Chūzan

Chūzan was one of the three kingdoms that divided Okinawa during the fourteenth century. In 1314 Tamagusuku succeeded his father Eiji as ruler of the island, but his lack of authority prompted the lords of Ozato and Nakijin to break away and form Nanzan in the south and Hokuzan in the north. Tamagusuku kept the central kingdom, based at Urasoe, which became known as Chūzan. The three states competed for trade and recognition from Ming China, and Chūzan gradually gained the upper hand. Its king Shō Hashi conquered Hokuzan in 1419 and Nanzan in 1429, unifying Okinawa and founding the Ryūkyū Kingdom. The Sanzan period, as the century of division is called, ended with this unification. Even afterwards, the royal government continued to call itself Chūzan in many official documents, and the name remained a diplomatic synonym for Ryūkyū in relations with China and other states.