Taromai

Who is Taromai?

Taromai was the last king of the Okinawan kingdom of Nanzan.

The details of Taromai's birth are not known for sure, and a number of theories exist. According to Kyūyō, an official history compiled by officials of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, Taromai was the eldest son of the previous king of Nanzan, Ououso.

Taromai received investiture from officials of the Ming Dynasty in 1415, and sent tribute missions to Ming China eight times during his short reign.

Nanzan was invaded and conquered by Chūzan to the north, in 1429, marking the unification of Okinawa Island, and the emergence of the unified Ryūkyū Kingdom. According to some sources, Taromai's fall was the result of a loss of popular support among the peasantry, after Taromai greedily traded Chūzan a spring for a gold-painted fence. Historian George H. Kerr, however, notes that succession disputes among Taromai's heirs were seen as a sign of weakness by Shō Hashi, king of Chūzan, and as an opportunity to seize control of the kingdom.