| The eldest son of [[Shimazu Shigehide]], he succeeded his father as lord of Satsuma in [[1787]], at the age of 15. His adoptive mother was a daughter of [[Tokugawa Munetada]] of the [[Hitotsubashi Tokugawa clan]]. His retired father continued to play a prominent role in advising the young Narinobu. | | The eldest son of [[Shimazu Shigehide]], he succeeded his father as lord of Satsuma in [[1787]], at the age of 15. His adoptive mother was a daughter of [[Tokugawa Munetada]] of the [[Hitotsubashi Tokugawa clan]]. His retired father continued to play a prominent role in advising the young Narinobu. |
− | Over the course of his reign, Narinobu escorted three [[Ryukyuan missions to Edo]], in [[1790]], [[1796]], and [[1806]]. He was elevated to the court rank of Upper Senior Fourth Rank, Chûjô (Middle Captain), in 1790, but as had become standard by that time did not receive a similar elevation in rank on the other two occasions.<ref>Yokoyama Manabu 横山学, ''Ryûkyû koku shisetsu torai no kenkyû'' 琉球国使節渡来の研究, Tokyo: Yoshikawa kôbunkan (1987), 67.</ref> | + | Over the course of his reign, Narinobu escorted three [[Ryukyuan missions to Edo]], in [[1790]], [[1796]], and [[1806]]. He was elevated to the court rank of Upper Junior Fourth Rank, Chûjô (Middle Captain), in 1790, but as had become standard by that time did not receive a similar elevation in rank on the other two occasions.<ref>Yokoyama Manabu 横山学, ''Ryûkyû koku shisetsu torai no kenkyû'' 琉球国使節渡来の研究, Tokyo: Yoshikawa kôbunkan (1987), 67.</ref> |
| In [[1807]], Narinobu appointed [[Kabayama Chikara]] and [[Chichibu Taro|Chichibu Tarô]] to be among his ''[[karo|karô]]'', as part of a complete overhaul of the domain administration. They oversaw reforms of the [[han school]], and canceled a number of Shigehide's policies in favor of austerity programs. This earned the ire of Shigehide, who forced a number of the clan retainers in [[1808]] to commit suicide, and others to be exiled; Narinobu, meanwhile, was forced to retire the following year, in favor of his teenage son, [[Shimazu Narioki]]. | | In [[1807]], Narinobu appointed [[Kabayama Chikara]] and [[Chichibu Taro|Chichibu Tarô]] to be among his ''[[karo|karô]]'', as part of a complete overhaul of the domain administration. They oversaw reforms of the [[han school]], and canceled a number of Shigehide's policies in favor of austerity programs. This earned the ire of Shigehide, who forced a number of the clan retainers in [[1808]] to commit suicide, and others to be exiled; Narinobu, meanwhile, was forced to retire the following year, in favor of his teenage son, [[Shimazu Narioki]]. |