Explanation: During the Sanzan period, Okinawa Island was divided into three competing principalities (Hokuzan, Chūzan, and Nanzan) and was not unified under a single ruler until Shō Hashi's unification in 1429.

Explanation: Nanzan was not the most economically powerful; Chūzan, due to its central location and proximity to the port of Naha, was the most economically robust of the three Sanzan principalities.

Explanation: Shō Hashi, ruler of the Chūzan principality, unified Okinawa Island by conquering the other principalities in 1429, thereby establishing the First Shō dynasty and initiating the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Explanation: Okinawa Island was divided into three competing principalities—Hokuzan, Chūzan, and Nanzan—during the period known as the Sanzan period.

Explanation: Shō Hashi unified Okinawa Island, bringing an end to the Sanzan period and establishing the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Explanation: The Ryukyu Kingdom, located in the Ryukyu Islands, flourished from 1429 until its abolition in 1879, playing a significant role in maritime trade networks.

Explanation: Contrary to hindering its role, Ryukyu's position as an intermediary was significantly facilitated by China's *haijin* (sea ban) policy, which channeled trade through authorized states, and the preferential treatment Ryukyu received.

Explanation: In 1392, the Ming Chinese government, not Korea, dispatched thirty-six families from Fujian to Ryukyu at the kingdom's request to assist in managing maritime trade and foster diplomatic relations.

Explanation: The Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty did not encourage this practice; rather, he ordered the Ryukyu Kingdom to cease the practice of castrating children for service within the imperial palace.

Explanation: Ryukyu's southward policy initially involved the conquest of Okinoerabu Island and Yoron Island in 1429, predating the conquest of the Amami Ōshima islands in 1447.

Explanation: The period of the Ryukyu Kingdom's greatest prosperity, often referred to as its 'golden age,' characterized by extensive maritime trade, occurred during the reign of King Shō Shin (1477-1526).

Explanation: Ryukyu primarily traded goods such as Japanese swords and lacquerware, and Chinese medicinal herbs and ceramics, in exchange for Southeast Asian products like sappanwood, rhino horn, tin, and sugar, not spices and textiles for swords and ceramics.

Explanation: Ryukyu's commercial prosperity was positively impacted, not negatively, by China's *haijin* (sea ban) policy, which channeled trade through authorized states like Ryukyu and provided preferential treatment.

Explanation: The rise of Portuguese traders and increased maritime competition were indeed factors that contributed to the decline of Ryukyu's commercial prosperity in the late 16th century, alongside the erosion of Chinese preferential treatment and pirate threats.

Explanation: The Ryukyu Kingdom served as a crucial intermediary, facilitating trade and cultural exchange between various regional powers in East and Southeast Asia.

Explanation: The Ryukyu Kingdom officially existed from 1429, following its unification, until its abolition in 1879.

Explanation: The Ming Dynasty's *haijin* policy, which restricted maritime trade to authorized states, significantly benefited Ryukyu by channeling regional commerce through the kingdom.

Explanation: In 1392, thirty-six families dispatched from Fujian, China, significantly contributed to Ryukyu by assisting in the management of maritime trade and fostering improved diplomatic relations.

Explanation: The Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty directed the Ryukyu Kingdom to cease the practice of casting children for service within the imperial palace.

Explanation: Ryukyu's initial southward expansion efforts in 1429 targeted Okinoerabu Island and Yoron Island.

Explanation: King Shō Shin presided over the Ryukyu Kingdom during its 'golden age,' a period marked by extensive and thriving maritime trade.

Explanation: During its peak trading period, Ryukyu acquired valuable commodities from Southeast Asia, including sappanwood, rhino horn, tin, and sugar.

Explanation: Beyond Chinese trade policies, Ryukyu's commercial prosperity for approximately 150 years was significantly bolstered by the preferential treatment it received from the Chinese Empire.

Explanation: While pirate threats, increased competition from Portuguese traders, and diminishing Chinese preferential treatment contributed to Ryukyu's commercial decline, a sudden volcanic eruption was not cited as a factor.

Explanation: Ryukyu's political relationship was complex; while it functioned as a tributary state to China, it also became a vassal state of Japan's Satsuma Domain after 1609, indicating a dual subordination rather than a simple relationship.

