Changes

''Kafu'' were family registry records of the [[Ryukyuan aristocracy]] written in ''[[kanbun]]'', which included lineages and individual personal or career histories.  

''Kafu'' were family registry records of the [[Ryukyuan aristocracy]] written in ''[[kanbun]]'', which included lineages and individual personal or career histories.  

''Kafu'' likely existed in some form earlier, but the system was first formally put into place beginning in [[1670]], when [[Sho Shoken|Shô Shôken]] required members of the aristocracy to submit records of their lineages.<ref>[[Robert Sakai]], “The Ryukyu (Liu-ch’iu) Islands as a Fief of Satsuma,” in [[John K. Fairbank]], ''The Chinese World Order'', Harvard University Press (1968), 128.</ref>. In [[1689]], an office known as the ''[[keizuza]]''<!--系図座--> was formally established within the government of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]] to create and maintain these records in a more formal and standardized manner. The first head of the ''keizuza'' was Shô Kôtoku, also known as Prince Kochinda Chôshun<!--尚弘徳・東風平王子朝春-->, fifth son of the late King [[Sho Shitsu|Shô Shitsu]] (and thus, younger brother to the current King [[Sho Tei|Shô Tei]]).

''Kafu'' likely existed in some form earlier, but the system was first formally put into place beginning in [[1670]], when [[Sho Shoken|Shô Shôken]] required members of the aristocracy to submit records of their lineages.<ref>[[Robert Sakai]], “The Ryukyu (Liu-ch’iu) Islands as a Fief of Satsuma,” in [[John K. Fairbank]], ''The Chinese World Order'', Harvard University Press (1968), 128.</ref>. In [[1689]], an office known as the ''[[keizuza]]''<!--系図座--> was formally established within the government of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Kingdom of Ryûkyû]] to create and maintain these records in a more formal and standardized manner. The first head of the ''keizuza'' was Shô Kôtoku, also known as Prince [[Kochinda Choshun|Kochinda Chôshun]]<!--尚弘徳・東風平王子朝春-->, fifth son of the late King [[Sho Shitsu|Shô Shitsu]] (and thus, younger brother to the current King [[Sho Tei|Shô Tei]]).

The initial compilations produced in 1689 (or shortly thereafter) contained a total of 687 main families, and 36 additional branch families listed as heads of lineages. Many families shared names; 479 different family names appear in these initial records. These family names were single-character [[Ryukyuan names|Chinese-style names]], such as [[Sai family|Sai]] (蔡), [[Tei family (鄭)|Tei]] (鄭), and [[Bai family|Bai]] (貝).

The initial compilations produced in 1689 (or shortly thereafter) contained a total of 687 main families, and 36 additional branch families listed as heads of lineages. Many families shared names; 479 different family names appear in these initial records. These family names were single-character [[Ryukyuan names|Chinese-style names]], such as [[Sai family|Sai]] (蔡), [[Tei family (鄭)|Tei]] (鄭), and [[Bai family|Bai]] (貝).