Jinseong of Silla
Encyclopedia
Queen Jinseong of Silla (died 897) (r. 887–897) was the fifty-first to ruler of the Korea
n kingdom, Silla
. She was also Silla's third and final reigning queen (the other two being: Queen Seondeok of Silla
and Jindeok of Silla
). Her reign saw the end of Unified Silla
and the beginning of the Later Three Kingdoms
period.
Jinseong was the daughter of King Gyeongmun
. The younger sister of Heongang
and Jeonggang
, she rose to the throne when both of her brothers died without issue.
Jinseong is noted in the Samguk Sagi
for her immoral and licentious conduct, ranging from taking bribes to bringing cute boys into the palace and committing lewd acts with them. She also carried on an affair with the high commander (Gakgan) Wihong. It must be noted that the Samguk Sagi was written by confucianists, who held a negative view of female rule.
During her reign, public order collapsed. Taxes could no longer be collected and the military conscription system failed. Taking advantage of this domestic disarray, Yang Gil
in the northwest and Gyeon Hwon
in the southwest rebelled and founded their own kingdoms.
In 895, Jinseong appointed Heongang's illegitimate son Kim Yo
as Crown Prince. In the sixth lunar month of 897, she abdicated the throne, dying within the year. She was buried to the north of Sajasa temple in Gyeongju
.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n kingdom, Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
. She was also Silla's third and final reigning queen (the other two being: Queen Seondeok of Silla
Queen Seondeok of Silla
Queen Seondeok of Silla reigned as Queen of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first reigning queen...
and Jindeok of Silla
Jindeok of Silla
Queen Jindeok of Silla reigned as Queen of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 647 to 654. She was the kingdom's 28th ruler, and its second reigning queen following her predecessor Queen Seondeok. During her reign, Silla jockeyed with Baekje for favor in the Chinese Tang court...
). Her reign saw the end of Unified Silla
Unified Silla
Unified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
and the beginning of the Later Three Kingdoms
Later Three Kingdoms
The Later Three Kingdoms of Korea consisted of Silla, Hubaekje , and Hugoguryeo . The latter two were viewed as heirs to the earlier Three Kingdoms of Korea, which had been united by Silla, even though Hugoguryeo has little to do with Goguryeo...
period.
Jinseong was the daughter of King Gyeongmun
Gyeongmun of Silla
Gyeongmun of Silla was the 48th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the grandson of King Huigang, and the son of the Achan Kim Gye-myeong. His mother was Lady Gwanghwa, the daughter of King Sinmu. Gyeongmun married Queen Munui, who was the daughter of King Heonan.Gyeongmun's reign saw...
. The younger sister of Heongang
Heongang of Silla
Heongang of Silla was the 49th to rule the Korean kingdom of Silla. According to the Samguk Sagi, he excelled at civil affairs. Heongang was the eldest son of King Gyeongmun; his mother was Queen Munui...
and Jeonggang
Jeonggang of Silla
Jeonggang of Silla was the 50th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the son of King Gyeongmun; his siblings included his predecessor King Heongang and his successor Queen Jinseong....
, she rose to the throne when both of her brothers died without issue.
Jinseong is noted in the Samguk Sagi
Samguk 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...
for her immoral and licentious conduct, ranging from taking bribes to bringing cute boys into the palace and committing lewd acts with them. She also carried on an affair with the high commander (Gakgan) Wihong. It must be noted that the Samguk Sagi was written by confucianists, who held a negative view of female rule.
During her reign, public order collapsed. Taxes could no longer be collected and the military conscription system failed. Taking advantage of this domestic disarray, Yang Gil
Yang Gil
Yang Gil was a head of rebel forces in Silla. Hugoguryeo King Gung Ye was once under his command. Historians are uncertain about his birth, death or family line. At the time, the monarch of Silla was Queen Jinseong. In 889, the state coffers of Silla were empty, so the queen sent envoys to the...
in the northwest and Gyeon Hwon
Gyeon Hwon
Gyeon Hwon was the king and founder of Hubaekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Some records render his name as "Jin Hwon" . He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Gyeon clan...
in the southwest rebelled and founded their own kingdoms.
In 895, Jinseong appointed Heongang's illegitimate son Kim Yo
Hyogong of Silla
Hyogong of Silla was the 52nd ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the illegitimate son of King Heongang by Lady Uimyeong. He married the daughter of Ichan Ugyeom...
as Crown Prince. In the sixth lunar month of 897, she abdicated the throne, dying within the year. She was buried to the north of Sajasa temple in Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
.
See also
- List of Korean monarchs
- List of Silla people
- Unified SillaUnified SillaUnified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
- Later Three Kingdoms of Korea