The Ming-Qing transition in 1644 and the diplomatic situation in East Asia : a case study of Ryukyu's suzerainty shift = 甲申事變與東亞局勢論析 : 以琉球宗主權轉易為中心

Abstract

The fall of Beijing in 1644 shocked China and also the tributary states in northeast Asia, and the Asian states adopted different policies to cope with the drastic changes of the Asian order. This thesis traces the historical background of Ryukyu's suzerainty shift back to the early seventeenth century and discusses how the drastic changes in international relations in Asia impacted the Ryukyu Kingdom's diplomatic approaches.

This thesis consists of five chapters. The first chapter presents the target and value of the present study, followed by a review of earlier researches into Ryukyu, a brief account of primary sources quoted in the research, and a summary of the study.

The following three chapters, respectively entitled "The Sino-Ryukyu Interaction before 1644", "the Restoration of Tributary Order", and "The Sino-Japanese Struggle in Ryukyu's Eyes", investigate the shift of Ryukyu's suzerainty from three different angles. The second chapter, based on an examination of the existing Chinese, Japanese and Ryukyu documents, clarifies four significant topics, including Satsuma's invasion of Ryukyu in 1609, the Chinese rearrangements for Ryukyu's tributary frequency, the Japanese intervention in Ryukyu's title conferment ceremonies and the Ming-Ryukyu conflicts in silk trade during the mid-seventeenth century, and analyses the Ming-Ryukyu diplomatic relations before the fall of Ming. The third chapter analyses the establishment of Qing-Ryukyu relations in the early Qing period from political and economic perspectives. It discusses the silk trade between Ryukyu and China after 1644, Qing's attempts to persuade Ryukyu to pledge its loyalty, Ryukyu's economic and political difficulties, and the considerations that affected Ryukyu's decision to pledge allegiance to Qing. The fourth chapter discusses the situation of Ryukyu in the Sino-Japanese struggle. It reviews such topics as the Chinese Ryukyuan elites, the writing of Ryukyuan History in classic Chinese and the political-religious interaction in Fuzhou. It also analyses Ryukyu's position change and measures to cope with the situations when being dragged into the Sino-Japanese struggle.

The Conclusion chapter reiterates the importance of Ryukyu in East Asian studies during the Ming-Qing transition period. It argues that Ryukyu was an independent state with its foreign policy in the early to mid-seventeenth century, rather than a puppet state of China or Japan. The suzerainty shift and swinging position in this period were the most appropriate diplomatic manoeuvres for Ryukyu's survival.

By reviewing the East Asian history from the Ryukyu Kingdom's standpoint, together with the use of a broader range of the Ryukyu sources, this thesis enables us to observe the drastic changes in this region afresh in the early to mid-seventeenth century from an entirely new angle. Moreover, this research will shed new light on our understanding of how Asian states reacted to both the Ming-Qing transition and new rising powers in East Asia from the mid-seventeenth century.