Difference between revisions of "Taejo of Goryeo" - New World Encyclopedia
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| − | '''Taejo of Goryeo''' (877-943, r. 918-943<ref>Combining his rule of Taebong and Goryeo. He only established Goryeo in 936.</ref>), was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. | + | '''Taejo of Goryeo''' (877-943, r. 918-943<ref>Combining his rule of Taebong and Goryeo. He only established Goryeo in 936.</ref>), was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. In 918, during the '''Later Three Kingdoms Period''' he was named king of Taebong, which was comprised of the area formerly known as Goguryeo, by four of the top Generals of Taebong who overthrew Taebong's King Kung Ye, who had become a tyrant after taking the throne in 901. Taejo then sought for an opportunity to add the remaining two kingdoms, Silla and Baekje to his domain, and did so in 935 and 936, thus unifying the entire Korean peninsula for the first time, at which time he proclaimed that the entire area would be known as '''Goryeo'''. Korea remained united from that time for more than 1000 years, right up until 1945. |
== Background == | == Background == | ||
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
== Rise to power == | == Rise to power == | ||
| − | Taejo began his career in the turbulent '''Later Three Kingdoms''' period (후삼국 시대; <span lang="KO">後三國時代</span>; ''Husamguk Sidae''). In the later years of Silla, many local leaders and bandits rebelled against the rule of Queen Jinsung, who did not have strong leadership nor policies that improved living conditions. Among those rebels, [[Gung Ye]] (궁예; <span lang="KO">弓裔</span>; ''Kung Ye'') of the northwestern region and [[Gyeon Hwon]] (견훤; <span lang="KO">甄萱</span>; ''Kyŏn Hwŏn'') from the southwest gained the most power. As their troops marched against local Silla officials and bandits, they defeated and absorbed members of many other rebellion groups. In 895, Gung Ye led his forces into the far northwestern part of Silla, near Songdo. Wang Yung, along with many other local clans, quickly surrendered to Gung Ye. | + | Taejo (born Wang Geon) began his career in the turbulent '''Later Three Kingdoms''' period (후삼국 시대; <span lang="KO">後三國時代</span>; ''Husamguk Sidae''). In the later years of Silla, many local leaders and bandits rebelled against the rule of Queen Jinsung, who did not have strong leadership nor policies that improved living conditions. Among those rebels, [[Gung Ye]] (궁예; <span lang="KO">弓裔</span>; ''Kung Ye'') of the northwestern region and [[Gyeon Hwon]] (견훤; <span lang="KO">甄萱</span>; ''Kyŏn Hwŏn'') from the southwest gained the most power. As their troops marched against local Silla officials and bandits, they defeated and absorbed members of many other rebellion groups. In 895, Gung Ye led his forces into the far northwestern part of Silla, near Songdo. Wang Yung, along with many other local clans, quickly surrendered to Gung Ye. Taejo followed his father, Wang Yung, into service under Gung Ye, the future leader of Taebong, and he began his service under Gung Ye's command. |
| − | + | Taejo's ability as a military commander was soon recognized by Gung Ye, who promoted him to general and even regarded him as a brother. In 900, Taejo led successful campaign against local clans and army of Later Baekje (Hubaekje) in Chungju area, gaining more fame and recognition from the king. In 903, he led famous naval campaign against the southwestern coastline of Later Baekje, while Gyeon Hwon was at war against Silla. While continuing to lead military campaigns, he became known for his generous treatment of the poor people among the Silla territories he conquered. His leadership and generosity made him popular among the common people. | |
| − | Gung Ye proclaimed himself king of | + | Gung Ye proclaimed himself king of '''Later Goguryeo''' (Hugoguryeo) in 901, changing the name of the state to '''Majin''' and then '''Taebong''' in 911. At its strongest, Taebong included parts of present day Hwanghaebuk and nam-do, Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, Pyongan-namdo and Chungcheongbuk-do. In 913, Taejo was appointed Prime Minister of Taebong. |
== Rise to the throne and founding of Goryeo == | == Rise to the throne and founding of Goryeo == | ||
Revision as of 18:47, 14 October 2007
- "Wang Geon" or "Wang Kŏn" redirects here. For the historical drama, see Taejo Wang Geon (TV series).
| Taejo of Goryeo | |
|---|---|
| Image:Kaesong08.JPG
Taejo of Goryeo | |
| Hangul: | 태조 |
| Hanja: | 太祖 |
| Revised Romanization: | Taejo |
| McCune-Reischauer: | T'aejo |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul: | 왕건 |
| Hanja: | 王建 |
| Revised Romanization: | Wang Geon |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Wang Kǒn |
Taejo of Goryeo (877-943, r. 918-943[1]), was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. In 918, during the Later Three Kingdoms Period he was named king of Taebong, which was comprised of the area formerly known as Goguryeo, by four of the top Generals of Taebong who overthrew Taebong's King Kung Ye, who had become a tyrant after taking the throne in 901. Taejo then sought for an opportunity to add the remaining two kingdoms, Silla and Baekje to his domain, and did so in 935 and 936, thus unifying the entire Korean peninsula for the first time, at which time he proclaimed that the entire area would be known as Goryeo. Korea remained united from that time for more than 1000 years, right up until 1945.
