Taejo of Goryeo (January 31,
877-Europe:* The Danes take Exeter, England.* Aed Whitefoot succeeds Constantine I of Scotland.* Pope John VIII requests the help of Charles the Bald, King of West Francia, against attacks by the Saracens in Italy....
-July 4,
943-Europe:* King Constantin II of Scotland retires and becomes a monk, succeeded by his cousin Malcolm I of Scotland.* Caspian expeditions of the Rus: The city of Barda, Azerbaijan is captured.-Deaths:* Harald I of Norway* Wang Kon, founder of the Koryo dynasty...
, r. 918-943), was the founder of the
GoryeoThe Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a sovereign state established in 918 by King Taejo. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
Dynasty, which ruled
KoreaKorea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
from the 10th to the 14th century.
Background
Taejo Wang Geon was born in 877 and was a descendant of a merchant family at
SongdoSongdo , meaning "city of pines," can refer to:*Kaesong, North KoreaSongdo , meaning "isle of pines," can refer to:*New Songdo City, a planned ubiquitous city near Incheon, South Korea*Songdo *Songdo , area 2.4 km²....
(present-day
KaesŏngKaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
), who controlled trade on the
Yeseong RiverThe Ryesŏng River is a river of North Korea. It flows from north to south, emptying into the Yellow Sea by Ganghwa Island, just west of the mouth of the River Imjin....
. His father, Wang Ryung, gained much wealth from trade with
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
. His ancestors were known to have lived within ancient Goguryeo boundaries, thus making Wang Geon a man of Goguryeo by descent.
Rise to power
Taejo began his career in the turbulent
Later Three Kingdoms periodThe Later Three Kingdoms of Korea consisted of Silla, Hubaekje , and Taebong . The latter two were viewed as heirs to the earlier Three Kingdoms of Korea, which had been united by Silla...
(후삼국 시대;
後三國時代). In the later years of
SillaSilla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and the longest sustained dynasty in Asian history. Although it was founded by King Park Hyeokgeose, who is also known to be the originator of the Korean family name Park , the dynasty was to see the Kyungju Kim clan hold rule for most of its...
, many local leaders and bandits rebelled against the rule of Queen
JinsungQueen Jinseong of Silla was the fifty-first to ruler of the Korean kingdom, Silla. She was also Silla's third and final reigning queen . Her reign saw the end of Unified Silla and the beginning of the Later Three Kingdoms period.Jinseong was the daughter of King Gyeongmun...
, who did not have strong leadership or policy to improve the condition of the people. Among those rebels,
Gung YeGung Ye was the king of a short-lived state on the Korean peninsula. Although he was a member of the Silla royal family, he became a victim of power struggle among royal family members at the late 9th century Silla and at last became rebel leader against the unpopular Silla government, which...
(궁예;
弓裔) of northwestern region and
Gyeon HwonGyeon 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...
(견훤;
甄萱) of southwest gained more power. They defeated and absorbed much of the other rebellion group as their troops marched against local Silla officials and bandits. In 895, Gung Ye led his forces into the far northwestern part of Silla, where Songdo was located. Wang Yung, along with many other local clans, quickly surrendered to Gung Ye. Wang Geon followed his father into service under
Gung YeGung Ye was the king of a short-lived state on the Korean peninsula. Although he was a member of the Silla royal family, he became a victim of power struggle among royal family members at the late 9th century Silla and at last became rebel leader against the unpopular Silla government, which...
, the future leader of
TaebongTaebong or Later Goguryeo was a state established by Gung Ye on the Korean peninsula in 901, during the Later Three Kingdoms period....
, and he began his service under Gungye's command.
Wang Geon's ability as a military commander was soon recognized by Gung Ye, who promoted him to general and even regarded him as his brother. In 900, he led a successful campaign against local clans and army of Later Baekje in
ChungjuChungju is a city in North Chungcheong province, South Korea. Namsan is a mountain located on the outskirts of the city.The city is famous for the annual martial arts festival held in October. Also of note, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon grew up here....
area, gaining more fame and recognition from the king. In 903, he led a famous naval campaign against the southwestern coastline of Hubaekje, while Gyeon Hwon was at war against Silla. He led several more military campaigns, and also helped conquered people who lived in poverty under Silla rule. Public favored him due to his leadership and generosity.
In 913, he was appointed as prime minister of the newly renamed Taebong. Its king, Gung Ye, whose leadership helped foundation of the kingdom but began to refer himself as the Buddha, began to persecute people who expressed their opposition against his religious arguments. He executed many monks, then later even his own wife and two sons, and the public began to turn away from him. His costly rituals and harsh rule caused even more opposition.
Rise to the throne and founding of Goryeo
In 918, four top-ranked generals of Taebong—Hong Yu (홍유;
洪儒), Bae Hyeongyeong (배현경;
裵玄慶),
Shin Sung-gyeomShin Sung-gyeom was a Korean general during the turbulent Later Three Kingdoms period in the early 10th century. Born in Gwanghaeju , he became a general in the kingdom of Taebong...
(신숭겸;
申崇謙) and Bok Jigyeom (복지겸;
卜智謙)—met secretly and agreed to overthrow Gungye's rule and crown Wang Kon as their new king. Wang first opposed the idea but later agreed to their plan. At the same year Gung Ye was overthrown and killed near his capital, Cheorwon. When Gung Ye was assassinated in 918, the generals selected him to be the new king of this short-lived state. Wang was crowned king and renamed the kingdom Goryeo, thus beginning Goryeo Dynasty. The next year he moved the capital back to his hometown, Songak.
