Changes

The bureaucratic structure of the kingdom's administration/government became even more structured and well-established during the reign of [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]] (r. [[1477]]-[[1526]]). It is unclear precisely when particular changes were made, or when particular offices came into being. By the 1520s, however, a wide variety of government officials, including guards, soldiers, religious officials, civil engineers, and bureaucrats of various types were all organized into groups known as ''hiki'', each of which was headed by one of the three or four ''sedo'' (船頭) in the court; the ''sedo'', in turn, were under the authority of the Sanshikan. Meanwhile, individual ports/harbors or larger districts were each overseen by local officials known as ''satunushi'' (里主, J: ''satonushi'', lit. "village head"), who would develop into the ''[[Jito (Ryukyu)|jitô]]'' of the early modern period.<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 164.</ref>

The bureaucratic structure of the kingdom's administration/government became even more structured and well-established during the reign of [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]] (r. [[1477]]-[[1526]]). It is unclear precisely when particular changes were made, or when particular offices came into being. By the 1520s, however, a wide variety of government officials, including guards, soldiers, religious officials, civil engineers, and bureaucrats of various types were all organized into groups known as ''hiki'', each of which was headed by one of the three or four ''sedo'' (船頭) in the court; the ''sedo'', in turn, were under the authority of the Sanshikan. Meanwhile, individual ports/harbors or larger districts were each overseen by local officials known as ''satunushi'' (里主, J: ''satonushi'', lit. "village head"), who would develop into the ''[[Jito (Ryukyu)|jitô]]'' of the early modern period.<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 164.</ref>

A separate bureaucratic structure meanwhile came into existence for the priestesses and other female religious officials of the kingdom, with the ''[[kikoe-ogimi|kikôe-ôgimi]]'' (chief priestess, often the king's sister or another close relative) at the top. She oversaw three "Ôamu priestesses" (O: ''[[Oamushirare|Ufuanshitari]]'', J: ''Ôamushirare''), each of whom was associated with one of the three districts of Shuri and oversaw, in turn, a hierarchy of thirty-three priestesses known as ''kimi'', based in districts across the realm.<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 164-165.</ref>

A separate bureaucratic structure meanwhile came into existence for the priestesses and other female religious officials of the kingdom, with the ''[[kikoe-ogimi|kikôe-ôgimi]]'' (chief priestess, often the king's sister or another close relative) at the top. She oversaw three "Ôamu priestesses" (O: ''[[Oamushirare|Ufuanshitari]]'', J: ''Ôamushirare''), each of whom was associated with one of the three districts of Shuri and oversaw, in turn, a hierarchy of thirty-three priestesses known as ''[[kimi (priestess)|kimi]]'', based in districts across the realm.<ref>Smits, ''Maritime Ryukyu'', 164-165.</ref>

Though the kingdom was [[invasion of Ryukyu|invaded]] by [[Satsuma han|Kagoshima domain]] in [[1609]] and made a vassal to the [[Shimazu clan]] of that domain, the royal government was allowed to continue intact, maintaining its structures, practices, and administrative authority in most areas, albeit subject at times to Satsuma requests or edicts.

Though the kingdom was [[invasion of Ryukyu|invaded]] by [[Satsuma han|Kagoshima domain]] in [[1609]] and made a vassal to the [[Shimazu clan]] of that domain, the royal government was allowed to continue intact, maintaining its structures, practices, and administrative authority in most areas, albeit subject at times to Satsuma requests or edicts.