Goryeo dynasty

King Taejo , founder of the Goryeo dynasty
Goryeo dynasty
Korean alphabet :	고려 왕조
Hanja :	高麗 王朝
Revised Romanization :	Goryeo Wangjo
McCune-Reischauer :	Koryŏ Wangjo

The Goryeo dynasty ( Korean 고려 왕조 ), also known as the Koryŏ dynasty in literature , was a ruling dynasty that lasted for more from the establishment of Goryeo in 918 to its collapse and the establishment of the Joseon Empire in 1392 when he ruled the Korean Peninsula for 470 years .

Rise to the ruling family

When the Silla Empire fell apart and the Later Baekje Empire and the Later Goguryeo Empire split off due to unrest and power struggles, it was the clan chief Wang Geon ( 왕건 ) who, under the then King of the Later Goguryeo, Gungye ( 궁예 ) , experienced his military advancement and in 918 ousted King Gungye, who was subsequently killed while on the run. Wang Geon made himself the ruler of the split off empire, which he named Goryeo based on the earlier, great and powerful Goguryeo empire, and made his hometown Songak ( 송악 ), later Kaesŏng ( 개성 ), the capital of the empire. He led victorious campaigns against the remaining empires of the former Silla and Baekje and brought them together under the name of Goryeo in 936.

Wang Geon ruled Goryeo until his death in 943 and was posthumously honored with the name Taejo 태조 , which translates as "Great Founder" , a name given to him for his services to the political reunification of the Korean Peninsula. He was followed by a total of 33 other rulers from his family line, until King Gongyang Wang ( 공양왕 ) had to cede power to Yi Seong-gye ( 이성계 ) in 1392 , who founded the Joseon Dynasty ( 조선 왕조 ) with the Joseon Kingdom ( 조선 ) and also posthumously got the title Taejo .