He promoted Buddhism as national religion, and called for the reconquest of northern part of Korea and Manchuria, which was controlled by
BalhaeBalhae was an ancient Korean kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-young, a former Goguryeo general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae...
. Balhae's rule over 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-hyeonDae Gwang-hyeon was the last Crown Prince of Balhae and a member of the Balhae Royal Family, and was the leader of the Balhae refugees who sought refuge in the Korean Kingdom of Goryeo.- Background :...
. Taejo accepted them as his citizens, since Balhae and Goryeo came from common ancestry of
GoguryeoGoguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
, and captured the old, then abandoned capital city of Goguryeo,
P'yŏngyangPyongyang is the capital of North Korea, located on the Taedong River. According to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,388.The city was split from the South P'yŏngan province in 1946...
. 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 Hubaekje led forces into Silla's capital,
GyeongjuGyeongju 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...
, capturing and executing its king,
King GyeongaeGyeongae of Silla was the 55th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the son of King Sindeok by Princess Uiseong, and was the younger brother of King Gyeongmyeong, who preceded him to the throne....
. Then he established King Gyeongsun as his puppet monarch before he turned his army toward Goryeo. Taejo, hearing of the news, planned to strike with 5000 cavalrymen Gyeon's troops on the way back home at Gongsan near
DaeguDaegu , also spelled Taegu, and officially called the Daegu Metropolitan City, with over 2.5 million people, is the fourth largest city in South Korea after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon...
. He met Hubaekje forces and suffered disastrous defeat, losing most of his army including his generals Kim Nak and
Shin SunggyeomShin Sung-gyeom was a Korean general during the turbulent Later Three Kingdoms period in the early 10th century. Born in Gwanghaeju , he became a general in the kingdom of Taebong...
, the very same man who crowned Wang as a king. However, Goryeo quickly recovered from defeat and successfully defended Hubaekje attack on its front.
In 935, the last king of Silla, King Gyeongsun, felt there was no way to revive his kingdom and surrendered his entire land to Taejo. Taejo gladly accepted his surrender and 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 single local leader). It caused much disgust to Gyeon Hwon. Gyeon's father, who held his own claim of
SangjuSangju is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Although Sangju is rather rural, it is very old and was once a key city. Along with Gyeongju, it gives rise to half of the name of the Gyeongsang provinces...
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,
SingeomSingeom was the second and final king of Hubaekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. He came to the throne after conspiring with his two brothers, Yanggeom and Yonggeom, to overthrow their father Gyeon Hwon and kill the anointed heir, their younger brother Geumgang.The brothers placed...
(신검;
神劍), 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
GojoseonGojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom, considered the first proper nation of the Korean people. According to the Samguk Yusa and other Korean medieval-era records, Gojoseon is said to have been founded in 2333 BC by the legendary Dangun, who is said to be the Posterity of Heaven...
; 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
BalhaeBalhae was an ancient Korean kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-young, a former Goguryeo general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called 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 in his leadership and comparisons with the current situation.
Family
- Father: Wang Ryung (왕 륭)
- Mother: Empress Wisuk (위숙왕후 한씨)
- Consorts:
- Empress Sinhye (신혜왕후)
- Empress Janghwa (장화왕후)
- Empress Sinmyeongsunseong (신명순성왕후)
- Empress Sinjeong (신정왕후)
- Empress Sinseong (신성왕후)
- Empress Jeongdeok (정덕왕후)
- Emperor Hyejong
Hyejong of Goryeo was the second monarch of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He was preceded by Emperor Taejo and succeeded by Jeongjong I of Goryeo.-Early life:...
(혜종), Only Son of Empress Janghwa.
- Emperor Jeongjong
Jeonjong of Goryeo was the third monarch of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of Emperor Taejo, the founder of the kingdom, and was born more than a decade before Goryeo was formally established...
(정종), 1st Son of Empress Sinmyeongsunseong.
- Emperor Gwangjong
Gwangjong was the fourth monarch of the Goryeo, which ruled Korea from the fall of Silla in 935 until the founding of Joseon in 1392.Gwangjong was a reformer...
(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.
Popular Culture
In the year 2000, there was a new 200 episode drama,
Taejo Wang GeonTaejo Wang Geon was a 200-episode Korean drama starring Choi Soo Jong in the title role. It became very successful, reaching very high ratings, around 60%.-Facts:*Director: Kim Jong Sun*Writer: Lee Hwan Kyung...
based on Taejo (Wang Gun)'s life. It starred
Choi Soo JongChoi Soo-Jong is a Korean actor. Choi made his debut in 1987 as a young actor in the TV soap opera ‘Love Tree’. He has appeared in movies, television and as an MC on various award shows. He has received worldwide recognition for his leading roles in several highly successful shows...
in the leading role.
"Wang Kon" Emperor Taejo of Goryeo is a playable leader of the Korean Empire in Civilization III: Play the World and
Civilization IV: WarlordsCivilization IV: Warlords is the first official expansion pack of the critically-acclaimed turn-based strategy video game Civilization IV.-Features:Warlords added many new features to the original game...
.
See also
- Rulers of Korea
- History of Korea
The history of Korea stretches from Lower Paleolithic times to the present. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began before 6000 BC, followed by the Bronze Age around 2500 BC...
- List of Korea-related topics
- Wang (family name)
External links