List of monarchs of Ryukyu Islands

King of Ryūkyū
Crown of the King of Ryūkyū
Details
Style	Your Majesty (首里天加那志)
First monarch	Shunten
Last monarch	Shō Tai
Formation	1429
Abolition	March 17, 1879
Residence	Shuri Castle
Pretender(s)	Mamoru Shō

The list of monarchs of the Ryūkyū Islands extends from King Shunten in the 12th century through the last king in the 19th century.

Tenson Dynasty

According to the "Mirror of Chūzan" (中山世鑑, chūzan seikan), the founder of the Tenson Dynasty (天孫王朝) was a descendant of Amamikyu (阿摩美久, the goddess of creation in the Ryukyuan religion). Though the "Mirror of Chūzan" said that the Tenson Dynasty had 25 early kings, the names of the other kings are still unknown.

Shunten Dynasty

In 1186, the 25th king's throne was usurped by Riyū (利勇). Shunten overthrew Riyū the next year, becoming king of the Ryūkyū Islands. He established the Shunten Dynasty.

Name	Hanzi/Kanji	Mikoto	Reign	Age at death
Shunten	舜天	Mikotoatsushi 尊敦	1187–1237	71
Shunbajunki	舜馬順熙/舜馬順熈	Kiekimi 其益美	1238–1248	63
Gihon	義本	None	1249–1259	?

Eiso Dynasty

In 1259, Gihon, who was the last king of Shunten Dynasty, abdicated his throne. His Sessei Eiso succeeded him.

Name	Hanzi	Mikoto	Reign	Age at death
Eiso (Ryukyu)	英祖	Ezo no tedako 英祖日子	1260–1299	70
Taisei	大成	Unknown	1300–1308	9 or 61
Eiji	英慈	Unknown	1309–1313	45
Tamagusuku	玉城	Unknown	1314–1336	40
Seii	西威	Unknown	1337–1354	21

Sanzan period

The Sanzan Period is a period of history of the Ryūkyū Kingdom that lasted from 1322 until 1429. During these years, the island of Okinawa was politically divided into three kingdoms.

• Satto Line

(Chūzan Kingdom, 1355–1406)

Chūzan Kingdom had paid tribute to Ming court in 1372 and 1404.

Name	Hanzi	Mikoto	Reign	Age at death
Satto	察度	Ufu mamono 大真物	1355–1397	74
Bunei	武寧	Naga no mamono 中之真物	1398–1406	50

• ÅŒsato Line

(Nanzan Kingdom, 1337–1429)

Nanzan Kingdom had paid tribute to Ming court in 1383 and 1388.

Name	Hanzi/Kanji	Mikoto	Reign	Age at death
Ufusatu	承察度	None	1337–1396	?
Oueishi	汪英紫	None	1388–1402	?
Ououso	汪應祖/汪応祖	None	1403–1413	?
Tafuchi	達勃期	None	1413–1414	?
Taromai	他魯每	None	1415–1429	?

• Haniji Line

(Hokuzan Kingdom, 1322–1416)

Hokuzan Kingdom had paid tribute to Ming court in 1383.

Name	Hanzi	Mikoto	Reign	Age at death
Haniji	怕尼芝	None	1322–1395	?
Min	珉	None	1396–1400	?
Hananchi	攀安知	None	1401–1416	?

The First Shō Dynasty

(Chūzan Kingdom, 1407–1429;

Ryūkyū Kingdom, 1429–1469)

In 1406, Bunei was overthrown and Shō Shishō became the nominal king of Chūzan Kingdom, placed there by his elest son Shō Hashi as part of a power bid to control Chūzan while giving an appearance to China of proper Confucian respect for one's elders. Hashi then set out to conquer the island, conquering the other aji (tribal lords) of Chuzan and then, in 1416, the northern kingdom, Hokuzan. In 1421, after the death of his father, Shō Hashi became the ruler of Chuzan and claimed to China that he had unified the island of Okinawa and asked to be recognized as the king (although he had not, in fact, yet conquered the entire island; Nanzan, the southernmost kingdom, remained independent until 1429). Thus, in 1422, the Hongwu Emperor recognized Hashi as king, gave Hashi the surname Shō (尚) as the designator for his dynasty, and gave a new name to the country: Ryūkyū Kingdom.^[1]

