Hokuzan
Encyclopedia
Hokuzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more solidly defined kingdoms within a few years after 1314; the Sanzan period
thus began, and would end roughly one hundred years later, when Chūzan
's King Shō Hashi
conquered Hokuzan in 1416 and Nanzan
in 1429.
inherited the role of head chieftain of all of Okinawa from his father Eiji; He did not have the charisma or leadership qualities to command the loyalty of all the local lords, and so the Lord of Nakijin
, one of many powerful local chieftains, fled north with a number of lesser chieftains loyal to him, and established himself in Nakijin gusuku
. Another powerful chieftain fled south and established the kingdom of Nanzan, leaving Tamagusuku in control only of the central part of the island, which thus became the kingdom of Chūzan.
Though Hokuzan was the largest of the three kingdoms, it was also the poorest and the most sparsely populated. Much of its land was wild, and its few farming or fishing villages were more primitive than those of the other two kingdoms. Nakijin Castle (城 gusuku) stood on an outcropping of the Motobu Peninsula, with drops of varying steepness on every side; the ruins which remain today indicate the development of a community of fair size around it, including residences for the king's vassals, and three shrines (拝所 uganju) to the native religion
within the castle walls.
In addition to its deficiencies in agriculture and fishing, Hokuzan suffered from the disadvantage, relative to Chūzan, of holding no port to equal Naha
(O. Nāfa). A small junk
trade used the inlet below the castle's promontory as a dock. Nevertheless, the northern kingdom engaged in its share of trade with many of the other states in the region, including Java
, Sumatra
, and the Ayutthaya Kingdom
of Siam. Chūzan entered a tributary relationship
with Ming Dynasty
China
in 1372, and Hokuzan and Nanzan were granted similar commercial status shortly afterwards.
Over roughly the next thirty years, only nine tribute missions were sent from Hokuzan to China; Nanzan sent nineteen and Chūzan sent fifty-two. Hokuzan also did not send any students to China, as Chūzan did.
Roughly twenty years later, in the 1390s, the kings of all three kingdoms died within a few years, and succession disputes erupted across the island; similar events occurred in Nanking at the same time, with the death of the Hongwu Emperor
in 1398. Previously, China had only ever recognized one head of state on Okinawa, but now all three kingdoms sent envoys and vied for the prestige, wealth, and power that would come with China's favor; no response came from China for eleven years. In 1406, Bunei
, King of Chūzan, was formally invested by representatives of the Ming Court in his position; the kings of Hokuzan would never enjoy this privilege.
Despite its economic and political advantages, Hokuzan posed a not insignificant threat to Chūzan, militarily, since its establishment. In the 1410s, however, disputes among the vassals of Hokuzan's king weakened the kingdom, and in 1416, Chūzan found an opportunity to strike after three of those vassals (anji
) defected. Following a fierce defense, Nakijin castle fell, and the king and his closest vassals committed suicide. Shō Hashi
, king of Chūzan, appointed his brother Warden of Hokuzan in 1422, a post which would remain for many years, holding little overall power, but serving to maintain order in the north on behalf of Chūzan's court at Shuri.
Sanzan period
The is a period of history of the Ryūkyū Kingdom that lasted from 1322 until 1429.The early 13th century saw a growth in the construction of Gusuku by a number of powerful kings leading to the emergence of three kingdoms in the 14th century: , and...
thus began, and would end roughly one hundred years later, when Chūzan
Chuzan
Chūzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more solidly defined kingdoms within a few years after...
's King Shō Hashi
Sho Hashi
Shō Hashi was the first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom , uniting the three kingdoms of Chūzan, Hokuzan, and Nanzan by conquest...
conquered Hokuzan in 1416 and Nanzan
Nanzan
Nanzan , sometimes called Sannan , was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more solidly defined...
in 1429.
History
Hokuzan first came into being in 1314 when TamagusukuTamagusuku
was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Tamgusuku was a "king" of the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan from roughly 1314-1336.He was the third son of Eiji , he was the fourth ruler of the lineage of Eiso was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands.Tamgusuku was a "king" of the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan from roughly...
inherited the role of head chieftain of all of Okinawa from his father Eiji; He did not have the charisma or leadership qualities to command the loyalty of all the local lords, and so the Lord of Nakijin
Nakijin, Okinawa
is a village located in Kunigami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 9,529 and a population density of 239.00 persons per km²...
, one of many powerful local chieftains, fled north with a number of lesser chieftains loyal to him, and established himself in Nakijin gusuku
Nakijin gusuku
is a gusuku located in Nakijin, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is currently in ruins. In the late 14th century, the Ryukyus consisted of three principalities: Nanzan to the south, Chūzan in the central area, and Hokuzan in the north. Nakijin was the fortress of Hokuzan...
. Another powerful chieftain fled south and established the kingdom of Nanzan, leaving Tamagusuku in control only of the central part of the island, which thus became the kingdom of Chūzan.