List of rulers of the Goryeo dynasty

#	Ruler's name	kor.	Birth Name	kor.	Lifetime	Reign	comment
1	Taejo	태조	Wang Geon	왕건	877-943	918-943	Founder of the Goryeo Dynasty and the Goryeo Empire
2	Hyejong	혜종	Wang Mu	왕무	912-945	943-945	first son of King Taejo, withstood Wang Gyu's rebellion
3	Jeongjong	정종	Wang Yo	왕요	923-949	945-949	third son of King Taejo, tried unsuccessfully to move the capital of the empire to Pyongyang
4th	Gwangjong	광종	Wang So	왕소	925-975	949-975	fourth son of King Taejo, strengthened the military of the empire
5	Gyeongjong	경종	Wang Yu	왕유	955-981	975-981	first son of King Gwangjong, bon vivant who neglected state affairs
6th	Seongjong	성종	Wang Chi	왕치	960-997	981-997	Son of Dejeong, the 7th son of King Taejo, invested in education and created the country's first national university
7th	Mokjong	목종	Wang Song	왕송	980-1009	997-1009	first son of King Gyeongjong, reorganized the ranking system for civil servants and carried out land reform
8th	Hyeonjong	현종	Wang Gu	왕구	991-1031	1009-1031	Son of Anjong, the fifth son of King Taejo, came through a conspiracy against King Mokjong to power, which gave Tripitaka Koreana in order
9	Deokjong	덕종	Wang Heum	왕흠	1016-1034	1031-1034	the first son of King Hyeonjong, gave the Cheolli Jangseong (defensive wall) against the Khitan of the Liao Dynasty in order
10	Jeongjong	정종	Wang Hyeong	왕형	1018-1046	1034-1046	second son of King Hyeonjong, had the Cheolli Jangseong completed and expanded the northern line of defense against the Khitan
11	Munjong	문종	Wang Hwi	왕휘	1019-1083	1046-1083	third son of King Hyeonjong, master of calligraphy , promoted trade and cultural exchange with the neighboring kingdoms
12	Sunjong	순종	Wang Hun	왕훈	1047-1083	1083	first son of King Munjong, died after only three months in office
13	Seonjong	선종	Wang Un	왕운	1049-1094	1083-1094	Completed second son of King Munjong, Tripitaka Koreana, promoter of Buddhism
14th	Heonjong	헌종	Wang Uk	왕욱	1084-1097	1094-1095	first son of King Seonjong, was replaced by his uncle Wang Ong because of his illness
15th	Sukjong	숙종	Wang Ong	왕옹	1054-1105	1095-1105	third son of King Munjong, was interested in literature and had the coins introduced in 996 minted in copper; strengthened the military through reorganization
16	Yejong	예종	Wang O	왕오	1079-1122	1105-1122	first son of King Sukjong, advocated the philosophy of Daoism and education
17th	Injong	인종	Wang Hae	왕해	1109-1146	1122-1146	the first son of King Yejong, himself had the rebellion, led by Kim Bu-sik , resist
18th	Uijong	의종	Wang Hyeon	왕현	1127-1173	1146-1170	first son of King Injong, led a dissolute lifestyle and despised the military; the military took power and deposed Uijong
19th	Myeongjong	명종	Wang Ho	왕호	1131-1202	1170-1197	third son of King Injong, was used by the military as a figurehead and later deposed by General Choe Chung-heon
20th	Sinjong	신종	Wang Min	왕민	1144-1204	1197-1204	Fifth son of King Injong, he too only had representative duties; the military had power
21st	Huijong	희종	Wang Yeong	왕영	1181-1237	1204-1211	first son of King Sinjong
22nd	Gangjong	강종	Wang O	왕오	1152-1213	1211-1213	first son of King Myeongjong
23	Gojong	고종	Wang Cheol	왕철	1192-1259	1213-1259	first son of King Gangjong
24	Wonjong	원종	Wang Jeong	왕정	1219-1274	1259-1274	first son of King Gojong
25th	Chungnyeol Wang	충렬왕	Wang Geo	왕거	1236-1308	1274-1308	first son of King Wonjong, beginning of the control of the Yuan Dynasty over Goryeo, recognizable by the prefix "chung" of the king's name
26th	Chungseon Wang	충선왕	Wang Jang	왕장	1275-1325	1308-1313	first son of King Chungnyeol Wang
27	Chungsuk Wang	충숙왕	Wang Do	왕도	1294-1339	1313-1330 1332-1339	second son of King Chungseon Wang
28	Chunghye Wang	충혜왕	Wang Jeong	왕정	1315-1344	1330-1332 1339-1344	first son of King Chungsuk Wang
29	Chungmok Wang	충목왕	Wang Heun	왕흔	1337-1348	1344-1348	first son of King Chunghye Wang
30th	Chungjeong Wang	충정왕	Wang Jeo	왕저	1337-1352	1348-1351	second son of King Chunghye Wang
31	Gongmin Wang	공민왕	Wang Jeon	왕전	1330-1374	1351-1374	Second son of King Chungsuk Wang, Goryeo broke out of dependence on the Yuan Dynasty, carried out reforms to restore Buddhism and land and property reform.
32	U Wang	우왕	Wang U	왕우	1365-1389	1374-1388
33	Chang Wang	창왕	Wang Chang	왕창	1380-1389	1388-1389
34	Gongyang Wang	공양왕	Wang Gongyang	왕 공양	1349-1394	1389-1392

Sources: Han, A Review of Korean History , 2010, Lee, A New History of Korea , 1984, 신재홍 , 한국 의 역사 , 2000

See also

• List of rulers of Korea

literature

• Ki-baik Lee : A New History of Korea . Harvard University Press , Seoul 1984, ISBN 0-674-61576-X (English, Chinese: 韓國 史 新 論 . 1961. Translated by Edward W. Wagner).
• Kulturstiftung Ruhr Essen, Villa Hügel (ed.): The old kingdoms . Hirmer Verlag, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-7774-8220-X .
• 신재홍 : 한국 의 역사 . Ed .: Ministry for Education . 국제 교육 진 훙원 , Seoul December 10, 2000 (Korean, English).
• Han Young Woo : Joseon Era . In: A Review of Korean History . Volume 2 . Kyongsaewon Publishing Company , Pajubookcity, Gyeonggi-do 2010, ISBN 978-89-8341-092-4 (English).
• Kyoung Moon Hwang : A History of Korea . 2nd Edition. Red Globe Press , 2016, ISBN 978-1-137-57357-5 (English).

Web links

Commons : Goryeo Dynasty  - collection of images, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Lee-Kalisch, Goepper: To the exhibition . In: The Old Kingdoms . 1999, p. 11 .
2. ↑ Han : Joseon Era . In: A Review of Korean History . 2010, p.  99 f .
3. ↑ 신재홍 : 한국 의 역사 . 2000, p.  51 f .
4. ^ Hwang : A History of Korea . 2016, p.  31 .
5. ↑ Han : Joseon Era . In: A Review of Korean History . 2010, p.  305 f .
6. ^ Lee : A New History of Korea . 1984, p.  393 .
7. ↑ 신재홍 : 한국 의 역사 . 2000, p.  205 .