Difference between revisions of "Jeong Jung-bu" - New World Encyclopedia
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| − | '''Jeong Jung-bu''' (1106 – 1179) was a medieval [[Korean people|Korean]] soldier cum dictator during the [[Goryeo|Goryeo Dynasty]] (918-1392). He is most noted for leading, together especially with [[Yi Ui-bang]] (이의방, 李義方), a coup d'état in 1170, the [[Musin Jeongbyeon]] (revolt of military officers). King Injong was exiled and the puppet Myeongjong (명종, 明宗) installed on the throne. These events initiated a hundred-year military | + | '''Jeong Jung-bu''' (1106 – 1179) was a medieval [[Korean people|Korean]] soldier cum dictator during the [[Goryeo|Goryeo Dynasty]] (918-1392). He is most noted for leading, together especially with [[Yi Ui-bang]] (이의방, 李義方), a coup d'état in 1170, the [[Musin Jeongbyeon]] (revolt of military officers). King Injong was exiled and the puppet Myeongjong (명종, 明宗) installed on the throne. These events initiated a hundred-year military regime in which a succession of five generals, Jeong Jung-bu the first of them, ruled Goryeo. |
| − | + | ==Background== | |
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| − | + | The Goryeo Dynasty was founded as a [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] nation. Buddhist morality is underpinned by the principles of harmlessness and moderation, and Goryeo was governed in its early period under a policy that put [[civilian authority over military]]. This policy benefited the dynasty well during its early days, and many civilian officials were also able military commanders, such as [[Gang Gam-chan]] and [[Yun Gwan]]. As time passed, however, army officers came to be seen and treated as servants or even slaves of the civilian officials and royal advisers. [[Mokjong of Goryeo|King Mokjong]], not long after a major invasion into Goryeo by nearly a million Khitan forces in Manchuria, in 998 had placed the military under civilian control. In such tense times this caused a coup d'état by General [[Gang Jo]] and triggered another massive invasion from the north. In 1014 military officers were angered at being unpaid that year because the government ran out of funds after having to pay civilian officials first; Generals [[Choi Jil]] and [[Kim Hoon]] attempted but failed a military rebellion. Later the government went so far as to close the military academy. Army officers suffered more and more as the their treatment harshened and their position in society and in public affairs eroded over the 11th and 12th centuries. | |
| − | + | It is worth noting that the horseback warrior class among the northern Khitan, Jurchen and Mongol peoples who invaded Goryeo many times were by no means treated with contempt. This may have had to do with the degree to which Buddhist values were imbued in their leaderships and populations in those Manchurian regions; comparatively, rooted as it was in the glory of Shilla, Buddhism flowered to a very high crest on the Korean Peninsula. | |
| − | + | ==Early Life== | |
| − | + | Jeong was born in 1106; he learned martial arts and military tactics early on. He was reported to have been a seven-foot giant with great confidence and, more than his fellow soldiers, intelligence. He qualified in the military section of the civil service examination and made the army his career. He was a diligent soldier and his loyalty earned him the trust of the king. He was promoted through the ranks to general, and Chief of General Staff. | |
| − | + | ==The Coup== | |
| − | + | In 1167 during a royal banquet of [[Uijong of Goryeo|King Uijong]], [[Kim Don-jung]], son of powerful aristocrat [[Kim Bu-sik]] (author of the [[Samguk Sagi]]), singed Jeong's long beard with a candle, and mocked him and the whole military. The incident incensed him and other officers against the arrogant aristocrats and civilian officials. | |
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| − | ---- | + | In 1170, King Uijong went to his villa to rest and to hold another feast. He conducted a martial arts competition; a young soldier won and Uijong praised him. Some of the court advisors and eunuchs challenged General [[Yi So-eung]], in his late 50s, to face the champion, around 20. The old general fell to the ground, and a young civilian official [[Han Roe]] insulted the general, even slapping him in the face in front of the king and fellow officers. General Jeong could not tolerate Han's attitude and knocked him out. The incident triggered a littany of grievances harbored by the military to explode; younger officers, of note Colonels [[Yi Ui-bang]], [[Yi Go]] and [[Chae Won]], urged Jeong to launch a coup against the entire government and the king. Jeong first refused but later agreed to rebel. Under his order in the name of commander-in-chief, the entire army rose against the government. Most of King Uijong's advisers including Kim Don-jung and Han Roe were killed and the king himself was sent into exile. Jeong set a puppet on the throne, [[Myeongjong of Goryeo|King Myeongjong]]. |
