The Sanshikan ( ), or Council of Three, was a government body of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, which originally developed out of a council of regents.
History
It emerged in 1556, when the young Shō Gen, who was mute, ascended to the throne of Ryūkyū. The council of regents that formed in order to handle this challenge and manage the country on the king's behalf soon grew into an established and powerful government organ. Shō Gen died in 1571, but the Council remained, acting alongside the successive kings in managing the affairs of government. In fact, the Articles Subscribed to by the King's Councillors, which bound the royal government in loyalty and servitude to the Japanese daimyō of Satsuma, explicitly prohibit the king from "entrust[ing] the conduct of public affairs in the islands to any persons other than San-shi-kuan".Kerr p163.
Over time, the Sanshikan eclipsed the power and prestige of the sessei, a post which is often translated as "prime minister," and which served as chief royal advisor. Candidates to join the Council of Three had to live in Shuri, the capital, and had to pass tests of both merit and birth; they had to be of proper aristocratic heritage, and to pass tests of knowledge of literature, ethics, and other classical Chinese subjects. These exams were very much akin to those taken by scholar-bureaucrats in China, but were less strict.
The council, and sessei, worked alongside the heads of various administrative departments who were known as the Council of Fifteen when assembled. The Fifteen advised the higher-ranking officials on policy, and made recommendations to fill vacancies in the administration.
The Sanshikan was dismantled along with the rest of the royal government when Ryūkyū was formally annexed by Meiji Japan in the 1870s. Members of Ryūkyū's aristocratic class were allowed to maintain some of their prestige and privileges, but even members of the council were only afforded the equivalent of the sixth rank in the Japanese Imperial Court structure.
List of Sanshikan Uncategorized Name In office Kings Yoasutahemaushikakokauchinoōyakumohi ?-? Shō Shin Yoasutahemiyaheiōyakumohimaikusakako ?-? Shō Sei Yoasutahekauchinoōyakumohitarukako ?-? Shō Sei Yoasutahekusukunoōyakumohimaikusa ?-? Shō Sei Sanshikan Takushi Daijin ?-? Shō Gen Mō Bunei Takushi Ueekata Seiri ? - 1526 Shō Shin, Shō Sei Ba Shiryō Kunigami Ueekata Seiin ?-1537 Shō Shin, Shō Sei Yō Taikaku Yamauchi Ueekata Shōshin Shō Sei Ma Bodo Ōzato Ueekata Seigyō ?-1546 Shō Sei Go Keigen Kunigami Ueekata Sengen ?-1549 Shō Sei Tō Gensai Kochinda Ueekata Seigu ?-1560 Shō Sei In Tatsuro Gusushi Ueekata Yōken Shō Sei Boku Gentoku Ikegusuku Ueekata Shōshi Shō Sei, Shō Gen Ba Juntoku Kunigami Ueekata Seikaku Shō Gen Hō Tokushin Ganaha Ueekata Jogen Shō Sei Wa Imi Kunigami Ueekata Keimei ?