Explanation: While the 1609 Satsuma invasion did establish Ryukyu as a vassal state of the Satsuma Domain, it did not retain full autonomy; it managed to maintain a degree of self-governance and continued its tributary relationship with China.

Explanation: Following the 1609 invasion and the subsequent peace treaty in 1611, the Amami and Tokara Islands were annexed by the Satsuma Domain, not by the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Explanation: Satsuma leveraged Ryukyu's ongoing trade relationship with China to serve as a conduit, enabling Satsuma to maintain its own commercial interests and bypass Japan's restrictive trade policies.

Explanation: The *Zaibankaiya* was established by the Satsuma Domain in Shuri in 1628, not 1728. It served as the primary administrative base for Satsuma's control over Ryukyu for approximately 250 years.

Explanation: To preserve the appearance of Ryukyu as a distinct foreign entity for diplomatic purposes, restrictions were imposed, prohibiting Japanese visits without permission and forbidding Ryukyuans from adopting Japanese customs or names.

Explanation: Following the 1609 invasion, the Ryukyu Kingdom maintained its tributary status with China while becoming a vassal state under the control of Japan's Satsuma Domain.

Explanation: The immediate consequence of the 1609 Satsuma invasion was the establishment of the Ryukyu Kingdom as a vassal state under the control of the Satsuma Domain.

Explanation: Following the 1609 invasion and the subsequent peace treaty in 1611, the Satsuma Domain annexed the Amami and Tokara Islands.

Explanation: Satsuma leveraged Ryukyu's ongoing trade relationship with China to serve as a conduit, enabling Satsuma to maintain its own commercial interests and bypass Japan's restrictive trade policies.

Explanation: The *Zaibankaiya*, established by the Satsuma Domain in Shuri, functioned as an administrative office serving as the base for Satsuma's control over the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Explanation: To maintain the diplomatic facade of Ryukyu as a distinct foreign country, restrictions were imposed, prohibiting Japanese visits without permission and forbidding Ryukyuans from adopting Japanese customs or names.

Explanation: Shuri, not Naha, served as the capital city of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Shuri was the political center and also a hub for traditional Chinese education.

Explanation: The primary indigenous languages were the Ryukyuan languages. While Classical Chinese and Classical Japanese were used for official and cultural purposes, they were not the primary indigenous languages spoken.

Explanation: The Ryukyu Kingdom's state religion was the Ryukyuan religion. While Shintoism and Buddhism were present, the kingdom did not officially practice *only* these two faiths, and other traditions were also observed.

Explanation: The Mitsu-domoe, a symbol also present in Japan, served as the royal emblem of the Ryukyu Kingdom, believed to represent the unification of the Sanzan period principalities.

Explanation: The Ryukyu government conducted a "sword hunt" in 1509 to confiscate weapons and consolidate power. While relocation of local lords (*ajis*) was also a measure for centralization, the statement implies both were done simultaneously and directly linked to the sword hunt, which is accurate based on source information.

Explanation: Shuri served as the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom and was recognized as a center for traditional Chinese education.

Explanation: In addition to the indigenous Ryukyuan languages, Classical Chinese and Classical Japanese were utilized within the Ryukyu Kingdom, reflecting its extensive cultural and political interactions with neighboring powers.

Explanation: The primary state religion of the Ryukyu Kingdom was the Ryukyuan religion, though other faiths such as Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism were also practiced.

Explanation: The Mitsu-domoe, the royal emblem of the Ryukyu Kingdom, is understood to symbolize the unification of the three principalities—Hokuzan, Chūzan, and Nanzan—that previously existed on Okinawa Island.

Explanation: Around 1509, the Ryukyu government implemented a "sword hunt" to confiscate weapons from the populace and nobility as an internal measure to centralize power.

Explanation: The formal abolition of the Ryukyu Kingdom and its subsequent establishment as Okinawa Prefecture by Japan indeed took place in 1879, marking the end of its independent political existence.

Explanation: In 1879, the Ryukyu Kingdom was formally abolished by Japan and subsequently established as Okinawa Prefecture, marking its integration into the Japanese administrative system.

Explanation: The Ryukyu Kingdom's territorial extent at its peak encompassed not only Okinawa but also the Amami Islands, indicating a broader influence than just a single island.

Explanation: At its territorial peak, the Ryukyu Kingdom's domain extended to include the Amami Islands, situated north of Okinawa.