Bojang of Goguryeo
Encyclopedia
Bojang of Goguryeo (r. 642–668) was the 28th and last king of Goguryeo
the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
. He was placed on the throne by the military leader Yeon Gaesomun
. His reign ended when Goguryeo fell to the allied forces of the southern Korean kingdom of Silla
and the Tang Dynasty
China
.
.
Bojang was son of the younger brother of the previous king Yeongnyu
. In 642, the general Yeon Gaesomun
carried out a coup d'etat
and killed Yeongnyu and many of his supporters. Bojang was then placed on the throne.
For most of his reign, Bojang was a puppet Emperor, giving a veneer of legitimacy to Yeon Gaesomun's military rule. For example, at Yeon's instigation he supported Taoism
and issued edicts repressing Buddhism
in the country, which had formerly been officially Buddhist.
Goguryeo experienced many natural disasters during his reign.
, in alliance with the third of the Three Kingdoms, Baekje
. Silla was further isolated by Goguryeo's restored relations with the Wa
of Japan
. In 642, Silla sent Kim Chun-chu to negotiate a treaty, but when Yeon Gaesomun demanded the return of the Seoul
region, talks broke down, leading Silla to eventually ally with the Tang Dynasty.
In 645, the Tang Taizong led a major expedition against Goguryeo by land and sea, but Yeon Gaesomun and Yang Manchun
repelled the invasion, as well as subsequent smaller attacks by the Tang. In 654, Goguryeo attacked the Khitan
s, who were allied with the Tang. In 655, Goguryeo and Baekje attacked Silla.
The Baekje kingdom finally fell to Silla-Tang in 660. Yeon Gaesomun defeated major invasions of Pyongyang
in 661 and Sasu River in 662, but Silla and Tang were now free to focus and intensify their attacks against Goguryeo. In 663, the Baekje revival movement ended as its leader Buyeo Pung
retreated to Goguryeo.
After the death of Yeon Gaesomun in 666, Bojang was unable to gain control over the country, which instead was wracked by a succession struggle between Yeon's sons.
defected and 40 castles near the border surrendered to the Tang, while Yeon Jeong-to defected to Silla.
The Goguryeo capital fell to Silla-Tang forces in the ninth lunar month
of 668, and King Bojang was captured. He was appointed to the minister of public works (工部尚書) by Tang Gaozong.
Tang faced increasing problems ruling the former inhabitants of Goguryeo, as well as Silla's resistance to Tang's remaining presence on the Korean Peninsula. In 677, Tang crowned Bojang "King of Joseon" and put him in charge of the Liaodong commandery (Hangul
: 요동주도독 조선왕 Hanja
:遼東州都督朝鮮王) of the Protectorate General to Pacify the East
.
However, King Bojang continued to foment rebellions against Tang in an attempt to revive Goguryeo, organizing Goguryeo refugees and allying with the Malgal tribes. He was eventually banished to Szechuan in 681, and died the following year.
Because Bojang was the last ruler of Goguryeo, he did not receive a temple name
after his death. There was a brief attempt at Goguryeo restoration made by Anseung
, who ultimately surrendered to Silla.
King Bojang of Goguryeo, was also the last of King Dongmyeong of Goguryeo (Jumong was the founding Monarch of Goguryeo) ancestors to rule Goguryeo.
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
. He was placed on the throne by the military leader Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun was a powerful and controversial military dictator and Generalissimo in the waning days of Goguryeo, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. Yeon is also remembered for a number of successful resistance in military conflicts with Tang Dynasty under Emperor Li Shimin and...
. His reign ended when Goguryeo fell to the allied forces of the southern Korean kingdom of Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
and the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Background
The period of his rule over Goguryeo is recounted in the final two books of the Goguryeo annals in the Samguk SagiSamguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
.
Bojang was son of the younger brother of the previous king Yeongnyu
Yeongnyu of Goguryeo
King Yeongnyu of Goguryeo was the 27th king of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.-Background:He was the younger half-brother of the 26th king Yeong-yang, and son of the 25th king Pyeongwon...
. In 642, the general Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun was a powerful and controversial military dictator and Generalissimo in the waning days of Goguryeo, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. Yeon is also remembered for a number of successful resistance in military conflicts with Tang Dynasty under Emperor Li Shimin and...
carried out a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
and killed Yeongnyu and many of his supporters. Bojang was then placed on the throne.
For most of his reign, Bojang was a puppet Emperor, giving a veneer of legitimacy to Yeon Gaesomun's military rule. For example, at Yeon's instigation he supported Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
and issued edicts repressing Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in the country, which had formerly been officially Buddhist.
Goguryeo experienced many natural disasters during his reign.