-1559 Shō Sei, Shō Gen Katsu Kashō Gusukuma Ueekata Shūshin ?-1559 Shō Sei, Shō Gen Mō Ryūgin Aragusuku Ueekata Anki Shō Gen Mō Ren Ikegusuku Ueekata Antō ?-1579 Shō Gen, Shō Ei Ō Jushō Kunigami Ueekata Seijun ?-1580 Shō Gen, Shō Ei Mō Genryū Kunigami Ueekata Seimai 1580-? Shō Ei Kin Kokutei Gushichan Ueekata Nōan ?-1593 Shō Ei, Shō Nei Mō Ryūbun Tomigusuku Ueekata Seishō 1583-1604 Shō Ei, Shō Nei Go Seisai Kunigami Ueekata Senji ?-1599 Shō Nei
Chūkaban () Name In office Kings Ō Kishō Gusukuma Ueekata Seikyū 1601-1605 Shō Nei Tei Dō Jana Ueekata Rizan 1606-1611 Shō Nei Mō Hōchō Yuntanza Ueekata Seishō 1611-1623 Shō Nei, Shō Hō Mō Kijin Nakijin Ueekata Sōnō 1622-1629 Shō Hō Ba Shōren Katsuren Ueekata Ryōkei 1629-1643 Shō Hō, Shō Ken Ba Kami Ōsato Ueekata Ryōan 1643-1652 Shō Ken, Shō Shitsu Shō Kokuyō Chatan Ueekata Chōchō 1652-1666 Shō Shitsu Mō Kokutō Gushichan Ueekata Antō 1666-1675 Shō Shitsu, Shō Tei Shō Mizai Goeku Ueekata Chōsei 1675-1683 Shō Tei Ō Jigi Inamine Ueekata Seihō 1683-1696 Shō Tei Shō Seishun Nakada Ueekata Chōjū 1696-1702 Shō Tei Mō Kiryū Shikina Ueekata Seimei 1702-1712 Shō Tei, Shō Eki Ō Jidō Ishadō Ueekata Seifu 1712-1721 Shō Kei Shō Ryūyoku Ufugusuku Ueekata Chōshō 1722-1723 Shō Kei Mō Shōshō Mabuni Ueekata Ansei 1723-1725 Shō Kei Mō Heijin Misato Ueekata Anman 1725-1735 Shō Kei Shō Joshū Shikina Ueekata Chōei 1735-1745 Shō Kei Shō Tokukō Ginowan Ueekata Chōga 1745-1750 Shō Kei Mō Kyōken Zakimi Ueekata Seishū 1750-1752 Shō Kei Ba Genretsu Yonabaru Ueekata Ryōchō 1752-1754 Shō Boku Ba Sentetsu Miyahira Ueekata Ryōtei 1755-1782 Shō Boku Shō Tenteki Ie Ueekata Chōkei 1782-1801 Shō Boku, Shō On Shō Bunryū Kyan Ueekata Chōchō 1801-1805 Shō On, Shō Sei, Shō Kō Ba Isai Yonabaru Ueekata Ryōō 1805-1820 Shō Kō Ō Kōretsu Ishadō Ueekata Seigen 1821-1828 Shō Kō Ba Tokubō Yonabaru Ueekata Ryōkō 1828-1848 Shō Kō, Shō Iku, Shō Tai Mō Zōkō Ikegusuku Ueekata Anyū 1848-1862 Shō Tai Shō Yūkō Giwan Ueekata Chōho 1862-1875 Shō Tai Mō Hōrai Tomikawa Ueekata Seikei 1875-1879 Shō Tai
Shikaban () Name In office Kings Shō Ritan Urasoe Ueekata Chōshi ?-1611 Shō Nei Mō Hōgi Ikegusuku Ueekata Anrai 1611-1624 Shō Nei, Shō Hō Kin Ōshō Gushichan Ueekata Anshi 1624-1627 Shō Hō Mō Taiun Tomigusuku Ueekata Seiryō 1627-1642 Shō Hō, Shō Ken Shō Kokuki Kunigami Ueekata Chōki 1643-1654 Shō Ken, Shō Shitsu Ba Hōki Kanegusuku Ueekata Ryōsei 1654-1665 Shō Shitsu Mō Taiei Inoha Ueekata Seiki 1665-1688 Shō Shitsu, Shō Tei Mō Kokuzui Sadoyama Ueekata Anji 1688-1693 Shō Tei Ba Teishun Yonabaru Ueekata Ryōgi 1693-1694 Shō Tei Mō Kokusei Inoha Ueekata Seihei 1694-1699 Shō Tei Ba Teiki Kōchi Ueekata Ryōshō 1700-1710 Shō Tei, Shō Eki Shō Genryō Tajima Ueekata Chōyū 1710-1716 Shō Eki, Shō Kei Mō Ōhō Katsuren Ueekata Seiyū 1716-1719 Shō Kei Shō Wasei Ie Ueekata