Shō Taikyū

Given a dramatic legendary narrative in the official histories, the conflict allowed Taikyū to take control of the two gusuku (castles) and monopolize trade connections with Joseon.Prior to his rise to the kingship of Chūzan, the official histories refer to Taikyū as "Prince Goeku", an anachronistic title which developed in later periods.The 16th-century Omoro Sōshi (おもろさうし), a compilation of Okinawan songs and poems, describes him not as a blood relative of Hashi, but as the son of a ruler of Goeku.The most of important of these, the Bridge of Nations Bell (Bankoku shinryō no kane), was cast by a Japanese metalworker and placed on display in front of the rebuilt palace.It praises his "activation of the Three Jewels" and names him the savior of "the masses of the Three Worlds", possibly in emulation of the Buddhist conception of the chakravartin, a benevolent universal ruler.[9][11] Keiin's inscription also states that Taikyū gathered together "wen and wu" and the "excellence of Korea", indicating influence from Chinese and Korean culture.The official histories describe Amawari, the aji (lord) of Katsuren, lying to Taikyū that Gosamaru of Nakagusuku had been scheming against his rule.As the official histories portray Okinawa as having been a unified kingdom for several centuries by the time of Taikyū, wars with neighboring polities and aji may have been reinterpreted as rebellions in later retellings.Due to the chaotic beginnings of his reign, Smits theorizes that he may have been an unrelated wakō pirate leader who took the throne in order to monopolize Chūzan's trade connections.
A black and white photo of a massive bronze bell on an indoor pedestal
The Bridge of Nations Bell , commissioned by Taikyū
Mausoleum associated with Shō Taikyū, Nanjō
RyukyuChūzanShō KinpukuShō TokuPosthumous nameOkinawan pronunciationFirst Shō dynastyShō HashiZen BuddhismRyukyu KingdomPacificOkinawaMing annalsShuri CastleBridge of Nations BellAmawariKatsurenGosamaruNakagusukugusukuJoseonKanemaruChūzan SeikanMing Veritable Recordsthree kingdomsOmoro SōshiShō ChūShō ShitatsuGregory SmitsTenkai-jian influential Zen templeThree JewelsThree Worldschakravartinwen and wuRyukyuan coinsChinese cash coinsYongle EmperorUni-UfugusukuJoseon dynastyNanjōleprosycoup d'étatShō EnSecond Shō dynastyharbourmasterChūzan SeifuUniversity of the RyukyusKerr, George H.Tuttle PublishingThe Journal of Japanese StudiesPearson, RichardUniversity of Hawai'i PressLIT VerlagSmits, GregoryRyūkyū Kingdom's King of ChūzanShunten dynastyShuntenShunbajunkiEiso dynastyTaiseiTamagusukuShō ShishōShō Sen'iShō ShinShō SeiShō GenShō EiShō NeiShō HōShō KenShō ShitsuShō TeiShō EkiShō KeiShō BokuShō OnShō KōShō IkuShō TaiKing of RyukyuRyukyu Domain