Though Hokuzan was the largest of the three kingdoms, it was also the poorest and the most sparsely populated. Much of its land was wild, and its few farming or fishing villages were more primitive than those of the other two kingdoms. Nakijin Castle (城 gusuku) stood on an outcropping of the Motobu Peninsula, with drops of varying steepness on every side; the ruins which remain today indicate the development of a community of fair size around it, including residences for the king's vassals, and three shrines (拝所 uganju) to the native religion
Ryukyuan religion
Ryukyuan religion is the indigenous belief system of the Ryukyu Islands. While specific legends and traditions may vary slightly from place to place and island to island, the Ryukyuan religion is generally characterized by ancestor worship and the respecting of relationships between the living, the...
within the castle walls.
In addition to its deficiencies in agriculture and fishing, Hokuzan suffered from the disadvantage, relative to Chūzan, of holding no port to equal Naha
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
(O. Nāfa). A small junk
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
trade used the inlet below the castle's promontory as a dock. Nevertheless, the northern kingdom engaged in its share of trade with many of the other states in the region, including Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, and the Ayutthaya Kingdom
Ayutthaya kingdom
Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese , Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the...
of Siam. Chūzan entered a tributary relationship
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...
with 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...
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 1372, and Hokuzan and Nanzan were granted similar commercial status shortly afterwards.
Over roughly the next thirty years, only nine tribute missions were sent from Hokuzan to China; Nanzan sent nineteen and Chūzan sent fifty-two. Hokuzan also did not send any students to China, as Chūzan did.
Roughly twenty years later, in the 1390s, the kings of all three kingdoms died within a few years, and succession disputes erupted across the island; similar events occurred in Nanking at the same time, with the death of the Hongwu Emperor
Hongwu Emperor
The Hongwu Emperor , known variably by his given name Zhu Yuanzhang and by his temple name Taizu of Ming , was the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China...
in 1398. Previously, China had only ever recognized one head of state on Okinawa, but now all three kingdoms sent envoys and vied for the prestige, wealth, and power that would come with China's favor; no response came from China for eleven years. In 1406, Bunei
Bunei (Ryukyu)
Bunei , also known as Wuning, was the last king of Chūzan, one of three kingdoms on the island of Okinawa, before it was united into the Ryūkyū Kingdom by Shō Hashi.Bunei inherited the throne upon the death of his father, King Satto...
, King of Chūzan, was formally invested by representatives of the Ming Court in his position; the kings of Hokuzan would never enjoy this privilege.
Despite its economic and political advantages, Hokuzan posed a not insignificant threat to Chūzan, militarily, since its establishment. In the 1410s, however, disputes among the vassals of Hokuzan's king weakened the kingdom, and in 1416, Chūzan found an opportunity to strike after three of those vassals (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...
) defected. Following a fierce defense, Nakijin castle fell, and the king and his closest vassals committed suicide. Shō Hashi
Sho Hashi
Shō Hashi was the first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom , uniting the three kingdoms of Chūzan, Hokuzan, and Nanzan by conquest...
, king of Chūzan, appointed his brother Warden of Hokuzan in 1422, a post which would remain for many years, holding little overall power, but serving to maintain order in the north on behalf of Chūzan's court at Shuri.
| Name | Kanji Kanji Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet... | Reign | Line or Dynasty | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haniji/Haneji Haniji Haniji , sometimes spelled Haneji, was the founder of the Okinawan kingdom of Hokuzan, which he ruled from roughly 1322 to 1395.In the early 14th century, there was no centralized political authority on Okinawa, just a loose confederation of local chieftains, of which Haniji was one, under a... |
怕尼芝 | 1322?-1395? | Haniji Line | Haniji Lord of Nakijin established Hokuzan Kingdom | |
| Min | 珉 | 1396?-1400 | Haniji Line | ||
| Hananchi Hananchi ' was the third and last king of the Okinawan kingdom of Hokuzan.He became king in 1397, upon the death of his father. He sent missions to Korea announcing his succession, and to China seeking investiture and recognition as ruler of all of Okinawa... |
攀安知 | 1401?-1416 | Haniji Line | Shō Hashi Sho Hashi Shō Hashi was the first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom , uniting the three kingdoms of Chūzan, Hokuzan, and Nanzan by conquest... , King of Chūzan Chuzan Chūzan was one of three kingdoms which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. Okinawa, previously controlled by a number of local chieftains or lords, loosely bound by a paramount chieftain or king of the entire island, split into these three more solidly defined kingdoms within a few years after... conquered Hokuzan in 1416. |
See also
- Ryukyuan missions to Imperial ChinaRyukyuan missions to Imperial ChinaRyukyuan missions to Imperial China were diplomatic missions which were intermittently sent from the Ryukyuan kings to the Ming and Qing emperors. These diplomatic contacts were within the Sinocentric system of bilateral and multinational relationships in East Asia.-History:King Satto...
- Ryūkyū KingdomRyukyu KingdomThe 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...
- Imperial Chinese missions to Ryūkyū KingdomImperial Chinese missions to Ryūkyū KingdomImperial Chinese missions to the Ryūkyū Kingdom were diplomatic missions which were intermittently sent by the Yuan, Ming and Qing emperors to Shuri, Okinawa in the Ryūkyū Islands...
- List of monarchs of Ryukyu Islands