Chōjo 1720-1745 Shō Kei Shō Kentoku Fukuyama Ueekata Chōken 1745-1755 Shō Kei, Shō Boku Mō Bunwa Urasoe Ueekata Anzō 1755-1759 Shō Boku Mō Genyoku Ikegusuku Ueekata Anmei 1760-1769 Shō Boku Ba Kokuki Yonabaru Ueekata Ryōku 1769-1796 Shō Boku, Shō On Ba Kokugi Kōchi Ueekata Ryōtoku 1796-1798 Shō On Mō Kokutō Takehara Ueekata Anshitsu 1798-1811 Shō On, Shō Sei, Shō Kō Ba Ōshō Oroku Ueekata Ryōwa 1811-1818 Shō Kō Ō Teitō Tamagusuku Ueekata Seirin 1818-1823 Shō Kō Mō Teijō Ikegusuku Ueekata Ankon 1823-1829 Shō Kō Shō Teikai Ginowan Ueekata Chōkon 1829-1835 Shō Kō Mō Ishin Kochinda Ueekata Ando 1836-1839 Shō Iku Ba Inchū Oroku Ueekata Ryōkyō 1839-1847 Shō Iku Mō Kōtoku Zakimi Ueekata Seifu 1847-1858 Shō Tai Shō Jorei Fukuyama Ueekata Chōten 1858-1871 Shō Tai Shō Rinshi Kawahira Ueekata Chōhan 1871-1873 Shō Tai Mō Yūhi Ikegusuku Ueekata Anki 1873-1877 Shō Tai Ba Kensai Yonabaru Ueekata Ryōketsu 1877-1879 Shō Tai
Yūkaban () Name In office Kings Mō Ryūgin Aragusuku Ueekata Anki ?-? Shō Gen Ba Ryōsen Urasoe Ueekata Ryōken ?-1566 Shō Gen Ba Seiei Nago Ueekata Ryōin 1566-1592 Shō Gen, Shō Ei, Shō Nei Ba Ryōhitsu Nago Ueekata Ryōhō 1592-1614 Shō Nei Mō Keiso Tomigusuku Ueekata Seizoku 1614-1622 Shō Nei, Shō Hō Shō Kakurei Kunigami Ueekata Chōchi 1622-1635 Shō Hō Shō Kakusen Urasoe Ueekata Chōri 1636-1638 Shō Hō Shō Hōgen Ginowan Ueekata Seisei 1641-1652 Shō Ken Shō Seibun Mabuni Ueekata Chōi 1654-1670 Shō Ken, Shō Shitsu, Shō Tei Mō Kokuchin Ikegusuku Ueekata Anken 1670-1690 Shō Tei Mō Kenryū Takehara Ueekata An'i 1690-1697 Shō Tei Mō Tensō Ikegusuku Ueekata An'i 1699-1710 Shō Tei, Shō Eki Ba Kenzu Nago Ueekata Ryōi 1710-1728 Shō Eki, Shō Kei Sai On Gushichan Ueekata Bunjaku 1728-1752 Shō Kei Shō Ketsu Kochinda Ueekata Chōei 1752-1765 Shō Boku Shō Hōten Wakugawa Ueekata Chōkyō 1765-1778 Shō Boku Shō Kōki Fukuyama Ueekata Chōki 1778-1798 Shō Boku, Shō On Ba Bunzui Yonabaru Ueekata Ryōtō 1798-1803 Shō On, Shō Sei Mō Kōkoku Sadoyama Ueekata Anshun 1803-1815 Shō Kō Shō Shōkun Ie Ueekata Chōan 1815-1826 Shō Kō Mō Shikkō Zakimi Ueekata Seichin 1826-1836 Shō Kō Shō Kan Kanegusuku Ueekata Chōten 1836-1839 Shō Iku Shō Ryōhitsu Kuniyoshi Ueekata Chōshō 1840-1851 Shō Iku, Shō Tai Shō Kōkun Sakuma Ueekata Seimō 1852-1854 Shō Tai Shō Tōseki Kōchi Ueekata Chōken 1854-1857 Shō Tai Ba Kokushō Oroku Ueekata Ryōchū 1857-1859 Shō Tai Ba Chōtō Yonabaru Ueekata Ryōkyō 1859-1871 Shō Tai Mō Inryō Kamegawa Ueekata Seibu 1871-1872 Shō Tai Shō Kyoken Urasoe Ueekata Chōshō 1872-1879 Shō Tai
Notes
References Kerr, George H. (2000). Okinawa: the History of an Island People. (revised ed.) Boston: Tuttle Publishing. Smits, Gregory (1999). "Visions of Ryukyu: Identity and Ideology in Early-Modern Thought and Politics." Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.
External links 中山王府相卿伝職年譜 向祐等著写本