Name	Hanzi/Kanji	Mikoto	Reign	Age at death
Shō Shishō	尚思紹	Kimishi mamono 君志真物	1407–1421	67
Shō Hashi	尚巴志	Sejitaka mamono 勢治高真物	1422–1439	67
Shō ChÅ«	å°šå¿	Unknown	1440–1442	54
Shō Shitatsu	尚思達	Kimiteda 君日	1443–1449	41
Shō Kinpuku	尚金福	Kimishi 君志	1450–1453	55
Shō Taikyū	尚泰久	Nanojiyomoi 那之志與茂伊 also called "ōyononushi" 大世主	1454–1460	45
Shō Toku	尚德/尚徳	Hachiman aji 八幡按司 also called "Sekōkimi" 世高王	1461–1469	29

The Second Shō Dynasty

(Ryūkyū Kingdom (琉球王國), 1470–1872; Ryūkyū Domain (琉球藩) of Japan, 1872–1879)

In 1469, Shō Toku, the last king of The First Shō Dynasty, was killed in a coup d'état with no son to succeed. So courtiers elected Shō En as king, and established The Second Shō Dynasty.

During King Shō Shin's reign, the Ryūkyū Kingdom was rich, powerful and properous, conquering the Sakishima Islands and centralizing the royal government. It was called "the Great Days of Chūzan", a "golden period" in Ryūkyūan history. But the military strength of the Ryukyu Kingdom soon declined after his death, although later kings made gains against the Satsuma Domain of Japan in conquering the Amami Islands. In 1609, Satsuma Domain invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom, capturing the Amami Islands and landing on Okinawa Island. After taking Nakijin Castle, Urasoe Castle, and Shuri Castle, King Shō Nei was taken as a prisoner to Kagoshima and later to Edo (modern day Tokyo). The king was forced to sign an oath of vassalage to the head of Satsuma Domain. From then on, Ryukyu was a vassal state of Satsuma; the king had to pay tribute to both China and Satsuma.

The Ryukyu Kingdom became a Han of Japan in 1872.

In 1879, Japan replaced Ryūkyū Domain with Okinawa Prefecture, formally annexing the islands. King Shō Tai was dethroned and given the title of marquis and removed to Tokyo.

Name	Hanzi/Kanji	Mikoto	Reign	Age at death
Shō En	尚圓/尚円	Kanamaru aji suetsugi no ōnishi 金丸按司添末續之王仁子 or "Kanamaru ajisohi" 金丸按司添	1470–1476	61
Shō Sen'i	尚宣威	Iri no yononushi 西之世主	1477	48
Shō Shin	尚真	Okiyakamowe 於義也嘉茂慧	1477–1526	61
Shō Sei	尚清	Tenzoku no ajisohi 天續之按司添	1527–1555	59
Shō Gen	尚元	Tedaji ajisohi 日始按司添	1556–1572	44
Shō Ei	尚永	Ezoniyasohi ajisohi 英祖仁耶添按司添 also called "Tedayutamisaokimi" 日豐操王	1573–1586	30
Shō Nei	尚寧	Megama ajisohi 日賀末按司添	1587–1620	56
Shō Hō	尚豐/尚豊	Tenkiyama ajisohi 天喜也末按司添	1621–1640	50
Shō Ken	尚賢		1641–1647	23
Shō Shitsu	尚質		1648–1668	39
Shō Tei	尚貞		1669–1709	64
Shō Eki	尚益		1710–1712	34
Shō Kei	尚敬		1713–1751	52
Shō Boku	尚穆		1752–1795	55
Shō On	尚溫/尚温		1796–1802	18
Shō Sei	尚成		1803	3
Shō Kō	尚灝		1804–1828	47
Shō Iku	尚育		1829–1847	34
Shō Tai	尚泰		1848–1879	58

See also

• Family trees of the Shō Dynasties kings
• RyÅ«kyÅ« Kingdom
• History of Ryukyu Islands

Notes

1. Kerr, George. Okinawa: The History of an Island People. Tokyo: Tuttle, 2000. p. 89.

References

• Kerr, George H. (1965). Okinawa, the History of an Island People. Rutland, Vermont: C.E. Tuttle Co. OCLC 39242121

External links

• (Japanese)(Chinese)中山世鑑
• (Chinese)中山世譜