Changes

Thus it was that up until the 16th century, ''anji'' ruled domains or estates in the Okinawan countryside, and wielded a considerable degree of semi-independence and power within their domains. They may have even claimed the power to affect or influence the forces of nature.<ref>Chan, Ying Kit. “A Bridge between Myriad Lands: The Ryukyu Kingdom and Ming China (1372-1526),” MA Thesis, National University of Singapore, 2010, 25. http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/20602.</ref> Around [[1526]], however, King [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]] made efforts to consolidate power in the hands of the central royal government. He confiscated the lords' weapons, banned them from maintaining their own armies, and required the ''anji'' to reside in [[Shuri]], the royal capital, rather than on their own estates out in the countryside; this worked to severely curtail the individual, independent power of the ''anji'', and to hinder their ability to rise up against the king. Shô Shin also reorganized their lands into ''[[magiri]]'' (districts), and ''shima'' (villages). ''Anji'' mansions were then established in Shuri, organized according to the region one nominally controlled, whether it was located in Northern, Central, or Southern Okinawa. Through involvement in court culture and court politics, the ''anji'' quickly developed into a more cohesive class than they had been in previous centuries, steeped in [[Confucianism|Confucian]] ideas of government and of the gentleman noble. Their presence in Shuri also contributed to the further development and consolidation of Ryukyuan elite culture, and of urbanization, commercialization, and economic integration of the kingdom, as ''anji'' brought goods and commodities from their domains to the capital and vice versa.

Thus it was that up until the 16th century, ''anji'' ruled domains or estates in the Okinawan countryside, and wielded a considerable degree of semi-independence and power within their domains. They may have even claimed the power to affect or influence the forces of nature.<ref>Chan, Ying Kit. “A Bridge between Myriad Lands: The Ryukyu Kingdom and Ming China (1372-1526),” MA Thesis, National University of Singapore, 2010, 25. http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/20602.</ref> Around [[1526]], however, King [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]] made efforts to consolidate power in the hands of the central royal government. He confiscated the lords' weapons, banned them from maintaining their own armies, and required the ''anji'' to reside in [[Shuri]], the royal capital, rather than on their own estates out in the countryside; this worked to severely curtail the individual, independent power of the ''anji'', and to hinder their ability to rise up against the king. Shô Shin also reorganized their lands into ''[[magiri]]'' (districts), and ''shima'' (villages). ''Anji'' mansions were then established in Shuri, organized according to the region one nominally controlled, whether it was located in Northern, Central, or Southern Okinawa. Through involvement in court culture and court politics, the ''anji'' quickly developed into a more cohesive class than they had been in previous centuries, steeped in [[Confucianism|Confucian]] ideas of government and of the gentleman noble. Their presence in Shuri also contributed to the further development and consolidation of Ryukyuan elite culture, and of urbanization, commercialization, and economic integration of the kingdom, as ''anji'' brought goods and commodities from their domains to the capital and vice versa.

The ''anji'' left deputies, called ''anji okite'' (O: ''aji uttchi'')<ref>Akamine Mamoru, Lina Terrell (trans.), Robert Huey (ed.), ''The Ryukyu Kingdom: Cornerstone of East Asia'', University of Hawaii Press (2017), 12.</ref>, to administer their lands on their behalf, and some years later a system of ''jito dai'', agents sent by the central government to oversee the outlying territories, was established. Some ''anji'' of the northern regions were allowed to remain there, not moving to Shuri, as they were too powerful for the king to force their obedience in this matter; the king's third son was made Warden of the North, however, and granted authority to maintain peace and order in the region<ref>[[George Kerr|Kerr, George]]. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. pp105-8.</ref>.

The ''anji'' left deputies, called ''anji okite'' (O: ''aji uttchi'')<ref>Akamine Mamoru, Lina Terrell (trans.), Robert Huey (ed.), ''The Ryukyu Kingdom: Cornerstone of East Asia'', University of Hawaii Press (2017), 12.</ref>, to administer their lands on their behalf, and some years later a system of ''jito dai'', agents sent by the central government to oversee the outlying territories, was established. Some ''anji'' of the northern regions were allowed to remain there, not moving to Shuri, as they were too powerful for the king to force their obedience in this matter; the king's third son [[Sho Shoi|Shô Shôi]] was made [[Warden of the North]], however, and granted authority to maintain peace and order in the region<ref>[[George Kerr|Kerr, George]]. ''Okinawa: The History of an Island People''. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. pp105-8.</ref>.

''Anji'' could gain or inherit the title in one of three ways. One could inherit the title directly from one's father, if the father was an ''anji'' or ''ôji'' ("prince"; princes could not pass on that title, but rather the title of ''anji'', one step down in rank); or, one could be elevated from a lower rank and granted the title of ''anji'' (along with an associated estate, nominally at least) by the king, i.e. the court, as a reward for exemplary service.

''Anji'' could gain or inherit the title in one of three ways. One could inherit the title directly from one's father, if the father was an ''anji'' or ''ôji'' ("prince"; princes could not pass on that title, but rather the title of ''anji'', one step down in rank); or, one could be elevated from a lower rank and granted the title of ''anji'' (along with an associated estate, nominally at least) by the king, i.e. the court, as a reward for exemplary service.