Editing Ryukyu Kingdom (section)

{{short description|Island kingdom in East Asia (1429–1879)}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name            = {{lang|ryu|琉球國}}<br />{{small|{{transliteration|ryu|Ruuchuu-kuku}}}}
| conventional_long_name = Ryukyu Kingdom
| common_name            = Ryukyu
| status                 = Vassal
| status_text            = {{plainlist|
* [[Tributary system of China|Tributary state]] of the [[Ming dynasty]]<br />(1429–1644)
* Tributary state of the [[Southern Ming]]<br />(1644–1646)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ir.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/bitstream/20.500.12000/33866/1/Vol1No1p21.pdf |title=明清交替期の中琉日関係再考 |language=Japanese |first=Nishizato |last=Kikō |pages=23–25 |access-date=17 May 2021 |archive-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218181432/http://ir.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/bitstream/20.500.12000/33866/1/Vol1No1p21.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Tributary state of the [[Qing dynasty]]<br />(1646–1875)
* [[Vassal state]] of the [[Satsuma Domain]]<br />(1609–1872)
* Vassal state of the [[Empire of Japan]]<br />(1872–1879)}}
| empire                 = Ming Dynasty, Empire of Japan
| government_type        = [[Monarchy]]
| year_start             = 1429
| date_start             = 
| event_start            = Unification
| year_end               = 1879
| date_end               = 27 March
| event_end              = [[Ryukyu Disposition|Annexed by Japan]]|
| event1                 = [[Invasion of Ryukyu|Satsuma invasion]]
| date_event1            = 5 April 1609
| event2                 = Reorganized into [[Ryukyu Domain]]
| date_event2            = 1872
| p1                     = Hokuzan
| flag_p1                = 
| p2                     = Chūzan
| flag_p2                = 
| p3                     = Nanzan
| flag_p3                = 
| s1                     = Empire of Japan
| flag_s1                = Flag of Japan (1870–1999).svg
| s2                     = Satsuma Domain
| flag_s2                = Flag of Satsuma domain.svg
| s3                     = Ryukyu Domain
| flag_s3                = 
| image_flag             = 
| flag_type              = 
| flag_border            = no
| image_coat             = Hidari mitsudomoe.svg
| symbol_type            = Royal [[Mon (emblem)]]
| other_symbol           = [[File:Seal of the Ryukyu Kingdom.svg|85px]]{{br}}[[Seal (East Asia)|Royal seal]]
| image_map              = Ryukyu orthographic.svg
| image_map_caption      = The Ryukyu Kingdom at its maximum extent (present-day [[Okinawa Prefecture]] and the [[Amami Islands]])
| capital                = [[Shuri, Okinawa|Shuri]]|
| national_motto         = 
| national_anthem        = Ishinagu no Uta<ref name="tokuchi">Seisai Tokuchi『日本文学から見た琉歌概論』（[[Musashinoshoin]]、1972）,299–300</ref>
| common_languages       = [[Ryukyuan languages]] (indigenous), [[Classical Chinese]], [[Classical Japanese language|Classical Japanese]]
| religion               = [[Ryukyuan religion]] ([[state religion]]),<br>[[Shinto]], [[Buddhism]], [[Confucianism]], [[Taoism]]
| leader1                = [[Shō Hashi]]
| year_leader1           = 1429–1439
| leader2                = [[Shō Shin]]
| year_leader2           = 1477–1526
| leader3                = [[Shō Nei]]
| year_leader3           = 1587–1620
| leader4                = [[Shō Tai]]
| year_leader4           = 1848–1879
| title_leader           = [[King of Ryukyu|King]]  {{nobold|({{lang|ryu|國王}})}}
| representative1        = [[Shō Shōken]]
| year_representative1   = 1666–1673
| title_representative   = ''[[Sessei]]''  {{nobold|({{lang|ryu|摂政}})}}
| deputy1                = [[Sai On]]
| year_deputy1           = 1751–1752
| title_deputy           = [[Regent]] {{nobold|({{lang|ryu|國師}})}}
| legislature            = Shuri cabinet ({{lang|ryu|首里王府}}), [[Sanshikan]] ({{lang|ryu|三司官}})
| currency               = [[Ryukyuan mon|Ryukyuan]], [[Cash (Chinese coin)|Chinese]], and [[Japanese mon (currency)|Japanese mon]] coins<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/roberts/coins/Ryuukyuucoins.html|title=Ryuukyuuan coins|date=24 October 2003|access-date=1 June 2017|work=Luke Roberts at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara|Department of History – University of California at Santa Barbara]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804084213/http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/roberts/coins/Ryuukyuucoins.html|archive-date=4 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| today                  = Japan
| demonym                = [[Ryukyuan people|Ryukyuan]]
}}
{{History of Ryukyu}}

The '''Ryukyu Kingdom'''{{efn|{{bulleted list|{{langx|ryu|琉球國|translit=Ruuchuu-kuku}}|{{langx|ja|琉球王国|translit=Ryūkyū Ōkoku}}|[[Middle Chinese]]: {{lang|zh-hant|琉球國}}, {{small|romanized:}} {{lang|zh-latn|Ljuw-gjuw kwok}}|{{lang-mnc|ᠯᡳᠣ ᠴᡳᠣ ᡤᡠᡵᡠᠨ Lio cio gurun}}|[[Classical Chinese]]: {{lang|zh-hant|大琉球國}} ({{Literal translation|Great Lew Chew Country}})<ref name="jinshi">{{cite web|url=http://lishisuo.cass.cn/zsyj/zsyj_whsyjs/201812/t20181225_4799763.shtml|title=琉球国金石文献述略|language=Chinese|publisher=Ancient History Institute of the [[Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]]|date=25 December 2018}}</ref>|Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'',<ref name="foreignnames"/> ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo''|Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou''<ref name="foreignnames"/>|Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe''<ref name="foreignnames">{{cite web|url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/1449577|title=旧条約彙纂. 第３巻（朝鮮・琉球）|language=Japanese |publisher = [[National Diet Library]] |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref>}}}} was a kingdom in the [[Ryukyu Islands]] from 1429 to 1879. It was ruled as a [[Tributary system of China|tributary state]] of [[Ming dynasty|imperial Ming China]] by the [[King of Ryukyu|Ryukyuan monarchy]], who unified [[Okinawa Island]] to end the [[Sanzan period]], and extended the kingdom to the [[Amami Islands]] and [[Sakishima Islands]]. The Ryukyu Kingdom played a central role in the [[maritime history|maritime trade]] networks of medieval East Asia and [[Southeast Asia]] despite its small size. The Ryukyu Kingdom became a [[vassal state]] of the [[Satsuma Domain]] of Japan after the [[invasion of Ryukyu]] in 1609 but retained ''[[de jure]]'' independence until it was transformed into the [[Ryukyu Domain]] by the [[Empire of Japan]] in 1872.{{efn|Although the Ryukyuan king was a vassal of the [[Satsuma Domain]], the Ryukyu Kingdom was not considered part of any [[Han system|Han]] due to trade relations with China.}} The Ryukyu Kingdom was [[Ryukyu Disposition|formally annexed]] and dissolved by Japan in 1879 to form [[Okinawa Prefecture]], and the Ryukyuan monarchy was integrated into the new [[Kazoku|Japanese nobility]].