Taejong of Joseon

Taejong of Joseon
Hangul:	태종
Hanja:	太宗
Revised Romanization:	Taejong
McCune-Reischauer:	T'aejong
Birth name
Hangul:	이방원
Hanja:	李芳遠
Revised Romanization:	I Bang-won
McCune-Reischauer:	I Pangwŏn

Taejong (1367-1422, r. 1400-1418) was the third king of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea and the father of King Sejong the Great. Although Taejong did not take the throne until the 8th year of the Joseon Dynasty, he had already wielded much of the power in the kingdom since its founding in 1392 and even earlier. Among his father, King Taejo's eight sons, he ultimately appears to have been the most able leader. His ascension to the throne was marred by bloody fighting with his brothers; however, he proved an able monarch, and worked hard to establish a strong administrative structure for the young dynasty during his 18 years on the throne.

Early Public life

Taejong was born as Yi Bangwon in 1367 as the fifth son of General Yi Seonggye, the highly talented and influential general in the Goryeo army who later became King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty. In 1382 Yi Bangwon held a position in the government of the Goryeo Dynasty. During final days of the Goryeo Dynasty, he helped his father to extend his support with the citizenry and many influential figures of the government, and was sent as an emissary to the Ming Dynasty of China in 1388. In 1392, he worked with his father to overthrow Goryeo and establish the new dynasty, Joseon, helping to remove powerful Confucian officials such as Jeong Mong-ju, who remained loyal to the Goryeo kings.

Ascension to the Throne

Yi Bangwon thought he would be appointed as the successor to the throne, but under pressure from Queen Kang Sindeok and Jeong Dojeon, one of King Taejo's closest advisors, who was concerned about Taejong's strong leadership style and hard-line policy against noble families, Taejo leaned toward choosing the youngest of his eight sons, Yi Bangseok (Grand Prince Euian) as the heir to the throne.

In 1397, Queen Sindeok, the mother of the two youngest princes died, and the following year, Bangwon and some of his brothers schemed to kill Jeong Dojeon and others who supported the choice of Euian as heir to the throne. In the aftermath, Princes Euian and Muan, aged 16 and 17, were also killed, ensuring they would never take the throne.

Disappointed and angered by the actions of Bangwon and his allies, Taejo abdicated the throne in 1398, designating his second son, Banggwa (Prince Yeongan) as his successor. When his father stepped down in 1398, Prince Yeongan took the throne, ruling as King Jeongjong. However, Jeongjong, observing the actions of his younger brother Bangwon in the years leading up to Taejo's abdication and during his own reign, feared that Bangwon would make a move to forcibly remove him from the throne, and decided to abdicate about a year after his ascension, naming Bangwon as heir to the throne. Thus Bangwon became King Taejong, the third monarch of Joseon, in 1400.

Original Article / Factor in or Remove

Reign

First in his reign, he banned private armies and absorbed the soldiers who were privately owned by many nobles and princes into the official army, and removed opposition from the government. He also changed the political system, creating a strong central government and an absolute monarchy. He promoted Confucianism, which was more like political philosophy rather than religion; thus demoting Buddhism, which was far from daily living and decayed from the power given by Goryeo kings back then. He closed many temple that were established by Goryeo kings, and seized their large possessions and added them to the national treasury. He also initiated the system of hopae, an early form of identification recording the bearer's name and residence, used to control the movement of people. He also set a big drum in front of his court, so that the common people, when they had some problems, could come to palace and consult the king.^{[citation needed]}

In foreign policy, he was straight hardliner-he attacked the Jurchens on the northern border and Japanese Pirates on the southern coast. Taejong is also known for being responsible for the Oei Invasion of Tsushima Island in 1419. He also promoted publications, commerce and education. He also founded and encouraged Uigeumbu, the royal guard and secret police at the same time. In 1404, He moved the capital back to Hanyang, and abdicated in 1418-giving the throne to King Sejong the Great.^{[citation needed]}

Taejong was known for his passion for hunting, considered unseemly in a ruler.

