History Ryukyu Islands

1 history

1.1 eastern islands of liuqiu
1.2 ancient japan s southern islands
1.3 kikaigashima , iōgashima
1.4 shimazu estate , kamakura shogunate s expansion
1.5 tanegashima under tanegashima clan
1.6 amami , tokara islands
1.7 okinawa islands

1.7.1 historical description of loo-choo islands

history


the eastern islands of liuqiu

the first possible mentions of islands in annals of qin dynasty. qin shi huang heard of happy immortals living on eastern islands, sent expeditions there find source of immortality, no avail. while purport these expeditions reached japan , launched social , agricultural revolution, same events marked in ryukyuan folklore on kudaka island. eastern islands again mentioned land of immortals in annals of han dynasty.

in 601, chinese sent expedition country of liuqiu (流求國). noted people small pugnacious. chinese couldn t understand local language , returned china. in 607, sent expedition trade, , brought 1 of islanders. japanese embassy in loyang when expedition returned, , 1 of japanese exclaimed islander wore dress , spoke language of yaku island. in 610, final expedition sent army demanded submission chinese emperor. islanders fought chinese, palaces burned , thousands of people taken captive, , chinese left island.

ancient japan s southern islands

the island chain appeared in japanese written history southern islands (南島, nantō). first record of southern islands article of 618 in nihonshoki (720) states people of yaku (掖玖,夜勾) followed emperor s virtue. in 629 imperial court dispatched expedition yaku. yaku in historical sources not limited modern-day yakushima seems have covered broader area of island chain. in 657, several persons tokara (都貨邏, possibly dvaravati) arrived @ kyushu, reporting had first drifted amami island (海見島, amamijima), first attested use of amami.

articles of late 7th century give closer @ southern islands. in 677, imperial court gave banquet people tane island (多禰島, tanejima). in 679 imperial court sent mission tane island. mission carried people southern islands described peoples of tane, yaku, , amami (阿麻弥) in article of 682. according shoku nihongi (797), imperial court dispatched armed officers in 698 explore southern islands. result, people of tane, yaku, amami , dokan visited capital pay tribute in next year. historians identify dokan tokunoshima of amami islands. article of 714 reports investigative team returned capital, people of amami, shigaki (信覚), , kumi (球美) among others. shigaki should ishigaki island of yaeyama islands. identify kumi iriomote island of yaeyama islands because komi older name iriomote. others consider kumi corresponded kume island of okinawa islands. around time southern islands replaced yaku collective name southern islands.

in 8th century northern end of island chain formally incorporated japanese administrative system. after rebellion crushed, tane province established around 702. tane province consisted of 4 districts , covered tanegashima , yakushima. although tiny province faced financial difficulties beginning, maintained until 824 when merged Ōsumi province.

ancient japan s commitment southern islands attributed ideological , strategic factors. japan applied herself chinese ideology of emperorship required barbarian people longed great virtue of emperor. japan treated people on periphery, i.e., emishi east , hayato , southern islanders south, barbarians . imperial court brought of them capital serve emperor. new book of tang (1060) states @ end of chapter of japan there 3 little princes of yaku (邪古), haya (波邪), , tane (多尼). statement should have based on report japanese envoys in 8th century have claimed japanese emperor s virtue. @ site of dazaifu, administrative center of kyushu, 2 wooden tags dated in 8th century unearthed in 1984, read amami island (㭺美嶋, amamijima) , iran island (伊藍嶋, iran no shima) respectively. latter seems correspond okinoerabu island. these tags might have been attached red woods , which, according engishiki (927), dazaifu offer when obtained southern islands.

sea routes used japanese missions tang china

the southern islands had strategic importance japan because on 1 of 3 major routes used japanese missions tang china (630–840). 702 mission seems have been first switch earlier route via korea southern island route. missions of 714, 733 , 752 took same route. in 754 chinese monk jianzhen managed reach japan. biography tō daiwajō tōseiden (779) makes reference akonaha (阿児奈波) on route, may refer modern-day okinawa island. article of 754 states government repaired mileposts had been set in southern islands in 735. however, missions 777 onward chose route directly connected kyūshū china. thereafter central government lost interest in southern islands.

kikaigashima , iōgashima

the southern islands reappeared in written history @ end of 10th century. according nihongi ryaku (c. 11th–12th centuries), dazaifu, administrative center of kyushu, reported nanban (southern barbarians) pirates, identified amami islanders shōyūki (982–1032 extant portion), pillaged wide area of kyūshū in 997. in response, dazaifu ordered kika island (貴駕島, kikashima) arrest nanban. first attested use of kikaigashima, used in subsequent sources.

