The is an official history of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. It exists in two versions, the , compiled by in 1701 and the , compiled by his son in 1725. The two books are integrally written in traditional Chinese characters.
Edition Book of Sai Taku The compilation of the Chūzan Seifu was ordered by king Shō Tei in year 36 of the Kangxi era (1697) to his brother and sessei , who delegated the task to a group of scholars led by Sai Taku Shitahaku Uēkata Tenshō. The book of Sai Taku was finished in year 40 of the Kangxi era (1701).
Sources The book of Sai Taku is essentially a compilation of information gathered in the Chūzan Seikan and the Rekidai Hōan in order to create annals of the reigns of the different kings of Ryūkyū since the Tenson dynasty. It was regularly updated until the reign of Shō Eki (1710-1712).
Editors The persons involved in the redaction of the book are mentioned in the preface:
Sessei Shō Kōsai Chatan Wōji Chōai Sanshikan
General supervisors (son of king Shō Shitsu) (who will later marry king Shō Shitsu’s fifth daughter)
Editor Sai Taku Shitahaku Uēkata Tenshō
Book of Sai On In year 2 of the Yongzheng era (1724), king Shō Kei orders a revision of the Chūzan Seifu to his brother and sessei , who delegates the task to a group of scholars led by Sai On Gushichan Uēkata Bunjaku, son of Sai Taku Shitahaku Uēkata Tenshō, who had been several times to China and studied there numerous documents related to Ryūkyū history.
Sources The book of Sai On adds to the book of Sai Taku information concerning Ryūkyū found in the chronicles of the Chinese empire. It is mainly based on the , written by in the year 23 of the Kangxi era (1684) after his visit of the kingdom as a Chinese ambassador during the reign of Shō Tei the , published in 636 the , published in 1345 by ) the , published in 1370 by .
Editors The persons involved in the redaction of the book are mentioned in the preface:
Sessei Shō Tetsu Chatan Wōji Chōki Sanshikan (will later become Nago Uēkata)
General supervisors , brother of king Shō Eki
Editor (will later become Gushichan Uēkata)
Contents Book of Sai Taku The book of Sai Taku is dedicated to emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty. It presents the annals of the reigns of the different kings of Ryūkyū since the Tenson dynasty. Although the original text stopped at the events of 1701, the book was updated until the death of king Shō Eki in 1712.
It comprises seven volumes: five main volumes, a volume dedicated to the relations with the Satsuma domain and a volume of appendixes.
The book first presents a “genealogical tree of the kings of Chūzan” that includes all the dynasties, before it details each dynasty one by one.
Volume 1 is a general introduction that includes the fondation myths of Ryūkyū and the Tenson dynasty, volume 2 deals with the kings from the Shunten dynasty to the Satto dynasty, volume 3 of the first Shō dynasty and volume 4 and 5 with the kings of the second Shō dynasty until Shō Eki.
The five main volumes include two hundred and thirty six articles.
The most numerous of the articles are the ones dedicated to the commercial and diplomatic relations with China, followed by the ones giving genealogical details for each king (parents, dates of birth and death, spouses, children...). A few articles deal with internal politics, buildings construction or destruction by fire.
The appendix volume is dedicated to the crown princes who never reigned: Shō Kyō and Shō Bun, eldest and second sons of Shō Hō.
The volume dedicated to the relations with the Satsuma domain details those contacts between the reign of Shō Sei and the reign of Shō Tei.
Book of Sai On The second edition of the Chūzan Seifu, later called the book of Sai On is finished on year 3 of the Yongzheng era (1725). The book of Sai On adds to the book of Sai Taku information about the Ryūkyū Kingdom that have been found in the chronicles of the Chinese empire.
This version of the Chūzan Seifu included nine volumes, but it was updated gradually until 1876 to reach fourteen main volumes dealing primarily with the relations between Ryūkyū and China and seven appendix volumes dealing primarily with the relations between Ryūkyū, the Satsuma domain and Japan.
Volumes 1 and 2 serve as introduction, volume 3 goes from the Tenson dynasty to King Bunei, volumes 4 and 5 deal with the first Shō dynasty and volumes 6 to 13 with the second Shō dynasty.
The book of Sai On originally included three appendix volumes dealing with the relations with the Satsuma domain, that were revised by in year 9 of the Yongzheng era (1731) ; Tei Heitetsu Kohagura Uēkata Yūjitsu is also involved in the redaction of the Kyūyō and of the Ryūkyū-koku kyū-ki.
Volumes of the current version The book includes the following volumes:
Main volumes Introduction – Preface of the Chūzan Seifu, ten regulations, names and clans of the authors, prologue to the Chūzan Seifu, records of the place names of Ryūkyū, genealogical trees Vol. 1 – General chronology, conclusion concerning the chronology (foundation myths, list of kings until the first Shō dynasty) Vol. 2 – Chronology of the ten thousand generations of Chūzan (list of the kings of the second Shō dynasty) Vol. 3 – Tenson dynasty, king Shunten, king Shunbajunki, king Gihon, king Eiso, king Taisei, king Eiji, king Tamagusuku, king Seii, king Satto, king Bunei Vol. 4 - King Shō Shishō, king Shō Hashi Vol. 5 – King Shō Chū, king Shō Shitatsu, king Shō Kinpuku, king Shō Taikyū, king Shō Toku Vol. 6 – King Shō Shoku, king Shō En, king Shō Sen'i, king Shō Shin Vol. 7 – King Shō Sei, king Shō Gen, king Shō Ei, king Shō Nei Vol. 8 – King Shō Hō, king Shō Ken, king Shō Shitsu, king Shō Tei, king (sic.) Shō Jun Vol. 9 – King Shō Eki, king Shō Kei Vol. 10 – King Shō Boku, king (sic.) Shō Tetsu, king Shō On, king Shō Sei Vol. 11 – King Shō Kō Vol. 12 – King Shō Iku, crown prince Shō Shun Vol. 13 – King Shō Tai, crown prince Shō Ten Appendixes Preface of the appendixes Appendix 1 – King Shō Sei, king Shō Ei, king Shō Nei, king Shō Hō, king Shō Ken, king Shō Shitsu Appendix 2 – King Shō Tei Appendix 3 – King Shō Eki, king Shō Kei Appendix 4 – King Shō Boku Appendix 5 – King Shō On, king Shō Sei, king Shō Kō Appendix 6 – King Shō Iku Appendix 7 – King Shō Tai
Preserved copies Original copies of the Chūzan Seifu (seven volumes of the book of Sai Taku and twelve volumes of the book of Sai On) that had been stolen during the Second World War were returned to the Government of the Ryukyu Islands in 1953, with a copy of the Chūzan Seikan. They are kept at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and were designated as national important cultural properties in 2020.
An original copy is conserved by the Shō family. Other copies are conserved in several facilities including the Okinawa Prefectural Library.
There is a woodblock printing version of the book of Sai On, compiled in 1832 by , a Japanese philosopher of the Kokugaku movement. This version only contains the genealogies and the succession of the kings of Ryūkyū. A copy is conserved at the University of the Ryukyus.
The text of the book of Sai On is published in the , volumes 4 and 5.
See also List of Cultural Properties of Japan - writings (Okinawa) Chūzan Seikan Kyūyō
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