Family

• Father: King Taejo (태조)
• mother: Queen Han Sin-ui (신의왕후)
• Consorts & Children:

• Queen Wongyeong (원경왕후)

1. 양녕대군(讓寧大君)
2. 효령대군(孝寧大君)
3. 충녕대군(忠寧大君): 세종
4. 성녕대군(誠寧大君)
5. 정순공주(貞順公主)
6. 경정공주(慶貞公主)
7. 경안공주(慶安公主)
8. 정선공주(貞善公主)

• Royal Noble Consort Hyo from the Kim clan (효빈 김씨)

1. 경녕군(敬寧君)

• Royal Noble Consort Myeong from the Kim clan (명빈 김씨)

1. 숙안옹주(淑安翁主)

• Royal Noble Consort Sin from the Sin clan (신빈 신씨)

1. 함녕군(咸寧君)
2. 온녕군(溫寧君)
3. 근녕군(謹寧君)
4. 정신옹주(貞愼翁主)
5. 정정옹주(貞靜翁主)
6. 숙정옹주(淑貞翁主)
7. 소신옹주(昭信翁主)
8. 숙녕옹주(淑寧翁主)
9. 숙경옹주(淑敬翁主)
10. 숙근옹주(淑謹翁主)

• Royal Noble Consort Seon from the Ahn clan (선빈 안씨)

1. 익녕군(益寧君)
2. 소숙옹주(昭淑翁主)
3. 경신옹주(敬愼翁主)

• Royal Noble Consort Ui from the Gwon clan (의빈 권씨)

1. 정혜옹주(貞惠翁主)

• Royal Noble Consort Soh from the Roh clan (소빈 노씨)

1. 숙혜옹주(淑惠翁主)

• 숙의 최씨(淑儀)

1. 희령군(熙寧君)
2. 덕순옹주 이씨

• 후령군(厚寧君)

1. 숙순옹주(淑順翁主)

• 후궁 고씨(後宮)

1. 혜령군(惠寧君)

• Children: - factor in

1. Grand Prince Yangnyeong (양녕대군), 1st Son of Queen Wongyeong.
2. Grand Prince Hyoryeong (효령대군), 2nd Son of Queen Wongyeong.
3. Grand Prince Chungnyeong (충녕대군), 3rd Son of Queen Wongyeong. later King Sejong the great.
4. Grand Prince Seongnyeong (성녕대군), 4th Son of Queen Wongyeong.

Double check:

• 원경왕후 민씨(元敬王后)
• 효빈 김씨(孝嬪)
• 명빈 김씨(明嬪)
• 신빈 신씨(信嬪)
• 선빈 안씨(善嬪)
• 의빈 권씨(懿嬪)
• 소빈 노씨(昭嬪)

Modern depiction

"Tears of the Dragon," a popular KBS television historical drama that aired from 1996-8, portrayed Taejong's life. It depicts him as being committed to the stability of the kingdom, a commitment that translated into affection and devotion towards his father and heir (originally Taejong's firstborn son), although these feelings were not reciprocated due to anger about the 1398 assassinations. The anger culminated in the retired Taejo's efforts to remove Taejong by backing the Cho Sa-Wei Revolt and personally shooting an arrow at him during a reconciliation meeting. According to the series, Taejong grew to become perpetually suspicious of others around him (especially his in-laws), resulting in purges, a typical example being his execution of the queen's influence-peddling-but-loyal oldest brothers and naїvely-innocent youngest brothers. In disgusted response, his Crown Prince rejected the throne to become a playboy and his second-born son joined the priesthood, deferring the position to the third-born son.

Death of Jong Mongju

One of the most widely repeated episodes that occurred in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Goryeo was in 1392, when Taejo's fifth son, Yi Bang-weon (later King Taejong), threw a party for the renowned scholar, poet and statesman Jeong Mong-ju, who refused to be won over by Yi despite their numerous correspondences in the form of archaic poems, and continued to be a faithful supporter the old dynasty, and a leading figure in the opposition to Yi's claim to the throne. Jeong was revered throughout Goryeo, even by Yi Bang-weon himself, but he was seen to be an obstacle and as such, in the eyes of supporter of the new dynasty, had to be removed. After the party, on his way home, Jeong was murdered by five men on the Seonjuk Bridge (선죽교; 善竹橋) in Gaeseong. This bridge has now become a national monument of North Korea, and a brown spot on one of the stones is said to be a bloodstain of his which turns red when it rains.

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• Rulers of Korea
• Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido

External Links

• Korean History Project: Winds of Change Retrieved September 22, 2007.
• Cultural Heritage: Classification Treasures 272. Retrieved August 8, 2007.
• Welcome to Gumi: History. Retrieved August 8, 2007.

Preceded by: Jeongjong

Rulers of Korea (Joseon Dynasty) 1400–1418

Succeeded by: Sejong

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