| Shunten | |
|---|---|
 19th century depiction of Shunten's enthronement | |
| King of Chūzan (legendary) | |
| Reign | 1187–1237 |
| Successor | Shunbajunki |
| Born | c. 1165 Urasoe, Okinawa |
| Died | 1237 (aged 70–71) |
| Issue | Shunbajunki |
| House | Shunten dynasty |
| Father | Minamoto no Tametomo |
| Mother | sister of the aji of Ōzato |
Shunten (舜天, traditionally dated c. 1165 – 1237) was the legendary first king of Chūzan and human ruler of Okinawa. The official histories of the Ryukyu Kingdom claim that he was the son of the samurai Minamoto no Tametomo and a local noblewoman during his exile following the Hōgen rebellion. He became the anji of Urasoe at age 15. Seven years later, he led a popular revolt against Riyū, who had usurped the throne of the ancient and mythical Tenson dynasty. He gained the recognition as the overlord of Okinawa chieftans in 1187, ruling from Urasoe Castle until his death in 1237. He inaugurated the Shunten dynasty, which lasted until 1260, when his grandson Gihon disappeared into the forests and was succeed by his regent Eiso.
The mythology surrounding Shunten and Tametomo likely spread to Okinawa from Kyushu folklore around 1400. It was recorded in both Ryukyuan and Japanese histories by the 1500s and 1600s. His descent from Tametomo was used to justify the Satsuma Domain's Invasion of Ryukyu in 1609; by the early 20th century, it was used to justify the 1879 Japanese annexation of the Ryukyu Kingdom. No evidence exists to authenticate Shunten or his unification of Okinawa, which was historically unified in the 15th century.