sanzan

Sanzan (三山) is the term used by historians to describe a period in the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom on Okinawa Island when the island was divided into three rival polities. The name, meaning "Three Mountains," refers to Hokuzan in the north, Chūzan in the central region, and Nanzan in the south. Each kingdom maintained its own capital, court, and local administration, and they engaged in maritime trade and political maneuvering with adjacent polities and with China.

The Sanzan period emerged from a period of regional fragmentation and evolving dynastic competition, shaped by local governance, evolving aristocracies, and ongoing contact through trade networks across East Asia. Hokuzan, centered at Nakijin, controlled the northern part of the island; Chūzan governed the central area around the area that would become Naha/Shuri; and Nanzan held power in the south. The three kingdoms cultivated distinct identities while participating in broader regional exchanges that influenced governance, religion, and culture, including the adoption of some Chinese administrative and ceremonial practices.

The period ended in 1429 with the unification of the three kingdoms by Shō Hashi, who conquered Hokuzan and Nanzan and established the Ryukyu Kingdom, with Shuri as its capital. This unification created a centralized monarchy that pursued a sustained tributary relationship with China and fostered developments in administration, maritime commerce, and cultural exchange that defined Ryukyuan statehood for centuries.

The name Sanzan also appears in other East Asian contexts to denote triadic groups of mountains or regions; in modern usage, it may be encountered in place names or literature reflecting the same concept.