| + | ==Governance== | ||
| + | After the coup the leaders of the revolution began to feud. Generals Yi Go and Chae Won were purged, killed by Yi Ui-bang. Then Yi made a visit to Jeong Jung-bu, and Jeong adopted him — temporarily as it turned out — as a son. Together Jeong and Yi increased the size and power of the military, appointing administrators from the warrior class to national offices that had been reserved for scholar-class ministers. | ||
| − | + | In 1173, when one of the remaining scholar-class ministers Kim Bo-Dang attempted to restore Uijong to the throne, Yi decisively slew the former king. Jeong promoted him to commander of the ground forces. | |
| − | Jeong | + | Jeong and Yi also faced a series of Buddhist Monk uprisings from temples around the nation. As Goryeo was officially a Buddhist nation, the Buddhists had significant influence upon the government and most Goryeo kings had been appointing senior monks as close advisors. Yi put down these rebellions and raided, even pillaged many temples across the peninsula. He also killed Confucian scholars, raped women in the royal family, and forced the crown prince to marry his daughter. General [[Cho Wi Chong]] in Pyong-an Province in the northeast rebelled in 1174, Yi killed some of Cho's supporters including Yun In-mi, but that cost him popular support. He sent a massive force to Pyongyang to put down the uprising, but failed. |
| − | + | General Jeong decided to stop Yi's reign of terror. He promoted himself as prime minister, and had his son [[Jeong Gyun]] and his son-in-law General [[Song Yu-in]] to kill Yi Ui-bang and his henchmen. Yi's daughter was expelled from the royal family. | |
| − | + | Jeong continued to fight the rebels in Pyongyang and peasants around [[Gongju]] who had joined the revolt. He managed to crush the Cho's uprising by 1177 but uprisings continued in various places for several decades. Jeong's son Jeong Gyun and his servants took bribes for influence, and the regime became more and more corrupt. By then a young general [[Gyeong Dae-seung]] had risen to power. | |
| − | + | ==Death== | |
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| − | == | ||
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| − | + | With plenty of support from various corners General [[Gyung Dae-seung]], the youngest general of Goryeo army, rose against Jeong in 1179, killing Jeong Gyun and Song Yu-in. Jeong Jung-bu was arrested for corruption and treason and executed in public few days later. [[Gyeong Dae-seung]] assumed power, declaring an intention to restore the monarchy and clean up the government. | |
| − | + | ==Legacy== | |
| − | + | A balance in Goryeo between civilian and military influence that had been lost was restored through the purging of scholars during his Jeong Jung-bu's military governance with Yi Ui-bang. The balance, however, tipped tragically the other way during Jeong's rule. | |
| − | + | A sixth-generation descendent of Yi Ui-bang's younger brother Yi In was [[Yi Song-gye]], who founded the [[Joseon Dynasty]]. | |
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
Revision as of 05:16, 19 December 2007
| Jeong Jung-bu | ||||||||
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Jeong Jung-bu (1106 – 1179) was a medieval Korean soldier cum dictator during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). He is most noted for leading, together especially with Yi Ui-bang (이의방, 李義方), a coup d'état in 1170, the Musin Jeongbyeon (revolt of military officers). King Injong was exiled and the puppet Myeongjong (명종, 明宗) installed on the throne. These events initiated a hundred-year military regime in which a succession of five generals, Jeong Jung-bu the first of them, ruled Goryeo.
Background
The Goryeo Dynasty was founded as a Buddhist nation. Buddhist morality is underpinned by the principles of harmlessness and moderation, and Goryeo was governed in its early period under a policy that put civilian authority over military. This policy benefited the dynasty well during its early days, and many civilian officials were also able military commanders, such as Gang Gam-chan and Yun Gwan. As time passed, however, army officers came to be seen and treated as servants or even slaves of the civilian officials and royal advisers. King Mokjong, not long after a major invasion into Goryeo by nearly a million Khitan forces in Manchuria, in 998 had placed the military under civilian control. In such tense times this caused a coup d'état by General Gang Jo and triggered another massive invasion from the north. In 1014 military officers were angered at being unpaid that year because the government ran out of funds after having to pay civilian officials first; Generals Choi Jil and Kim Hoon attempted but failed a military rebellion. Later the government went so far as to close the military academy. Army officers suffered more and more as the their treatment harshened and their position in society and in public affairs eroded over the 11th and 12th centuries.
