Shunten
Encyclopedia
was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands
.
Shunten is the earliest king in Okinawa for whom a name is known. He is said to have taken power after defeating a usurper to the throne by the name of Riyū who had overthrown the 25th king of the Tenson Dynasty.
Known as Sonton (尊敦) prior to becoming king, at the age of 15 he became lord (anji
) of Urasoe; in 1187, he overthrew Riyū and established his royal seat of power at Urasoe castle
, marking the beginning of a new dynasty of rulers.
There are legends which state that Shunten was the son of Minamoto no Tametomo
, who had been exiled to Izu Ōshima
following his defeat in the Hōgen Rebellion
. According to this theory, Tametomo then became lost at sea some time later, arriving on Okinawa, settling down with the sister of the anji of Ōzato
, and siring Shunten. Most historians today, however, discount this entire story as a later invention, a piece of a revisionist history intended to legitimize Japanese domination over Okinawa and/or Okinawan membership in the Japanese nation.
Shunten died in 1237 and was succeeded by his son Shunbajunki
. He is buried at Urasoe yōdore
, and enshrined at Naminoue Shrine
along with three other Ryukyuan kings.
Shunten's dynasty ended in the third generation when his grandson Gihon
abdicated, went into exile, and was succeeded by Eiso
, who began a new royal lineage.
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
.
Shunten is the earliest king in Okinawa for whom a name is known. He is said to have taken power after defeating a usurper to the throne by the name of Riyū who had overthrown the 25th king of the Tenson Dynasty.
Known as Sonton (尊敦) prior to becoming king, at the age of 15 he became lord (anji
Anji (Ryukyu)
thumb|AjiAn aji, anji, or azu was a ruler of a petty kingdom in the history of the Ryukyu Islands. The word later became a title and rank of nobility in the Ryūkyū Kingdom. It is said to be related to the Japanese aruji , and the pronunciation varied throughout the islands. It ranked next below a...
) of Urasoe; in 1187, he overthrew Riyū and established his royal seat of power at Urasoe castle
Urasoe Castle
was an Okinawan castle, or gusuku, which served as the capital of the medieval Okinawan principality of Chūzan prior to the unification of the island into the Ryūkyū Kingdom, and the moving of the capital to Shuri....
, marking the beginning of a new dynasty of rulers.
There are legends which state that Shunten was the son of Minamoto no Tametomo
Minamoto no Tametomo
was a samurai who fought in the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156. He was the son of Minamoto no Tameyoshi, and brother to Yukiie and Yoshitomo....
, who had been exiled to Izu Ōshima
Izu Oshima
is a volcanic island in the Izu Islands and administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, Japan, lies about 100 km south of Tokyo, 22 km east of the Izu Peninsula and 36 km southwest of Bōsō Peninsula. serves as the local government of the island...
following his defeat in the Hōgen Rebellion
Hogen Rebellion
The was a short civil war fought in order to resolve a dispute about Japanese Imperial succession. The dispute was also about the degree of control exercised by the Fujiwara clan who had become hereditary Imperial regents during the Heian period....
. According to this theory, Tametomo then became lost at sea some time later, arriving on Okinawa, settling down with the sister of the anji of Ōzato
Ozato, Okinawa
was a village located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Ōzato was merged with the town of Sashiki, and the villages of Chinen and Tamagusuku, all from Shimajiri District, to form the new city of Nanjō....
, and siring Shunten. Most historians today, however, discount this entire story as a later invention, a piece of a revisionist history intended to legitimize Japanese domination over Okinawa and/or Okinawan membership in the Japanese nation.
Shunten died in 1237 and was succeeded by his son Shunbajunki
Shunbajunki
was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Shunbajunki was the second of the Shunten Line. He succeeded his father Shunten in 1237.Shunbajunki's reign is noted for the construction of Shuri Castle, and the introduction of the Japanese kana writing system...
. He is buried at Urasoe yōdore
Urasoe yōdore
', located in a cave on a cliff to the northeast of Urasoe castle on Okinawa, is a mausoleum housing the remains of three rulers of the island, along with one king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom separated from the others by several centuries....
, and enshrined at Naminoue Shrine
Naminoue Shrine
', literally "Above the Waves Shrine", is a Shinto shrine in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, the in the prefecture. It sits atop a high bluff, overlooking Naminoue Beach and the ocean....
along with three other Ryukyuan kings.
Shunten's dynasty ended in the third generation when his grandson Gihon
Gihon (Ryukyu)
' , also known as Yoshimoto or as Yiben in Chinese, was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Gihon was the third and last of the Shunten Lineage. He succeeded his father Shunbajunki at the age of 44, in 1248....
abdicated, went into exile, and was succeeded by Eiso
Eiso (Ryukyu)
' , also known as Yingzu, was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Eisō was a member of the Tenson family; and he is also known as the first of the Eiso Lineage of Ryukyuan monarchs...
, who began a new royal lineage.