Shō Taikyū
Encyclopedia
was a king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
, the fifth of the line of the first Shō Dynasty. His reign saw the construction of many Buddhist temples, and the casting of the .
, founder of the Ryūkyū Kingdom and of the Shō Dynasty. In 1453, he was named Prince of Goeku, and given Goeku magiri
(today part of Okinawa City
) as his domain.
When King Shō Kinpuku died in 1453, a succession dispute erupted between the king's son and his younger brother . Shuri Castle
was burned down in the conflict, which ended in the death of both Shiro and Furi, and the succession of Shō Taikyū to the throne.
Having studied under Kaiin, a Zen
monk from Kyoto
, Shō Taikyū had a number of Buddhist temples founded, including the Kōgen-ji, Fumon-ji, Manju-ji, and Tenryū-ji., and the so-called "Bridge of Nations" Bell cast. The bell, with an inscription describing the kingdom's prosperity in maritime trade and diplomacy, hung in Shuri Castle for centuries and became a famous symbol of the castle and of the kingdom.
Shō Taikyū's reign was, indeed, a period of prosperity in maritime trade. Historian George H. Kerr
writes that Okinawan merchants sometimes earned as much as a thousand-percent return on luxury goods, that Naha grew more fully into a prosperous-looking port town, and the estates of the local lords (anji
) grew as well. However, Kerr also writes that Shō Taikyū's patronage of Buddhism and temple-building efforts far exceeded that which would have been demanded or supported by the populace, and that these activities impoverished the royal treasury.
The reign of Shō Taikyū also saw one of the more famous episodes of political intrigues among the anji in the history & legends of the kingdom. Informed by Amawari
, lord of Katsuren gusuku
and son-in-law of the king, that Gosamaru
, lord of Nakagusuku
and father-in-law to Shō Taikyū, was plotting to overthrow the kingdom, Shō Taikyū allowed Amawari to lead a royal contingent to subjugate Nakagusuku. Following Gosamaru's defeat and subsequent death, the king discovered that it was in fact Amawari who had been plotting against him from the beginning, and whose schemes led to the destruction of a loyal retainer. Katsuren was then subsequently attacked, and Amawari captured and executed.
Upon his death in 1460, Shō Taikyū was succeeded by his son, Shō Toku
.
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...
, the fifth of the line of the first Shō Dynasty. His reign saw the construction of many Buddhist temples, and the casting of the .
Life and reign
Shō Taikyū was the seventh son of Shō HashiSho Hashi
Shō Hashi was the first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom , uniting the three kingdoms of Chūzan, Hokuzan, and Nanzan by conquest...
, founder of the Ryūkyū Kingdom and of the Shō Dynasty. In 1453, he was named Prince of Goeku, and given Goeku 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....
(today part of Okinawa City
Okinawa, Okinawa
is the second-largest city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, following Naha, the capital city. It is located in the central part of the island of Okinawa, about 20 km north of Naha....
) as his domain.
When King Shō Kinpuku died in 1453, a succession dispute erupted between the king's son and his younger brother . Shuri Castle
Shuri Castle
Shuri Castle is a gusuku in Shuri, Okinawa. It was the palace of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroyed...
was burned down in the conflict, which ended in the death of both Shiro and Furi, and the succession of Shō Taikyū to the throne.
Having studied under Kaiin, a Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
monk from Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Shō Taikyū had a number of Buddhist temples founded, including the Kōgen-ji, Fumon-ji, Manju-ji, and Tenryū-ji., and the so-called "Bridge of Nations" Bell cast. The bell, with an inscription describing the kingdom's prosperity in maritime trade and diplomacy, hung in Shuri Castle for centuries and became a famous symbol of the castle and of the kingdom.
Shō Taikyū's reign was, indeed, a period of prosperity in maritime trade. Historian George H. Kerr
George H. Kerr
George H. Kerr , also known in Taiwan as 葛超智 , was a United States diplomat during World War II, and in later years he was an author and an academic...
writes that Okinawan merchants sometimes earned as much as a thousand-percent return on luxury goods, that Naha grew more fully into a prosperous-looking port town, and the estates of the local lords (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...
) grew as well. However, Kerr also writes that Shō Taikyū's patronage of Buddhism and temple-building efforts far exceeded that which would have been demanded or supported by the populace, and that these activities impoverished the royal treasury.
The reign of Shō Taikyū also saw one of the more famous episodes of political intrigues among the anji in the history & legends of the kingdom. Informed by Amawari
Amawari
' was a Ryukyuan lord of Katsuren Castle , known for his ambitions for the throne of the Ryūkyū Kingdom and scheme and attack against Gosamaru, anji of Nakagusuku.-Life:...
, lord of Katsuren gusuku
Gusuku
, or just , is the term used for the distinctive Okinawan form of castles or fortresses. In standard Japanese, the same kanji is pronounced "shiro", but the word is probably cognate with a different Japanese word, "soko" , which means "fortress"...
and son-in-law of the king, that Gosamaru
Gosamaru
' was a Ryukyuan lord of the gusuku of Zakimi and, later, Nakagusuku. He supported Shō Hashi, first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in his conquest of Hokuzan and unification of Okinawa Island....
, lord of Nakagusuku
Nakagusuku Castle
is a gusuku in the village of Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is currently in ruins. The legendary Ryukyuan commander, Gosamaru, built the fortress in the early 15th century to defend against attacks from the east by Lord Amawari of Katsuren Castle...
and father-in-law to Shō Taikyū, was plotting to overthrow the kingdom, Shō Taikyū allowed Amawari to lead a royal contingent to subjugate Nakagusuku. Following Gosamaru's defeat and subsequent death, the king discovered that it was in fact Amawari who had been plotting against him from the beginning, and whose schemes led to the destruction of a loyal retainer. Katsuren was then subsequently attacked, and Amawari captured and executed.
Upon his death in 1460, Shō Taikyū was succeeded by his son, Shō Toku
Shō Toku
Shō Toku 尚徳王 was the son of Shō Taikyū and last king of his dynasty. He came to power as a young man in a kingdom whose treasury had been depleted. He engaged in efforts to conquer islands and took Hachiman as his banner to emphasize his martial spirit. His conquest of Kikai did not help financial...
.
See also
- List of monarchs of Ryukyu Islands
- 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...