Background
Taejo Wang Geon (태조 왕건) was born in 877 into a wealthy merchant clan based in what is now Kaesong, and who controlled trade on the Yeseong River. His father, Wang Yung, was the clan leader and had gained much wealth from trade with China. His ancestors were known to have lived within ancient Goguryeo boundaries, thus making Wang Geon a Goguryeon by descent.
Rise to power
Taejo (born Wang Geon) began his career in the turbulent Later Three Kingdoms period (후삼국 시대; 後三國時代; Husamguk Sidae). In the later years of Silla, many local leaders and bandits rebelled against the rule of Queen Jinsung, who did not have strong leadership nor policies that improved living conditions. Among those rebels, Gung Ye (궁예; 弓裔; Kung Ye) of the northwestern region and Gyeon Hwon (견훤; 甄萱; Kyŏn Hwŏn) from the southwest gained the most power. As their troops marched against local Silla officials and bandits, they defeated and absorbed members of many other rebellion groups. In 895, Gung Ye led his forces into the far northwestern part of Silla, near Songdo. Wang Yung, along with many other local clans, quickly surrendered to Gung Ye. Taejo followed his father, Wang Yung, into service under Gung Ye, the future leader of Taebong, and he began his service under Gung Ye's command.
Taejo's ability as a military commander was soon recognized by Gung Ye, who promoted him to general and even regarded him as a brother. In 900, Taejo led successful campaign against local clans and army of Later Baekje (Hubaekje) in Chungju area, gaining more fame and recognition from the king. In 903, he led famous naval campaign against the southwestern coastline of Later Baekje, while Gyeon Hwon was at war against Silla. While continuing to lead military campaigns, he became known for his generous treatment of the poor people among the Silla territories he conquered. His leadership and generosity made him popular among the common people.
Gung Ye proclaimed himself king of Later Goguryeo (Hugoguryeo) in 901, changing the name of the state to Majin and then Taebong in 911. At its strongest, Taebong included parts of present day Hwanghaebuk and nam-do, Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, Pyongan-namdo and Chungcheongbuk-do. In 913, Taejo was appointed Prime Minister of Taebong.
Rise to the throne and founding of Goryeo
As time went by, Gung Ye became tyrannical, and in 918 four of his top generals – Hong Yu (Goryeo)|Hong Yu (홍유; 洪儒), Bae Hyeongyeong (배현경; 裵玄慶; Pae Hyŏn-gyŏng), Shin Sung-gyeom (신숭겸; 申崇謙; S(h)in Sung-gyŏm) and Bok Jigyeom (복지겸; 卜智謙; Pok Chi-gyŏm)—met secretly and agreed to overthrow Gungye's rule and crown Wang Geon as their new king. Wang first opposed the idea but later agreed to their plan. A short time later Gung Ye was overthrown and killed near his capital, Cheorwon. When Gung Ye was assassinated, the generals selected Wang Geon to be the new king of this short-lived state. Wang was crowned king and renamed the kingdom Goryeo, thus beginning Goryeo Dynasty. The following year he moved the capital back to his hometown, Songak. As the founding king of a dynasty, Wang is usually referred to as King Taejo of Goryeo. Taejo was a name given to the first King in a new dynasty. The name 'Taejo' is comprise of two Chinese characters, 'Tae', a derivative of 'Dae' (big), which means 'very big' or 'great', and 'Jo', which means grandfather. Together, they mean 'Great Progenitor'.
Taejo promoted Buddhism as the national religion, and called for the reconquest of the northern part of Korea and Manchuria, which was controlled by Balhae. Balhae's rule over the vast region of Manchuria and parts of Siberia was overthrowned by Khitan invasion in 926, and the majority of its people came to Goryeo as refugees led by Balhae's last Crown Prince Dae Gwang-Hyun. Taejo accepted them as his citizens, since Balhae and Goryeo came from ancestry common with that of Goguryeo, took control of the old, then abandoned capital city of Goguryeo, Pyongyang. He also sought for alliance and cooperation with local clans rather than trying to conquer and bring them under his direct control.
