Shunten

Shunten
King of Ryūkyū
Reign	1187 – 1237
Successor	Shunbajunki
Born	1166 Urasoe, Okinawa
Died	1237
Burial	Urasoe yōdore

Shunten (舜天^?, 1166-1237), also known as Shunten-Ō (舜天王^?, lit. "King Shunten"), was a king of the Ryūkyū Islands. Shunten is the earliest king in Okinawa for whom a name is known. He is said to have taken power after defeating a usurper to the throne by the name of Riyū who had overthrown the 25th king of the Tenson Dynasty.

The Chūzan Seikan (1650), the first official history of the Ryūkyūan Kingdom, and Chūzan Seifu (1701) state that Shunten was the son of Minamoto no Tametomo (1139 – 1170). Tametomo was exiled to a penal colony on Izu Ōshima following his defeat in the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156. According to this theory, Tametomo then became lost at sea some time later, arrived on Okinawa, and settled down with the younger sister of the anji, or local ruler, of Ōzato. Ōzato is located at the south of Okinawa Island in the present-day city of Nanjō. Shunten, according to the two histories, was the son of Tametomo and the sister of the Ōzato anji.

Shunten was known as Sonton (尊敦) prior to becoming king. He became the became anji of Urasoe in 1180 at the age of 15 after gathering a base of popular support in the area. In 1187, he overthrew Riyū and established his royal seat of power at Urasoe castle, marking the beginning of a new dynasty of rulers. Shunten's reign was long; by legend he is said to have ruled for 51 years.

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