History of Ryukyu |
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The Sanzan period (三山時代, Sanzan jidai, lit. 'three mountain period') is a period in the history of the Okinawa Islands when three lines of kings, namely Sanhoku (山北, lit. 'north of the mountain (island)'), Chūzan (中山, lit. 'middle mountain (island)') and Sannan (山南, lit. 'south of the mountain (island)'), are said to have co-existed on Okinawa Island. It is said to have started during King Tamagusuku's reign (traditional dates: 1314–1336) and, according to Sai On's edition of the Chūzan Seifu (1725), ended in 1429 when Shō Hashi unified the island. Historical records of the period are fragmentary and mutually conflicting. Some even question the co-existence of the three polities.