Gusuku Period
| Geographical range | Ryukyu Islands | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period | Post-classical | ||
| Dates | c. 1050 CE–c. 1429 CE | ||
| Characteristics | Gusuku, adoption of agriculture, increased trade connections, introduction of Japonic languages | ||
| Preceded by | Shellmidden Period | ||
| Followed by | Ryukyu Kingdom | ||
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The Gusuku Period (グスク時代, Gusuku jidai) is an era in the history of the Ryukyu Islands, an island chain now part of Japan. The period corresponds to the spread of agriculture and Japonic culture from Japan alongside increased social organization, eventually leading to endemic warfare and the construction of the namesake gusuku fortresses. Following the Shellmidden Period, the Gusuku is generally described as beginning in the 11th century after a dramatic social and economic shift over the previous centuries. The Shellmidden–Gusuku transition has been linked to Japonic-speaking migrants and influence from a Japanese trade outpost on the island of Kikai, leading to the emergence of the Proto-Ryukyuan language, the common ancestor of the modern Ryukyuan languages.
The period saw widespread agriculture across the archipelago, including the cultivation of foxtail millet, rice, barley, and wheat. Trade occurred with China, Korea, and Japan, including imports of ceramics and the export of mother of pearl. A unique form of vernacular architecture arose in the region, featuring elevated village houses, initially defended by palisades. The rise of the local nobility led to the steady expansion of fortifications, eventually evolving into the gusuku. The gusuku were large stone fortresses built in the hundreds across the archipelago, especially on Okinawa and Amami Ōshima.
By the 14th century, three kingdoms (the Sanzan) emerged on Okinawa as tributary kingdoms to the Ming Dynasty of China. Rather than territorial states, these may have been confederations of powerful local rulers who declared themselves kings within the Chinese tribute system. In 1429, King Shō Hashi of Chūzan became the sole tribute king, although he likely failed to achieve complete political control over Okinawa. After a series of short-reigning kings and violent succession disputes, Shō Shin conquered much of the Ryukyu Islands and governed from Shuri Castle in Shuri, Okinawa, marking the start of the centralized Ryukyu Kingdom and the end of the Gusuku Period.