馬姓支流内間家と首里王府2024 · The Utima family is one of the eighteenth descendants of Ba Ryoken. Although Ba Ryoryu moved away from Taisou (the direct lineage of Ba Ryoken) to establish a new family branch due to the satuwake in 1770, Taisou and Shiryu (its branch family) retained the same generation number starting from Ba Ryoken. Ba Ryoryu also created his own genealogical book called kafu. The generation number written in kafu might express the genealogical consciousness of families belonging to the Shi (samurai/samure) class. The Shuri Royal Government maintained a department responsible for overseeing kafu, and members of the Shi class were required to submit documents for approval when adding new items to their own kafu. Consequently, the Royal Government kept duplicate copies of these genealogical books, allowing them to be fully reviewed and used as needed. The generation number in kafu served as valuable information for the Royal Government to understand the diverse backgrounds of the Shi class as a group and to assign appropriate positions and duties for them. The kafu system was an integral part of the administration and society of Ryukyu during the early modern period. As Rukyukan-Zaiban (the head of the Ryukyuan factory in Kagoshima), Ba Ryosou, the eldest son of Ryoken, presented a gift from the King of Ryukyu (Chuzan-ou) to the Shimazu family and performed ceremonies such as burning incense at the Shimazu's family temple. He also negotiated with Shimazu vassals on financial matters and other requirements. The Shimazu house lent 80,000 tale of silver to the Shuri Royal Government, which was used to host a Chinese envoy for King Sho On (r. 1794-1803) to secure his patronage and to finance trade. For the Shimazu, it was important to purchase the imported goods brought by the envoys and sell them for a profit; however, they were unable to participate directly in the trade and had to leave it to the Ryukyuans. Prior to the envoy's arrival, a Shimazu vassal reported that a letter from King Sho On to the Shogunate contained flaws; Ryosou intervened and resolved the issue. The real reason for Shimazu's summoning of Ryosou may have been to communicate important trade matters directly to him. The kafu of the Uchima family is the only source providing a detailed account of this case. The Ba clan also produced a queen and Council of Three. Ryosou, who was personally favored by the royal family, developed his qualities from an early age through various positions. He mastered Ise-ryu kojitu (Japanese military aristocracy manners) and demonstrated excellent practical skills, fully meeting the royal family's expectations. Thus, the kafu of the Uchima family provides significant information about events not found in other historical records. To deepen our understanding of the official and social hierarchy of the Shi class and its mobility in early modern Ryukyu, future research must examine the relationship between Ryukyuan genealogical books and other official documents (e.g., Sho-ke monjo).
