Sho Shitsu
Encyclopedia
was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
who held the throne from 1648 until his death in 1668.
The fourth son of King Shō Hō
, he was named Prince of Sashiki in 1637, at the age of eight, and was granted Sashiki
magiri
as his domain. In 1645, his domain was changed to that of Nakagusuku
magiri, and his title to Prince of Nakagusuku.
Shō Shitsu succeeded his brother Shō Ken as king in 1648. His reign coincided with a period of rebellion and instability in China, as factions loyal to the Ming Dynasty
, which fell in 1644, continued to fight against the new Qing Dynasty
order. On at least one occasion, Ryukyuan tribute
ships were attacked by pirates or rebels, who killed at least one of the Ryukyuan sailors and stole various objects; the authorities of Satsuma Domain declared the head envoy and his deputy to be at fault and had them executed. Another incident involved an attack on an Okinawan mission on the road to Beijing
; the Ryukyuans defeated their attackers, and Hirata Tentsu came to be known as a national hero.
Though there was initially some uncertainty, particularly within Japan, as to whether the kingdom should support the new dynasty, or the Ming rebels, the Tokugawa shogunate
left the decision up to Satsuma. The king's eldest son, Shō Tei
, who would later succeed him as king, journeyed to Beijing and submitted the formal royal seal given the kingdom by the Ming rulers, to the Qing Court, which in turn granted the prince a new royal seal for the kingdom and declared its official recognition of Shō Shitsu as king.
A number of major reforms were effected in the final years of Shō Shitsu's reign, primarily at the guidance or suggestion of Shō Shōken
, who was appointed sessei
, a position which has been compared to prime minister
, in 1666. Shō Shōken also compiled the Chūzan Seikan ("Mirror of Chūzan"), the first history of the kingdom, at the king's orders.
Upon his death in 1668, he was entombed in the royal mausoleum Tamaudun
, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Shō Tei.
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
who held the throne from 1648 until his death in 1668.
The fourth son of King Shō Hō
Sho Ho
', also known as Shengfeng, was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. He succeeded Shō Nei, whose reign saw the invasion of Ryūkyū by Japanese forces in 1609 and the subjugation of the kingdom to Satsuma Domain, and ruled from 1621 until 1640....
, he was named Prince of Sashiki in 1637, at the age of eight, and was granted Sashiki
Nanjo, Okinawa
is a city in the southern part of Okinawa Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.It was formed on January 1, 2006, from the merger of the town of Sashiki, and the villages of Chinen, Ōzato and Tamagusuku, all from Shimajiri District....
magiri
Magiri
was a historical type of administrative district in Okinawa, Japan. In concept they were similar to present day Japanese prefectures, but in size they were closer to cities, towns and villages....
as his domain. In 1645, his domain was changed to that of Nakagusuku
Nakagusuku, Okinawa
is a village located in Nakagami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2008, the village has an estimated population of 16,462 and a density of 1,065 persons per km². The total area is 15.46 km²....
magiri, and his title to Prince of Nakagusuku.
Shō Shitsu succeeded his brother Shō Ken as king in 1648. His reign coincided with a period of rebellion and instability in China, as factions loyal to the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, which fell in 1644, continued to fight against the new Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
order. On at least one occasion, Ryukyuan tribute
Tribute
A tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
ships were attacked by pirates or rebels, who killed at least one of the Ryukyuan sailors and stole various objects; the authorities of Satsuma Domain declared the head envoy and his deputy to be at fault and had them executed. Another incident involved an attack on an Okinawan mission on the road to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
; the Ryukyuans defeated their attackers, and Hirata Tentsu came to be known as a national hero.
Though there was initially some uncertainty, particularly within Japan, as to whether the kingdom should support the new dynasty, or the Ming rebels, the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
left the decision up to Satsuma. The king's eldest son, Shō Tei
Shō Tei
' was the 11th King of the Second Shō Dynasty of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, who held the throne from 1669 until his death in 1709. He was the ruler of Ryūkyū at the time of the compiling of the Chūzan Seibu ....
, who would later succeed him as king, journeyed to Beijing and submitted the formal royal seal given the kingdom by the Ming rulers, to the Qing Court, which in turn granted the prince a new royal seal for the kingdom and declared its official recognition of Shō Shitsu as king.
A number of major reforms were effected in the final years of Shō Shitsu's reign, primarily at the guidance or suggestion of Shō Shōken
Sho Shoken
Shō Shōken , also known as Haneji Chōshū , was a Ryūkyūan scholar and served as sessei, a post often translated as "prime minister," from 1666 to 1673...
, who was appointed sessei
Sessei
was the highest government post of the Ryūkyū Kingdom below the king; the sessei served the function of royal or national advisor. In the Ryukyuan language at the time, the pronunciation was closer to shisshii, and has only changed relatively recently...
, a position which has been compared to prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, in 1666. Shō Shōken also compiled the Chūzan Seikan ("Mirror of Chūzan"), the first history of the kingdom, at the king's orders.
Upon his death in 1668, he was entombed in the royal mausoleum Tamaudun
Tamaudun
is a mausoleum in Shuri, Okinawa, built for Ryūkyūan royalty in 1501 by King Shō Shin, the third king of the second Shō dynasty a short distance from Shuri Castle....
, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Shō Tei.