogimi|kikoe-ôgimi]]''. He established a new residence for the ''kikoe-ôgimi'' just outside the gates to the castle, and erected high walls in 1519 around the [[Sonohyan Utaki]], the sacred space and accompanying sacred hearth which she tended. A system by which the king and ''kikoe-ôgimi'' appointed local ''noro'' across the kingdom was established, tying this element of the native Ryukyuan religion into formal systems of authority under the government<ref>Kerr. p111.</ref>.

Shô Shin had two notable consorts over the course of his reign. He first married his cousin [[Kyojin]] 居仁, a daughter of his uncle Shô Sen'i, but some kind of internal family or court politics led to their first son, [[Sho Iko|Shô Ikô]], being driven from the court. Shô Shin then had multiple children with a consort named Kagô 華后, including his fifth son, who would be named crown prince in [[1508]] or [[1509]] and then later succeed him as King [[Sho Sei (尚清)|Shô Sei]].<ref>Gregory Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii (2019), 132-133.</ref>

Shô Shin had two notable consorts over the course of his reign. He first married his cousin [[Kyojin]] 居仁, a daughter of his uncle Shô Sen'i, but some kind of internal family or court politics led to their first son, [[Sho Iko|Shô Ikô]], being driven from the court. Shô Shin then had multiple children with a consort named Kagô 華后, including his fifth son, who would be named crown prince in [[1508]] or [[1509]] and then later succeed him as King [[Sho Sei (尚清)|Shô Sei]].<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 132-133.</ref>

After a fifty year reign, Shō Shin died in 1526, and was succeeded by his son Shô Sei. It is said that after such a long reign, officials encountered difficulties in determining the proper way to conduct the royal funeral, succession rituals, and other important related ceremonies<ref>Kerr. p115.</ref>. Historian George Kerr writes that "Okinawa was never again to know the halcyon days of Sho Shin's reign<ref>Kerr. p116.</ref>."

After a fifty year reign, Shō Shin died in 1526, and was succeeded by his son Shô Sei. It is said that after such a long reign, officials encountered difficulties in determining the proper way to conduct the royal funeral, succession rituals, and other important related ceremonies<ref>Kerr. p115.</ref>. Historian George Kerr writes that "Okinawa was never again to know the halcyon days of Sho Shin's reign<ref>Kerr. p116.</ref>."