Changes

[[Satto]] became, in [[1372]], the first Ryukyuan king to submit to Chinese suzerainty<ref>Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. (revised ed.) Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p65.</ref>. Beginning with the investiture of Satto's successor, [[Bunei]], in [[1404]]<ref name=kenpaku-nenpyo>''Ryûkyû shisetsu, Edo he iku!'' 琉球使節、江戸へ行く！, Okinawa Prefectural Museum (2009), 47.</ref>, twenty-two such missions traveled to Ryûkyû in total<ref name=shimpo>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41495-storytopic-121.html Sappôshi]." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). 1 March 2003. Accessed 7 November 2009.</ref>, the last in [[1866]], for the investiture of [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]]<ref name=kerr352>Kerr. p352.</ref>.

[[Satto]] became, in [[1372]], the first Ryukyuan king to submit to Chinese suzerainty<ref>Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. (revised ed.) Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p65.</ref>. Beginning with the investiture of Satto's successor, [[Bunei]], in [[1404]]<ref name=kenpaku-nenpyo>''Ryûkyû shisetsu, Edo he iku!'' 琉球使節、江戸へ行く！, Okinawa Prefectural Museum (2009), 47.</ref>, twenty-two such missions traveled to Ryûkyû in total<ref name=shimpo>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-41495-storytopic-121.html Sappôshi]." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). 1 March 2003. Accessed 7 November 2009.</ref>, the last in [[1866]], for the investiture of [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]]<ref name=kerr352>Kerr. p352.</ref>.

The Ming Dynasty capital of Beijing fell to Manchu invaders in [[1644]], marking the beginning of Qing Dynasty control of China; [[Ming loyalists]] continued to hold out in southern China and Taiwan, however, for several decades. Several received Ryukyuan envoys; [[Kin Ogen|Kin Ôgen]] headed a mission which reported the death of King [[Sho Ho|Shô Hô]] to the Southern Ming (pretender) [[Prince of Fu|Hongguang Emperor]] at [[Nanjing]] in 1644, requesting investiture (''qiefeng'') for King [[Sho Ken|Shô Ken]]. [[Mo Daiyo|Mô Daiyô]] then led a mission congratulating (''qinghe'') Hongguang on his accession; Hongguang fell the following year. The [[Prince of Tang]] then rose to power, claiming himself as the Longwu Emperor. A Ryukyuan mission led by [[Mo Taikyu|Mô Taikyû]] met with him at Fuzhou, to offer congratulations (''qinghe''); while Mô and his party were there, however, Fuzhou fell to Qing forces led by the [[Manchu]] [[Prince Bolo]]. The Ryukyuans traveled to Beijing twice to formally request investiture from the [[Shunzhi Emperor]], but the Emperor along with the [[Ministry of Rites]] refused to grant investiture until Ryûkyû returned the royal seal granted the kingdom by the Ming, thus proving they were severing their loyalty to the Ming and would no longer engage with or support loyalists and pretenders.<ref>Angela Schottenhammer, “Empire and Periphery? The Qing Empire’s Relations with Japan and the Ryūkyūs (1644–c. 1800), a Comparison.” ''The Medieval History Journal'' 16, no. 1 (April 1, 2013): 176-178.</ref>

The Ming Dynasty capital of Beijing fell to Manchu invaders in [[1644]], marking the beginning of Qing Dynasty control of China; [[Ming loyalists]] continued to hold out in southern China and Taiwan, however, for several decades. Several received Ryukyuan envoys; [[Kin Ogen|Kin Ôgen]] headed a mission which reported the death of King [[Sho Ho|Shô Hô]] to the Southern Ming (pretender) [[Prince of Fu|Hongguang Emperor]] at [[Nanjing]] in 1644, requesting investiture (''qiefeng'') for King [[Sho Ken|Shô Ken]]. [[Mo Daiyo|Mô Daiyô]] then led a mission congratulating (''qinghe'') Hongguang on his accession; Hongguang fell the following year. The [[Prince of Tang]] then rose to power, claiming himself as the Longwu Emperor. A Ryukyuan mission led by [[Mo Taikyu|Mô Taikyû]] met with him at Fuzhou, to offer congratulations (''qinghe''); while Mô and his party were there, however, Fuzhou fell to Qing forces led by the [[Manchu]] [[Prince Bolo]]. The Ryukyuans traveled to Beijing twice to formally request investiture from the [[Shunzhi Emperor]], but the Emperor along with the [[Ministry of Rites]] refused to grant investiture until Ryûkyû returned the royal seal granted the kingdom by the Ming, thus proving they were severing their loyalty to the Ming and would no longer engage with or support loyalists and pretenders.<ref>Schottenhammer, "Empire and Periphery?", 176-178.</ref>

For a time, King Shô Ken maintained the kingdom's allegiance to, and relations with, the Ming, in part because of pragmatic economic concerns, namely Ming willingness to resume the raw silk trade. Chinese envoy & interpreter [[Xie Bizhen]]<!--謝必振--> traveled alongside Ryukyuan representatives within China, and to & from Ryûkyû, numerous times, attempting to convince the kingdom to sever its ties with the Ming loyalists, and enter into relations with the Qing Dynasty.

For a time, King Shô Ken maintained the kingdom's allegiance to, and relations with, the Ming, in part because of pragmatic economic concerns, namely Ming willingness to resume the raw silk trade. Chinese envoy & interpreter [[Xie Bizhen]]<!--謝必振--> traveled alongside Ryukyuan representatives within China, and to & from Ryûkyû, numerous times, attempting to convince the kingdom to sever its ties with the Ming loyalists, and enter into relations with the Qing Dynasty.

==References==

==References==

*Angela Schottenhammer, "The East Asian maritime world, 1400-1800: Its fabrics of power and dynamics of exchanges - China and her neighbors." in Schottenhammer (ed.) ''The East Asian maritime world, 1400-1800: Its fabrics of power and dynamics of exchanges''. Harrassowitz Verlag, 2007. pp45ff.  

*Angela Schottenhammer, "The East Asian maritime world, 1400-1800: Its fabrics of power and dynamics of exchanges - China and her neighbors." in Schottenhammer (ed.) ''The East Asian maritime world, 1400-1800: Its fabrics of power and dynamics of exchanges''. Harrassowitz Verlag, 2007. pp45ff.  

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[[Category:Ryukyu]]

[[Category:Ryukyu]]

[[Category:Political Institutions]]

[[Category:Political Institutions]]