Editing Okinawa Prefecture (section)

=== Gusuku and Sanzan periods ===
[[File:Katsuren Castle ruins.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Ruins of [[Katsuren Castle]]]]

From the 12th century onward, Okinawa entered the [[Gusuku Period|Gusuku period]], characterized by the development of an [[agrarian society]]. During this time, populations moved from coastal dunes to more fertile limestone plateaus, leading to significant population growth and the beginnings of international trade.<ref name="history" />{{rp|24}} Local chieftains, known as [[Aji (Ryukyu)|Aji]], constructed fortified residences called [[Gusuku]] to protect their territories and expand their influence through foreign trade.<ref name="history" />{{rp|26}} Gusuku sites are found throughout the Ryukyu Islands, from the Amami Islands in the north to the Yaeyama Islands in the south, with estimates ranging from 300 to 400 sites in total. Early Gusuku were generally small, covering about 1,000 square meters, but larger fortresses appeared in later periods.<ref name="rekishi" />{{rp|48}}

By the 14th century, Okinawa Island was divided into three polities, marking the beginning of the [[Sanzan period]]. These were the [[Kingdom of Hokuzan]], centered at [[Nakijin Castle]] in the north; the [[Chūzan|Kingdom of Chūzan]], centered at [[Urasoe Castle]] in the central region; and the [[Nanzan|Kingdom of Nanzan]], centered at [[Ōzato Castle]] in the south.<ref name="history" />{{rp|26}}

According to official histories compiled by the royal government in [[Shuri Castle|Shuri]]—such as the ''Chūzan Seikan'', ''Chūzan Seifu'', and ''Kyūyō''—the first royal lineage of Ryukyu was the legendary [[Tenson dynasty]]. After internal conflict during its 25th generation, a local Aji named [[Shunten]] from [[Urasoe, Okinawa|Urasoe]] was supported by the people, quelled the unrest, and was crowned as the first king of the Ryukyu Kingdom.<ref name="history" />{{rp|30}} However, these early historical accounts are heavily mythologized, and even if Shunten was a real historical figure, he likely ruled only the Urasoe area as an Aji.<ref name="history" />{{rp|30}} The Shunten dynasty lasted for three generations before being overthrown by the [[Eiso dynasty]], which in turn was replaced by the [[Satto dynasty]] after four generations. By this time, Okinawa Island had effectively split into the three kingdoms of Hokuzan, Chūzan, and Nanzan.<ref name="history" />{{rp|34}}

In 1372, the Ming dynasty of China dispatched an envoy, [[Yang Zai]], to the Kingdom of Chūzan, requesting the king, [[Satto]], to enter into a tributary relationship. Satto agreed, and soon after, the kings of Nanzan (Chōsatto) and Hokuzan (Hanishi) also began paying tribute to the Ming court, bringing all three kingdoms into the [[Chinese tributary system]].<ref name="history" />{{rp|36}}

In 1406, the Aji of Sashiki, [[Shō Hashi]], overthrew King [[Bunei]] of the Satto dynasty and installed his father, [[Shō Shishō]], as king, establishing the [[First Shō Dynasty]].<ref name="history" />{{rp|42}} In 1416, Shō Hashi capitalized on dissatisfaction among the Aji of Hokuzan with their king, [[Hananchi]], and conquered the kingdom. The Kingdom of Nanzan, plagued by internal conflict under the rule of [[Tarumoi]], was defeated by Shō Hashi in 1429, completing the unification of Okinawa Island under the Chūzan Kingdom.<ref name="history" />{{rp|42}}