Shō Hashi

Shō Hashi (1372 – 1439) was a king of Chūzan. Chūzan was one of three kingdoms on the Pacific island of Okinawa at the time, along with Sannan and Sanhoku. History books made for the government of the Ryukyu Kingdom say that Hashi united the three kingdoms into one country, the Ryukyu Kingdom. Hashi became the only king on Okinawa to make trade agreements with China. However, he may not have controlled the whole island.

Hashi's father was Shishō. His grandfather might have been a sailor named Samekawa from the island of Kyūshū in Japan. In 1392, Hashi began ruling from Sashiki in southern Okinawa. In 1407, he fought the king Bunei of Chūzan and killed him; Hashi then made his father Shishō king. In 1422, Shishō died and Hashi himself became king. He ruled from Shuri Castle and fought many wars across the island. He had workers make a stele — a stone slab carved with a message ― to praise his kingdom and the planting of trees and flowers around Shuri Castle.

Hashi died in 1439. After this, many of his sons and relatives became king for only a few years each. After much fighting over who should rule, Shō Taikyū became king in 1453. The official history books of the Ryukyu Kingdom disagree on whether Taikyū was Hashi's son or grandson — they may have been unrelated instead.

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Category:1370s births
Category:1430s deaths
Category:People from Okinawa Prefecture
Category:Kings and queens