It is worth noting that the horseback warrior class among the northern Khitan, Jurchen and Mongol peoples who invaded Goryeo many times were by no means treated with contempt. This may have had to do with the degree to which Buddhist values were imbued in their leaderships and populations in those Manchurian regions; comparatively, rooted as it was in the glory of Shilla, Buddhism flowered to a very high crest on the Korean Peninsula.
Early Life
Jeong was born in 1106; he learned martial arts and military tactics early on. He was reported to have been a seven-foot giant with great confidence and, more than his fellow soldiers, intelligence. He qualified in the military section of the civil service examination and made the army his career. He was a diligent soldier and his loyalty earned him the trust of the king. He was promoted through the ranks to general, and Chief of General Staff.
The Coup
In 1167 during a royal banquet of King Uijong, Kim Don-jung, son of powerful aristocrat Kim Bu-sik (author of the Samguk Sagi), singed Jeong's long beard with a candle, and mocked him and the whole military. The incident incensed him and other officers against the arrogant aristocrats and civilian officials.
In 1170, King Uijong went to his villa to rest and to hold another feast. He conducted a martial arts competition; a young soldier won and Uijong praised him. Some of the court advisors and eunuchs challenged General Yi So-eung, in his late 50s, to face the champion, around 20. The old general fell to the ground, and a young civilian official Han Roe insulted the general, even slapping him in the face in front of the king and fellow officers. General Jeong could not tolerate Han's attitude and knocked him out. The incident triggered a littany of grievances harbored by the military to explode; younger officers, of note Colonels Yi Ui-bang, Yi Go and Chae Won, urged Jeong to launch a coup against the entire government and the king. Jeong first refused but later agreed to rebel. Under his order in the name of commander-in-chief, the entire army rose against the government. Most of King Uijong's advisers including Kim Don-jung and Han Roe were killed and the king himself was sent into exile. Jeong set a puppet on the throne, King Myeongjong.
Governance
After the coup the leaders of the revolution began to feud. Generals Yi Go and Chae Won were purged, killed by Yi Ui-bang. Then Yi made a visit to Jeong Jung-bu, and Jeong adopted him — temporarily as it turned out — as a son. Together Jeong and Yi increased the size and power of the military, appointing administrators from the warrior class to national offices that had been reserved for scholar-class ministers.
In 1173, when one of the remaining scholar-class ministers Kim Bo-Dang attempted to restore Uijong to the throne, Yi decisively slew the former king. Jeong promoted him to commander of the ground forces.
Jeong and Yi also faced a series of Buddhist Monk uprisings from temples around the nation. As Goryeo was officially a Buddhist nation, the Buddhists had significant influence upon the government and most Goryeo kings had been appointing senior monks as close advisors. Yi put down these rebellions and raided, even pillaged many temples across the peninsula. He also killed Confucian scholars, raped women in the royal family, and forced the crown prince to marry his daughter. General Cho Wi Chong in Pyong-an Province in the northeast rebelled in 1174, Yi killed some of Cho's supporters including Yun In-mi, but that cost him popular support. He sent a massive force to Pyongyang to put down the uprising, but failed.
General Jeong decided to stop Yi's reign of terror. He promoted himself as prime minister, and had his son Jeong Gyun and his son-in-law General Song Yu-in to kill Yi Ui-bang and his henchmen. Yi's daughter was expelled from the royal family.
Jeong continued to fight the rebels in Pyongyang and peasants around Gongju who had joined the revolt. He managed to crush the Cho's uprising by 1177 but uprisings continued in various places for several decades. Jeong's son Jeong Gyun and his servants took bribes for influence, and the regime became more and more corrupt. By then a young general Gyeong Dae-seung had risen to power.
Death
With plenty of support from various corners General Gyung Dae-seung, the youngest general of Goryeo army, rose against Jeong in 1179, killing Jeong Gyun and Song Yu-in. Jeong Jung-bu was arrested for corruption and treason and executed in public few days later. Gyeong Dae-seung assumed power, declaring an intention to restore the monarchy and clean up the government.
Legacy
A balance in Goryeo between civilian and military influence that had been lost was restored through the purging of scholars during his Jeong Jung-bu's military governance with Yi Ui-bang. The balance, however, tipped tragically the other way during Jeong's rule.
A sixth-generation descendent of Yi Ui-bang's younger brother Yi In was Yi Song-gye, who founded the Joseon Dynasty.
Notes
See also
- Goryeo
- List of Korea-related topics
| Preceded by: King Uijong |
Military Leader of Goryeo 1170–1179 |
Succeeded by: Gyung Dae Seung |
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