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Nominated |
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| Nakijin Castle was also known as a very sacred
place; several different prayer sites
existed
within its walls. Priestesses called
Noro
were given high-ranking status, and
evidence
points to their living quarters having
been
located at very distinguished areas
on the
castle grounds. The Kings who were to command Nakijin Castle gained an extra advantage from its naturally fortified location. A sharp cliff that drops to the Shigema River on its eastern side made it almost impossible to wage an attack from that direction. Most enemies approaching from the south were deterred by mountains of thick forest, while the castle's high bluff offered a commanding view of the sea to the north and northwest. In the decades following initial construction, Nakijin's power in the northern region of Okinawa grew quickly. As troubles within the central government greatly weakened the throne of the young and inexperienced King Tamagusuku at the beginning of the 14th century, Nakijin became one of two breakaway provinces. The Lord of Nakijin Castle declared himself King of northern Okinawa, which became known as the Kingdom of Hokuzan. With Okinawa Island divided into three separate kingdoms, Nakijin Castle began its era of greatness as the center of power for the region that presently exists from Onna-son to Hedo Misaki. This vast territory encompassed a land area that was greater in size than both the newly formed kingdom in the south called Nanzan and Tamagusuku's Kingdom of Chuzan put together. The first written history of Hokuzan appears in Chinese records, and reveals that Nakijin Kings actively competed against Chuzan and Nanzan for trade privileges with China from the end of the 14th century until the beginning of the 15th century. King Haniji was the first Hokuzan King to send an envoy from Nakijin seeking tributary status from Beijing in 1383. This historic event occurred eleven years after King Satto sent his own envoy from Chuzan. Although Chinese annals indicate that Chuzan held a more favorable trade status with China than the Kingdoms of Hokuzan and Nanzan enjoyed, no other castle site on Okinawa has produced more artifacts from this period in Okinawan history than Nakijin. (Many items collected by the Kingdoms of Chuzan and Nanzan were either destroyed or looted during the Battle of Okinawa.) Elegant pieces of Chinese pottery dating back to the end of the thirteenth century, along with metal arrow heads and swords, are some of the significant finds at Nakijin Castle. Pottery from Vietnam and other artifacts from South East Asia that have also been discovered support the theory that Hokuzan was also trading directly with South East Asia to attain spices - a commodity valued in China more than gold. The prosperous trade business enabled King Haniji and his successor King Ming to gain the authority needed to keep their control over lower ranking chieftains who commanded the outlying areas of Hokuzan from their own castles, but Hokuzan's economic and social structure were still considered very primitive compared to Chuzan. A lack of translators and sailing skills forced Nakijin to seek cooperation from Chuzan during many of their trips to China - fifteen of the eighteen recorded Hokuzan envoys were made together with its rival neighbor to the south. The power of Nakijin and the Kingdom of Hokuzan had reached its limit. After King Han-anji took the throne at Nakijin, the political situation in Chuzan changed dramatically. A young chieftain named Hashi rose to power. He attacked Urasoe Castle in 1406, and defeated King Bunei. Hashi declared himself King of Chuzan, and moved the seat of government to Shuri. He enjoyed much progress through the help of highly educated advisors who had just returned from years of schooling in China. His success was bolstered by the fall in power of King Han-anji, who could no longer control the anji (chieftains) of Hokuzan's distant territories. A devastating blow to Nakijin's command came in 1415 when three of Han- anji's chieftains pledged their allegiance to Chuzan, giving Hashi the strength he needed to seize the north. With a huge army, Hashi attacked Nakijin in 1416. At first Nakijin Castle's strong walls and natural barriers helped Han-anji to fend off the attack, but the much larger army of Hashi eventually became too overpowering. Inside of Nakijin's walls, Han- anji, feeling betrayed by the gods, angrily chopped into a stone prayer site with his sword. The King and his loyal retainers then committed suicide. After having lasted for about a century, the Kingdom of Hokuzan was finished. Hashi sent his younger brother to take control of the newly seized northern territory, and for the next two hundred years Nakijin Castle survived as an outpost for government officials from Shuri to advance the policies set forth by the Ryukyu Kingdom. In 1665, the last regent was ordered back to Shuri by the Satsuma Clan, who had attacked the Ryukyu Islands in 1609 under the order of the Tokugawa Shogun. With its stone walled enclosure empty, centuries of history for Nakijin Castle came to a final end. Tourists have now replaced the kings, vassals, and priestesses that once roamed the gardens of Nakijin Gusuku. The stone walls remain quiet, but they still can defend their claim as one of Okinawa's most impressive historical remains. |
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