The Liuqiu or Lewchew of the Book of Sui and other medieval Chinese texts was a realm said to have existed in the East China Sea. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was referred to as Liukiu in English; and, Lieou-kieou in French. It is variously identified with Taiwan Island, the Penghu or Pescadore Islands, and the Ryukyu Archipelago. While this small independent kingdom of seafaring traders were similar to the settlements found in Japan's southern islands, its culture was more strongly influenced by the Chinese.
A detailed description of an island kingdom called "Liuqiu" may be found in the Book of Sui. The Book of Suiplaces the report on Liuqiu second to last within the chapter on "Eastern Barbarians", following the report on Mohe and preceding the report on Wa. The text describes the territory of Liuqiu and its people as follows:
Identification
There is no scholarly consensus on what specific territory "Liuqiu" refers to in the Book of Sui and History of Yuan. Chang Biyu 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 EastChina Sea and nearby waters". In Japanese-speaking history writing however it is often assumed that the Book of Sui referred directly to what would later become the Ryukyu Kingdom. In his Daoyi Zhilüe, Wang Dayuan clearly used "Liuqiu" as a name for Taiwan or the part of it near to Penghu. In Liuqui Guo Zhilue, it was identified as Ryukyu with specific reference to an island of Gumishan ruled by a Gumi chief. This text also described this area around 1644 as under strict control of the Japaneseshogunate - which is true for the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Legacy
In later works, the name refers to the Ryukyu Islands in general or Okinawa, the largest of them. After Shō Hashi unified the three kingdoms on Okinawa, the Yongle Emperor gave him the title "King of Liuqiu" in 1428. Indeed, the name of the Ryūkyūs is the simply the Japanese form of Liúqiú. Early modern Chinese sources also specifically called Okinawa as "Greater Liuqiu" and Taiwan Island as the "Lesser Liuqiu". The name Liuqiu, in intermittent use since the Ming Dynasty, also remains the official name for Xiaoliuqiu Island southwest of Taiwan. There are sources that refer to Xiaoliuqiu as the old Chinese name for Taiwan.
