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When King [[Sho Kinpuku|Shô Kinpuku]] died in 1453, a succession dispute erupted between the king's son Shiro (志魯) and his younger brother Furi (布里). [[Shuri Castle]] was burned down in the conflict, which ended in the death of both Shiro and Furi, and the succession of Shô Taikyû to the throne<ref name=shimpo/>.

When King [[Sho Kinpuku|Shô Kinpuku]] died in 1453, a succession dispute erupted between the king's son Shiro (志魯) and his younger brother Furi (布里). [[Shuri Castle]] was burned down in the conflict, which ended in the death of both Shiro and Furi, and the succession of Shô Taikyû to the throne<ref name=shimpo/>.

Having studied under [[Kaiin]], a [[Zen]] monk from [[Kyoto]]<ref name=jinmei>"Shō Taikyū." ''Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten'' (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"). Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p42.</ref>, Shô Taikyû had a number of Buddhist temples founded, including the [[Kogen-ji|Kôgen-ji]]<!--廣厳-->, [[Fumon-ji]]<!--普門-->, [[Manju-ji (Okinawa)|Manju-ji]]<!--万寿-->, and [[Tenryu-ji (Okinawa)|Tenryû-ji]]<!--天龍--><ref>Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. (revised edition). Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p99.</ref><ref>Shinzato, Keiji, et al. ''Okinawa-ken no rekishi'' ("History of Okinawa Prefecture"). Tokyo: Yamakawa Publishing, 1996. p53.</ref>, and the so-called "Bridge of Nations" Bell cast<ref name=jinmei/>. The bell, with an inscription describing the kingdom's prosperity in maritime trade and diplomacy, hung in Shuri Castle for centuries and became a famous symbol of the castle and of the kingdom.

Having studied under [[Kaiin]], a [[Zen]] monk from [[Kyoto]]<ref name=jinmei>"Shō Taikyū." ''Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten'' (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"). Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p42.</ref>, Shô Taikyû had a number of Buddhist temples founded, including the [[Kogen-ji|Kôgen-ji]]<!--廣厳-->, [[Fumon-ji]]<!--普門-->, [[Manju-ji (Okinawa)|Manju-ji]]<!--万寿-->, and [[Tenryu-ji (Okinawa)|Tenryû-ji]]<!--天龍--><ref>Kerr, George. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. (revised edition). Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p99.</ref><ref>Shinzato, Keiji, et al. ''Okinawa-ken no rekishi'' ("History of Okinawa Prefecture"). Tokyo: Yamakawa Publishing, 1996. p53.</ref>, and had at least ten notable bronze bells cast, including the so-called "Bridge of Nations" Bell.<ref name=jinmei/> The bell, with an inscription describing the kingdom's prosperity in maritime trade and diplomacy, hung in Shuri Castle for centuries and became a famous symbol of the castle and of the kingdom.

Shô Taikyû's reign was, indeed, a period of prosperity in maritime trade. Historian [[George H. Kerr]] writes that Okinawan merchants sometimes earned as much as a thousand-percent return on luxury goods, that Naha grew more fully into a prosperous-looking port town, and the estates of the local lords (''anji'') grew as well. However, Kerr also writes that Shô Taikyû's patronage of Buddhism and temple-building efforts far exceeded that which would have been demanded or supported by the populace, and that these activities impoverished the royal treasury<ref>Kerr. pp99-100.</ref>.

Shô Taikyû's reign was, indeed, a period of prosperity in maritime trade. Historian [[George H. Kerr]] writes that Okinawan merchants sometimes earned as much as a thousand-percent return on luxury goods, that Naha grew more fully into a prosperous-looking port town, and the estates of the local lords (''anji'') grew as well. However, Kerr also writes that Shô Taikyû's patronage of Buddhism and temple-building efforts far exceeded that which would have been demanded or supported by the populace, and that these activities impoverished the royal treasury<ref>Kerr. pp99-100.</ref>.

== References ==

== References ==

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