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Two events ultimately brought down the curtain on 500 years of
Ryukyu Kingdom history - first, the Satsuma invasion and later
the Meiji government's abolition of fiefs and creation of prefectures,
which brought the liquidation of the kingdom.
The invasion occurred in 1609, midway through the reign of King Sho Nei.
The ostensible reason was insulting behavior on the part of the kingdom, but the
real reason was Satsuma fief's desire to profit from the trade with Ming China.
Some 3,000 soldiers in 100 vessels were sent to Ryukyu. The king's forces were
no match for these combat-hardened troops, so king Sho Nei opened the castle
and sued for peace. For the next two years, the king was a virtual prisoner in
Satsuma and at Edo. His return to Ryukyu in effect marked the end of the kingdom's
180 years of independent existence. Henceforth it would be under the control of
the Satsuma authorities. Satsuma laid down the "15 regulations" and
took control of the kingdom's politics and economy. The regulations' opening statement
proclaimed, "There shall be no tribute trade with the Tong (China) without
Satsuma's permission," thus usurping the kingdom the right to make its own
foreign policy and taking control of the trade. However, for the sake of maintaining
the trade with China undisturbed, the fiction of an independent Ryukyu Kingdom
was kept up after the invasion and subjugation. Shuri Castle continued as the
king's castle while the Nanden and Bandokoro were built and other
preparations were made to accommodate Satsuma officials and visitors.
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