Liuqiu

Liuqiu or Lewchew (Chinese: 流求, 琉求, or 琉球; pinyin: Liúqiú) is the name historically given by Chinese writers to a territory in the region of the East China Sea, sometimes in mythical or legendary contexts. The name is currently used for the Ryukyu Islands.

A detailed description of an island kingdom called "Liuqiu" may be found in the Book of Sui. The Book of Sui places the report on Liuqiu second to last within the chapter on "Eastern Barbarians" (Dongyi), following the report on Mohe and preceding the report on Wa (Japan). The text describes the territory of Liuqiu and its people as follows:

There is no scholarly consensus on what specific territory "Liuqiu" refers to in the Book of Sui and History of Yuan. Bi-yu Chang notes that "Some scholars believe that the record of 'Liuqiu' referred to Taiwan, while some say it was a reference to what are now the Ryukyu Islands ... and others suggest that it was a general term referring to islands in the East China Sea and nearby waters".

Notes

Li Qi

Li Qi may refer to:

Li Qi (emperor)

Li Qi (Chinese: 李期; 314–338), courtesy name Shiyun (世運), posthumous name Duke You of Qiongdu (邛都幽公), was an emperor of the Chinese/Ba-Di state Cheng Han. He seized the throne after his brother Li Yue (李越) assassinated their father Li Xiong's designated heir, their cousin Li Ban, in 334. His reign was viewed as one of decadence and deterioration from his father's reign of simplicity. He was subsequently overthrown by his father's cousin Li Shou the Prince of Han in 338, and committed suicide after being demoted to a duke. Li Shou seized the throne and changed the name of the state from Cheng to Han, although traditional historians treat the Li Qi to Li Shou transition as within a single state.

Early life

Li Qi was the fourth son of Li Xiong, Cheng Han's founding emperor, by his concubine Consort Ran, but was raised by Li Xiong's wife Empress Ren. When he was young, he was known for being intelligent and charismatic. When Li Xiong asked his sons to scout the population for talented people to serve as officials, Li Qi was the most successful for finding talents, so many Cheng Han officials were people who were discovered by Li Qi.