the series of reports suggest there groups of people advanced sailing technology in amami , dazaifu had stronghold in kikai island. in fact, historians hypothesize amami islands incorporated trade network connected kyūshū, song china , goryeo. in fact, shōyūki recorded in 1020s, local governors of southern kyūshū presented author, court aristocrat, local specialties of southern islands including chinese fan palm, red woods, , shells of green turban shell. shinsarugakuki, fictional work written in mid-11th century, introduced merchant named hachirō-mauto, traveled way land of fushū in east , kika island (貴賀之島, kikanoshima) in west. goods obtained southern islands included shells of green turban shell , sulfur. shinsarugakuki not mere fiction; golden hall of chūson-ji (c. 1124) in northeastern japan decorated tens of thousands of green turban shells.

some articles of 1187 of azuma kagami state ata tadakage of satsuma province fled kikai island (貴海島, kikaishima) sometime around 1160. azuma kagami states in 1188 minamoto no yoritomo, became shogun, dispatched troops pacify kikai island (貴賀井島, kikaishima). noted imperial court objected military expedition claiming beyond japan s administration. tale of heike (13th century) depicted kikai island (鬼界島, kikaishima), shunkan, taira no yasuyori, , fujiwara no naritsune exiled following shishigatani incident of 1177. island depicted, characterized sulfur, identified iōjima of Ōsumi islands, part of kikai caldera. since china s invention of gunpowder made sulfur japan s major export, sulfur island or iōgashima became representative of southern islands. noted scholars character representing first syllable of kikai changed ki (貴, noble) ki (鬼, ogre) end of 12th century 13th century.

the literature-based theory kikai island japan s trade center of southern islands supported discovery of gusuku site complex in 2006. group of archaeological sites on plateau of kikai island 1 of largest sites of era. lasted 9th 13th centuries , @ height second half of 11th first half of 12th century. characterized near-total absence of native kaneku type pottery, prevailed in coastal communities. found instead goods imported mainland japan, china , korea. found kamuiyaki pottery, produced in tokunoshima 11th 14th centuries. skewed distribution of kamuiyaki peaked @ kikai , tokunoshima suggests purpose of kamuiyaki production serve kikai.

shimazu estate , kamakura shogunate s expansion

around hōen era (1135–1141), tanegashima became part of shimazu estate on southern kyūshū. shimazu estate said have established @ shimazu, hyūga province in 1020s , dedicated kanpaku fujiwara no yorimichi. in 12th century, shimazu estate expanded large portion of satsuma , Ōsumi provinces including tanegashima.

koremune no tadahisa, retainer of fujiwara family, appointed steward of shimazu estate in 1185. named shugo of satsuma , Ōsumi (and later hyūga) provinces first shogun minamoto no yoritomo in 1197. became founder of shimazu clan. tadahisa lost power when powerful relative hiki yoshikazu overthrown in 1203. lost positions of shugo , jitō , regained posts of shugo of satsuma province , jitō of satsuma portion of shimazu estate. shugo of Ōsumi province , jitō of Ōsumi portion of shimazu estate, both of controlled tanegashima, succeeded hōjō clan (especially nagoe branch). nagoe family sent higo clan rule Ōsumi. branch family of higo clan settled in tanegashima , became tanegashima clan.

the islands other tanegashima grouped twelve islands , treated part of kawanabe district, satsuma province. twelve islands subdivided near 5 (口五島/端五島, kuchigoshima/hajigoshima) , remote 7 (奥七島, okunanashima). near 5 consisted of Ōsumi islands except tanegashima while remote 7 corresponded tokara islands. after jōkyū war in 1221, jitō of kawanabe district assumed hōjō tokusō family. tokusō family let retainer chikama clan rule kawanabe district. in 1306, chikama tokiie created set of inheritance documents made reference various southern islands. islands mentioned not limited twelve included amami Ōshima, kikai island , tokunoshima (and possibly okinoerabu island) of amami islands. extant map of japan held hōjō clan describes amami privately owned district. shimazu clan claimed rights twelve. in 1227 shōgun kujō yoritsune affirmed shimazu tadayoshi s position jitō of twelve islands among others. after kamakura shogunate destroyed, shimazu clan increased rights. in 1364, claimed eighteen islands of kawanabe district. in same year, clan s head shimazu sadahisa gave son morohisa properties in satsuma province including twelve islands , 5 islands. latter must amami islands.

tanegashima under tanegashima clan

the tanegashima clan came rule tanegashima on behalf of nagoe family got autonomous. allied with, submitted to, , antagonized shimazu clan on mainland kyūshū. tanegashima clan given yakushima , kuchinoerabu island shimazu motohisa in 1415. in 1436, given 7 islands of kawanabe district, satsuma province (the tokara islands) , other 2 islands shimazu mochihisa, head of branch family.