Reign
Goguryeo continued battle against the southern Korean kingdom of SillaSilla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
, in alliance with the third of the Three Kingdoms, Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
. Silla was further isolated by Goguryeo's restored relations with the Wa
Wa (Japan)
Japanese is the oldest recorded name of Japan. Chinese, Korean, and Japanese scribes regularly wrote Wa or Yamato "Japan" with the Chinese character 倭 until the 8th century, when the Japanese found fault with it, replacing it with 和 "harmony, peace, balance".- Historical references :The earliest...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In 642, Silla sent Kim Chun-chu to negotiate a treaty, but when Yeon Gaesomun demanded the return of the Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
region, talks broke down, leading Silla to eventually ally with the Tang Dynasty.
In 645, the Tang Taizong led a major expedition against Goguryeo by land and sea, but Yeon Gaesomun and Yang Manchun
Yang Manchun
Yang Manchun is the name given to the Goguryeo commander of Ansi fortress in the 640s.Ansi fortress was located on the Goguryeo-Chinese border, probably present-day Haicheng. Yang is sometimes credited with saving the kingdom by his refusal to surrender the fortress to invading Tang...
repelled the invasion, as well as subsequent smaller attacks by the Tang. In 654, Goguryeo attacked the Khitan
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
s, who were allied with the Tang. In 655, Goguryeo and Baekje attacked Silla.
The Baekje kingdom finally fell to Silla-Tang in 660. Yeon Gaesomun defeated major invasions of Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
in 661 and Sasu River in 662, but Silla and Tang were now free to focus and intensify their attacks against Goguryeo. In 663, the Baekje revival movement ended as its leader Buyeo Pung
Buyeo Pung
Buyeo Pung, known as in Japan, was one of the sons of King Uija of Baekje. When Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, fell to the alliance of Silla and Tang Dynasty in 660, he was in the Wa state of Japan to ensure the alliance between Japan and Baekje. However, there is much dispute about...
retreated to Goguryeo.
After the death of Yeon Gaesomun in 666, Bojang was unable to gain control over the country, which instead was wracked by a succession struggle between Yeon's sons.
Fall of Goguryeo
As internal struggles continued in Goguryeo, Yeon NamsaengYeon Namsaeng
Yeon Namsaeng was the eldest son of the Goguryeo Dae Mangniji Yeon Gaesomun . In 665, Yeon Namsaeng succeeded his father and became the 2nd Dae Magniji of Goguryeo.- Background :...
defected and 40 castles near the border surrendered to the Tang, while Yeon Jeong-to defected to Silla.
The Goguryeo capital fell to Silla-Tang forces in the ninth lunar month
Lunar month
In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two identical syzygies . There are many variations. In Middle-Eastern and European traditions, the month starts when the young crescent moon becomes first visible at evening after conjunction with the Sun one or two days before that evening...
of 668, and King Bojang was captured. He was appointed to the minister of public works (工部尚書) by Tang Gaozong.
Tang faced increasing problems ruling the former inhabitants of Goguryeo, as well as Silla's resistance to Tang's remaining presence on the Korean Peninsula. In 677, Tang crowned Bojang "King of Joseon" and put him in charge of the Liaodong commandery (Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 요동주도독 조선왕 Hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
:遼東州都督朝鮮王) of the Protectorate General to Pacify the East
Protectorate General to Pacify the East
The Protectorate-General to Pacify the East was a short-lived military government established at Pyongyang by Tang Dynasty China in 668. It played an important role in the turbulent events of the peninsula in the late 7th century....
.
However, King Bojang continued to foment rebellions against Tang in an attempt to revive Goguryeo, organizing Goguryeo refugees and allying with the Malgal tribes. He was eventually banished to Szechuan in 681, and died the following year.
Because Bojang was the last ruler of Goguryeo, he did not receive a temple name
Temple name
Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean , and Vietnamese royalty. They should not be confused with era names. Compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive...
after his death. There was a brief attempt at Goguryeo restoration made by Anseung
Anseung
Anseung , alternately Ansun , was thought to be either the nephew or illegitimate grandson of king Bojang of Goguryeo, the last King of Goguryeo...
, who ultimately surrendered to Silla.
King Bojang of Goguryeo, was also the last of King Dongmyeong of Goguryeo (Jumong was the founding Monarch of Goguryeo) ancestors to rule Goguryeo.
Family
- Sons:
- Go Bok-nam 고복남- Last Crown Prince of GoguryeoGoguryeoGoguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
. - Go Im-mu 고임무- Last Magniji of GoguryeoGoguryeoGoguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
. - Go Ryeon 고련
- Go DeokmuGo DeokmuGo Deokmu was a prince of Goguryeo and the founder of Lesser Goguryeo. He was the third son of King Bojang.- Revival movement :...
고덕무 - Go Yak-gwang 고약광- Ancestor of the Koma clan in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
- Go Bok-nam 고복남- Last Crown Prince of Goguryeo
- Grandson:
- Go Bowon 고보원- Go Bok-nam's son
- Go Jin 고진 - Go Ryeon's son
Offices held
See also
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- List of Korean monarchs
- List of Korea-related topics
- Three Kingdoms of KoreaThree Kingdoms of KoreaThe Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...