Muyeol of Silla
| Muyeol of Silla | |
|---|---|
| Hangul: | 태종 무열왕 |
| Hanja: | 太宗 武烈王 |
| Revised Romanization: | T'aejong Muyǒl Wang |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Aejang wang |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul: | 김춘추 |
| Hanja: | 金春秋 |
| Revised Romanization: | Kim Chunchu |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Kim Ch'un-ch'u |
| Monarchs of Korea Silla (Pre-Unification) |
|---|
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King Taejong Muyeol (602 – 661; born Kim Chunchu), was the 29th monarch of the southern Korean kingdom of Silla and ruled from 654 to 661. He is credited for leading the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was a childhood friend of Kim Yusin, who eventually became his brother-in-law after his marrying the latter's sister.
After the sudden death of Queen Seondeok, there were none of seonggol 聖骨, or "sacred blood" lineage (a royal relative born of two royal parents). The nature of Silla's "bone rank system" permitted only someone of sacred bone status to assume the throne. Though only of jingol 眞骨, or "true bone" lineage (a royal relative with only one parent of royal blood), and restricted from assuming the throne, Kim Chunchu succeeded in assuming the Silla throne with support from General Kim Yusin, thus bringing to an end the seonggol class of Silla.
He was well acquainted with the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, for he and the Emperor were "friends" before the Emperor became an Emperor. Kim Chunchu was a great support to the Emperor, and the Emperor returned the support to Kim Chunchu. He constantly pleaded with the Tang for reinforcements to destroy Baekje, to which the Tang finally acquiesced in 660, sending 130,000 troops under General So Jungbang. Meanwhile, Kim Yusin set out from Silla with 50,000 soldiers and fought the bloodly battle at Hwang San Bul leaving Baekje devastated and unprotected. King Uija of Baekje finally surrendered, leaving only Goguryeo to face Silla as an adversary on the Korean peninsula.
In June of the following year King Muyeol died, leaving his son Kim Beopmin to assume the throne as King Munmu.
Kim Chunchu, or King Taejong muyeol, was born with the "sacred blood." He was born with the rank, seonggol. His father was Kim Youngchun. His father was the son of King Jingee. However, his father was overthrown from his throne, and Kim Youngchun was unable to succeed the throne. However, he still was one of the few Seonggols. He married a princess, and since she was a Seonggol as well, their child, Kim Chunchu, became Seonggol. Kim Youngchun was one of the powerful people in the government. However, against Bekban, the younger brother of the king at his time, Kim Youngchun lost his power. In order to survive, he had to become a jingol, the rank that was right below seonggol. Therefore, he lost his chance of becoming the king, and so did his child, Kim Chunchu. However, when all the Seounggols were dead, somebody with the royal blood in the Jinggol rank had to succeed the throne. The people in the government wanted Kim Alchun to succeed the throne. His dad was a seonggol, who married a jingol wife so that his son would not be a seonggol and suffer from the fight for the throne. However, Kim Yusin supported Kim Chunchu, and Alchun refused the throne and supported Kim Chunchu. As a result, Kim Chunchu succeed the throne.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of Korea
- Rulers of Korea
External links
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