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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 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]].

His reign was characterized by political and military expansion and the consolidation of power under the royal court at Shuri; the transformation of the role or position of the king from being a local or regional "sea lord" boasting recognition from China as a legitimate trading partner, into being a Confucian monarch with strong, centralized power over an extensive territory, managed through an established bureaucracy and system of rule and law; 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 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>

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>

Court rituals and ceremonies were also dramatically altered and expanded, in emulation of Chinese modes. A pair of tall stone "Dragon Pillars" were placed at the entrance to the palace, patterned not after Chinese, Korean or Japanese models, but after those of Thailand and Cambodia, reflecting, as Kerr points out, the reach and extent of Okinawan trade and the cosmopolitan nature of the capital at this time<ref>Kerr. p109.</ref>. The Buddhist temple [[Enkaku-ji (Okinawa)|Enkaku-ji]] was built in 1492, [[Sogen-ji|Sôgen-ji]] was expanded in 1496, and in 1501, [[Tamaudun]], the royal mausoleum complex, was completed. Shô Shin successfully petitioned the Korean royal court, several times, to send volumes of Buddhist texts<ref>Kerr. p112.</ref>; the first metal movable type printing presses in the world had been invented in Korea in the 13th century. In the thirtieth year of his reign, a stele was erected in the grounds of [[Shuri Castle]], listing Eleven Distinctions of the Age enumerated by court officials. A reproduction of this stele, destroyed in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa along with the castle, stands in the castle grounds today.

Court rituals and ceremonies were also dramatically altered and expanded, in emulation of Chinese modes. A pair of tall stone "Dragon Pillars" were placed at the entrance to the palace, patterned not after Chinese, Korean or Japanese models, but after those of Thailand and Cambodia, reflecting, as Kerr points out, the reach and extent of Okinawan trade and the cosmopolitan nature of the capital at this time<ref>Kerr. p109.</ref>. The Buddhist temple [[Enkaku-ji (Okinawa)|Enkaku-ji]] was built in 1492, [[Sogen-ji|Sôgen-ji]] was expanded in 1496, and in 1501, [[Tamaudun]], the royal mausoleum complex, was completed. Shô Shin successfully petitioned the Korean royal court, several times, to send volumes of Buddhist texts<ref>Kerr. p112.</ref>; the first metal movable type printing presses in the world had been invented in Korea in the 13th century. In the thirtieth year of his reign, a stele was erected in the grounds of [[Shuri Castle]], listing Eleven Distinctions of the Age enumerated by court officials. A reproduction of this stele, destroyed in the 1945 Battle of Okinawa along with the castle, stands in the castle grounds today.

The reign of Shō Shin also saw the expansion of the kingdom's control over several of the outlying [[Ryukyu Islands]]. Okinawan ships began in the late 15th century to frequent [[Miyakojima]] and the [[Yaeyama Islands]]; following a series of disputes among the local lords in the Yaeyama Islands which broke out in 1486, Shô Shin in 1500 sent military forces to quell the disputes and establish control over the islands. [[Kumejima]] was brought under firm control of Shuri, and liaison offices were established in Miyako and Yaeyama, in 1500 and 1524 respectively<ref>Kerr. p115.</ref>.

The reign of Shō Shin also saw the expansion of the kingdom's control over several of the outlying [[Ryukyu Islands]]. Okinawan ships began in the late 15th century to frequent [[Miyakojima]] and the [[Yaeyama Islands]]; following a series of disputes among the local lords in the Yaeyama Islands which broke out in 1486, Shô Shin in 1500 sent military forces to quell the disputes and establish control over the islands. [[Kumejima]] was brought under firm control of Shuri, and liaison offices were established in Miyako and Yaeyama, in 1500 and 1524 respectively<ref>Kerr. p115.</ref>. Administrative officials were similarly installed on [[Amami Oshima|Amami Ôshima]] and [[Yoronjima]] in the 1500s-1520s.<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 179-180.</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>.