RELATIONS BETWEEN THE CHINESE EMPIRE AND THE KINGDOM OF THE RYUKYU (OKINAWA) - PART 8, MISSION OF 1808

As I mentioned in part 6, Sho On died at the age of only 18, leaving the throne to the eldest son 尚成 Sho Sei (1800-1804). Sho Sei (also known by the infant name 思徳金 Umitokugani) was officially crowned on January 6, 1803, but reigned for a little over a year, as he died on February 7, 1804. The crown then passed to a brother of Sho On, 尚灝 Sho Ko (1787-1834), who ascended the throne in 1804. The Chinese investiture mission took place 4 years later, in 1808, managed by sapposhi 齊鯤 Qi Kun (1776-1820), and his deputy 費錫章 Fei Xizhang. The mission arrived in Naha on May 17, and on that occasion the tradition of the seven banquets organized in honor of the Chinese envoys was restored.

In 1827 Sho Ko fell ill, and asked the Japanese Satsuma clan (whose domains also included the Ryukyu Kingdom), for permission to abdicate in favor of his son. The following year he obtained this permission but, despite this, he retained the title of king until his death in 1834. Although he theoretically retained his title, in fact it was his son who ruled and took care of the king's duties, even though he held the title of Sessei until his father died. Although the king's son became king only in 1835, the embassy in Edo was sent as early as 1832, and the deputy envoy (副使 fukushi) 東風平 親方 安度 Kochinda Ueekata Ando (also known as 沢岻 親方 安度 Takushi Ueekata Ando) brought the greetings and gifts of King Sho Ko to Shogun Tokugawa Ienari, sent as a sign of gratitude for having obtained permission to abdicate. This mission to Edo was actually led by Prince 豊見城 王子 朝春 Tomigusuku Woji Choshun (also known as 尚楷 Sho Kai), who was the envoy (正使 seishi) of the Ryukyu Kingdom. However, the Prince died while he was still in Satsuma (Kogoshima), so he was played by 兼城 親方 朝典 Kanegusuku Ueekata Choten (also known as 普天間 朝典 Futenma Choten), who was his younger brother, as well as his "stunt double" (al equal to some modern dictators, even some political figures of the past used doubles to impersonate them, so as to take less risks). The two traveled to Edo, and returned to Okinawa the following year. Both would later become members of the Sanshikan from 1836 to 1839.

WHO WERE THE SAPPOSHI AND HIS DEPUTY?