tanegashima matchlock

tanegashima known in japanese history introduction of european firearms japan. around 1543, chinese junk portuguese merchants on board driven tanegashima. tanegashima tokitaka succeeded in reproducing matchlock rifles obtained portuguese. within few decades, firearms, known tanegashima, spread across sengoku japan.

toyotomi hideyoshi s reunification of japan finalized tanegashima clan s status senior vassal of shimazu clan. relocated chiran of mainland kyūshū in 1595. although moved tanegashima in 1599, yakushima , kuchinoerabu island fall under direct control of shimazu clan. these islands constituted satsuma domain during edo period.

amami , tokara islands

the amami islands focal point dispute between southward-expanding satsuma domain , northward-expanding ryukyu kingdom. in 1453, group of koreans shipwrecked on gaja island, found island half under control of satsuma , half under control of ryukyu. gaja island 80 miles satsuma s capital @ kagoshima city. koreans noted ryukyuans used guns advanced in [korea]. other records of activity in amami islands show shō toku s conquest of kikai island in 1466, failed satsuma invasion of amami Ōshima in 1493, , 2 rebellions on amami Ōshima during 16th century. islands conquered satsuma during 1609 invasion of ryukyu. tokugawa shogunate granted satsuma islands in 1624. during edo period, ryukyuans referred satsuma s ships tokara ships.

okinawa islands


okinawa islands during sanzan period



flag of ryūkyū kingdom until 1875

polities of okinawa islands unified ryūkyū kingdom in 1429. kingdom conquered miyako , yaeyama islands. @ peak, subjected amami islands rule. in 1609, shimazu tadatsune, lord of satsuma, invaded ryūkyū kingdom fleet of 13 junks , 2,500 samurai, thereby establishing suzerainty on islands. faced little opposition ryukyuans, lacked significant military capabilities, , ordered king shō nei surrender rather suffer loss of precious lives. after that, kings of ryukyus paid tribute japanese shogun chinese emperor. during period, ryukyu kings selected japanese clan, unbeknownst chinese, believed ryukyus loyal tributary. in 1655, tributary relations between ryukyu , qing formally approved shogunate. in 1874, ryukyus terminated tribute relations china.

in 1872, japanese government established ryukyu han under jurisdiction of foreign ministry. in 1875, jurisdiction on ryukyus changed foreign ministry home ministry. in 1879, meiji government announced annexation of ryukyus, establishing okinawa prefecture , forcing ryukyu king move tokyo. when china signed treaty of shimonoseki after 1895 defeat in first sino-japanese war, china officially abandoned claims ryukyus.

american military control on okinawa began in 1945 establishment of united states military government of ryukyu islands, in 1950 became united states civil administration of ryukyu islands. in 1950, interim ryukyus advisory council (臨時琉球諮詢委員会, rinji ryūkyū shijun iinkai) formed, evolved ryukyu provisional central government (琉球臨時中央政府, ryūkyū rinji chūō seifu) in 1951. in 1952, u.s. formally granted control on ryukyu islands south of 29°n latitude, , other pacific islands, under san francisco peace treaty between allied powers , japan. ryukyu provisional central government became government of ryukyu islands existed 1952 1972. administrative rights reverted japan in 1972.

today, numerous issues arise okinawan history. ryukyuans , japanese feel people ryukyus different majority yamato people. natives of ryukyus claim central government discriminating against islanders allowing many american soldiers stationed on bases in okinawa minimal presence on mainland. additionally, there discussion of secession japan. territorial dispute between china , japan on senkaku islands intensified in 21st century, communist party of china-backed scholars published essays calling reexamination of japan s sovereignty on ryukyus. in 2013 new york times described comments said scholars military figures appearing constitute semiofficial campaign in china question japanese rule of islands, noting voices in china pressing okinawa issue affiliated in way government.

many popular singers , musical groups come okinawa prefecture. these include groups speed , orange range, solo singers namie amuro , gackt, among many others.

historical description of loo-choo islands

the islands described hayashi shihei in sangoku tsūran zusetsu, published in 1785.

an article in 1878 edition of globe encyclopaedia of universal information describes islands:

loo-choo, lu-tchu, or lieu-kieu, group of thirty-six islands stretching japan formosa, in 26°–27°40′ n. lat., 126°10′–129°5′ e. long., , tributary japan. largest, tsju san ( middle island ), 60 miles long , 12 [miles] broad; others sannan in [south] , sanbok in [north]. nawa, chief port of tsju san, open foreign commerce. islands enjoy magnificent climate , highly cultivated , productive. among productions tea, rice, sugar, tobacco, camphor, fruits, , silk. principal manufactures cotton, paper, porcelain, , lacquered ware. people, small, seem link between chinese , japanese.

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