The War of the Later Three Kingdoms
In 927, Gyeon Hwon of Later Baekje led forces into Silla's capital, Gyeongju, capturing and executing King Gyeongae. Then he established King Gyeongsun as his puppet monarch before he turned his army toward Goryeo. Taejo, hearing of the news of the conflict between the two kingdoms to the south, felt he had an opportunity to absorb Baekja and Silla into Goryo, and attacked Gyeon's troops on the way back home from Silla, at Gongsan near Daegu. When he first met the Later Baekje forces, Taejo and the Goryeo forces suffered a disastrous defeat, losing most of his army including his best warrior Shin Sunggyeom, the very same man who crowned Wang as a king. However, Goryeo quickly recovered from defeat and successfully defended the next Later Baekje attack on its front.
A few years later, in 935, Silla's last ruler, King Gyeongsun, felt there was no way to revive his kingdom and surrendered his entire land to Taejo. Taejo gladly accepted his surrender, gave him the title of prince, and accepted his daughter as one of his wives (Wang had six queens, and many more wives as he married daughters of every local clan leader), which caused Hubaekje's Gyeon Hwon to view him with disgust. Gyeon's father, who held his own claim of Sangju region, also defected and surrendered to Goryeo and was received as the father of an emperor.
In the same year, Gyeon Hwon's oldest son, Singeom (신검; 神劍; S(h)in-gŏm), led a coup against his father, who favored his half-brother as his successor to the throne. Gyeon Hwon was sent into exile and imprisoned in a Buddhist temple, but escaped to Goryeo and was treated like his father, who died just before his surrender.
Goryeo victory and unification
In 936, Wang led his final campaign against Singeom of Later Baekje. Singeom fought against Taejo, but facing much disadvantage and inner conflict, he surrendered to Taejo. Wang finally occupied Hubaekje formally, and unified the nation for the first time since Gojoseon; He ruled until 943, and died from disease.
Taejo sought to bring even his enemies into his ruling coalition. He gave titles and land to rulers and nobles from the various countries he had defeated: Later Baekje, Silla, and also Balhae, which disintegrated around the same time. Thus he sought to secure stability and unity for his kingdom which had been lacking in the later years of Silla.
Legacy
The unification of the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 was very important in Korean history; the unification of 668 by Silla was completed in only half of the nation, since the northern part was ruled by Balhae, the revival of Goguryeo. However, Wang's unification in 936 was a full-scale unification, with the agreement of all Korean people—and the nation remained as single, unified country until 1948, when Korea was divided into North and South. Many modern Koreans look on his legacy—the only one who unified the divided nation in its whole history—to find hope from his leadership and to draw comparisons with the current situation.
Family
- Father: Wang Ryung (왕 륭)
- mother: Lady Han (한 씨)
- Consorts:
- Empress Sinhye (신혜왕후)
- Empress Janghwa (장화왕후)
- Empress Sinmyeongsunseong (신명순성왕후)
- Empress Sinjeong (신정왕후)
- Empress Sinseong (신성왕후)
- Empress Jeongdeok (정덕왕후)
- Children:
- Hyejong of Goryeo|Emperor Hyejong (혜종), Only Son of Empress Janghwa.
- Jeongjong I of Goryeo|Emperor Jeongjong (정종), 1st Son of Empress Sinmyeongsunseong.
- Gwangjong of Goryeo|Emperor Gwangjong (광종), 2nd Son of Empress Sinmyeongsunseong.
- Empress Daemok (대목황후), Only daughter of Empress Sinjeong.
- Prince Wangwyu (왕위군), 1st Son of Empress Jeongdeok.
- Prince In-ae (인애군), 2nd Son of Empress Jeongdeok.
- Prince Imperial Hyoui (효의대왕), Only Son of Empress Sinseong.
- Crown Prince Wonjang (원장태자), 3rd Son of Empress Jeongdeok.
- Empress Munhye (문혜왕후), 1st daughter of Empress Jeongdeok.
- Empress Seon-ui (선의왕후), 2nd daughter of Empress Jeongdeok.
Notes
- ↑ Combining his rule of Taebong and Goryeo. He only established Goryeo in 936.
See also
- Rulers of Korea
- History of Korea
- List of Korea-related topics
- Wang (family name)
| List of Goryeo Monarchs |
|---|
| Taejo | Hyejong | Jeongjong | Gwangjong | Gyeongjong | Seongjong | Mokjong | Hyeonjong | Deokjong | Jeongjong | Munjong Sunjong | Seonjong | Heonjong] | Sukjong | Yejong | Injong | Uijong | Myeongjong | Sinjong | Huijong | Gangjong Gojong | Wonjong | Chungnyeol Chungseon | Chungsuk | Chunghye | Chungmok | Chungjeong | Gongmin | U | Chang | Gongyang |
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