Joseon
| Korean spelling | |
|---|---|
| Korean alphabet : | 조선국 |
| Hanja : | 朝鮮 國 |
| Revised Romanization : | Joseon-guk |
| McCune-Reischauer : | Choson-guk |
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History of Korea from the 10th century |
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| States of imperial unity |
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| Colonial times |
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| Division of Korea |
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Joseon was a kingdom on the Korean Peninsula . It was established in 1392 as the successor state to the Kingdom of Goryeo when Yi Seong-gye , a general from Goryeo, overthrew the king and made himself king and founded a new dynasty . In 1897 the kingdom was transformed into the Korean Empire , which continued to be ruled by the same dynasty. The term "Joseon" as a name for the country was reused from 1910 to 1945 when Korea was under Japanese rule .
history
History of the foundation
Joseon was born out of a revolution . The constant raids by the Wokou and the red turbans falling from the north raised great doubts as to whether Gongmin Wang ( kor. 공민 황 ), 31st king of the Goryeo dynasty , was still strong enough to protect the country. Furthermore, there were conflicts between the ruling families on the one hand and the intellectual bureaucrats as the liberal, aspiring class of the country on the other.
When, after Gongmin's death, at the instigation of General Yi Inmin in 1374, the eleven-year-old son of the former Buddhist monk and Prime Minister Sin Ton and a slave was enthroned as King U ( 우황 ), it was clear that the power of Goryeo was already in the hands of the military .
The monarchy's weaknesses destabilized Goryeo. In addition to the ongoing raids and plundering, a despotic class made use of the poor farmers' land and made them dependent on themselves, without U being able to do anything about it. The population finally called for a strong ruler who could put an end to the chaotic conditions in the country and help the peasants regain their rights.
founding
In 1388 General Yi Inmin was cleared out of the way by the two generals Choe Yeong and Yi Seong-gye , who had made a name for themselves in the fight against the invading Wokou. When General Choe Yeong, as commander in chief of the army, gave the order to conquer the Liaodong peninsula , which was claimed by Emperor Hongwu of the Chinese Ming Dynasty , General Yi Seong-gye reluctantly set out with his army, but immediately turned back and turned against General Choe Yeong with the support of the Ming. Yi Seong-gye, who emerged victorious from the power struggle, deposed King U in the same year and installed Gongyang, a member of the previous ruling house, as the new king in 1389 . As a military ruler, Yi Seong-gye implemented a comprehensive land reform, disempowered the old nobility and concentrated power back with the king, who he forced to abdicate in 1392.
With the military on his side and with the help of the country's intellectuals led by Jeong Do-jeon , Yi Seong-gye founded the Joseon Dynasty on July 17, 1392 and made himself king with the support of the Ming Dynasty.
Another story
King Taejo , as Yi Seong-gye was posthumously known, founded Hanyang in 1394 , making it the capital of Joseon.
Between 1592 and 1598, Japan attempted two invasions in Korea as part of the Imjin War . Admiral Yi Sun-sin , Korea's most famous military leader, was instrumental in defending the country against Japan. He had invented the first armored warship in history, a nimble galley called the Turtle Ship because of its domed bronze armored upper deck . Because of the destruction of the Japanese supply fleets by these newly developed ships and because of the dispatch of soldiers by China of the Ming Dynasty, who intervened in the battle on the Korean side, Hideyoshi had to withdraw his troops. In 1607 King Seonjo ( 선조 ) (1552-1608) sent a diplomatic delegation, called Joseon Tongsinsa ( 조선 통신사 ), to Japan for the first time to begin peace negotiations between the states. Another eleven delegation trips followed, thus ensuring peace until 1811.
From 1627, Korea came under the rule of the Manchu , who also conquered China.
From the 17th to the 19th century, Korea politically refused to open the country to the outside world. All borders were closed and all contact with foreign countries, with the exception of the Chinese Empire , was cut off. As a result, Korea was in the English language Hermit Kingdom ( " hermit kingdom called"). The affair of the American ship General Sherman , which entered Korea across the Taedong River in 1866 and kidnapped the governor of Pyongyang when the Korean regent Heungseon Daewongun under the minor King Gojong decided that the ship should be Korea, is symptomatic of the country's isolation must leave immediately. In the ensuing escalation there was heavy fighting, in which the crew was killed and the ship was set on fire by angry crowds.
In 1871, Korea made its first military contact with the United States, known in Korea as the Shinmiyangyo . From 1876, Japan imposed trade agreements on Korea. China now also promoted the opening of the country (see Paul Georg von Möllendorff ) and tried to push back the Japanese influence. After Japan won the First Sino-Japanese War against China between 1894 and 1895 , Japanese influence over Korea increased. In 1897, King Gojong proclaimed the Great Korean Empire , officially abolishing the Joseon Kingdom.
population
The population consisted of nobles and civil servants as well as the public and serfs. In addition to the upper and lower classes, there was also a middle class for the first time in Korea, which formed out of serfs during the 500 years of Joseon's existence. The aristocrats were not obliged to do military service, enjoyed a certain inviolability for themselves and their homes, as well as protection from the officials. Almost all higher offices were held by the nobility. Outwardly, too, the nobility differed from the common people in that they wore special clothing, which consisted of high, woven hats and colored clothes, while the common people were only allowed to wear undyed or white clothes. The women generally lived in strict isolation.
Schools were private institutions and based on the Chinese model. The exams were also in Chinese. Nevertheless, the common people could read and write the Korean language throughout.
Political system
construction
The state itself was a hereditary monarchy and its political status was that of a tributary vassal to China. The king chose his successor himself. Under him were three unaffiliated prime ministers, under these were the six ministers with their departments for ceremonies, war, civil administration, justice, public works and finance. Towards the end of Joseon's existence, a foreign office was added.
The six ministries ( 六 曹 , 육조 ) have existed since 1298. They were in Yukjo-geori, where Gwanghwamun Square is now.
| Ministries | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| title | Hangeul | Hanja | description |
| Ijo | 이조 | 吏 曹 | staff |
| Hojo | 호조 | 戶 曹 | Taxes |
| Yejo | 예조 | 禮 曹 | Ceremonies |
| Byeongjo | 병조 | 兵曹 | military |
| Hyeongjo | 형조 | 刑 曹 | Judiciary |
| Gongjo | 공조 | 工 曹 | public works |
Changes
The founding of Joseon was based on a fundamental change in the ruling class, away from aristocratic society and towards a bureaucratically intellectual society. The Buddhism was set as teaching overridden and the Confucian replaced worldview. It is also noteworthy for the Joseon era that the inheritance of offices was eliminated, emphasis was placed on a differentiated education system and the large landowners abolished. The life of the common people was also generally improved and the status of the peasants was strengthened.
Administration was centralized during the Joseon era.
Political structure
At the beginning, the political structure of his predecessor Goryeo was adopted in Joseon . In 1413 there was a new division into eight provinces ( Chungcheong-do , Gangwon-do , Gyeonggi-do , Gyeongsang-do , Hamgyeong-do , Hwanghae-do , Jeolla-do and Pyeongan-do ), which in turn were divided into a total of 332 districts. The provinces were each ruled by a governor. Basically, this provincial structure can still be found in the administrative structure of North and South Korea .
In 1895 a new system of 23 districts was put into effect. Each district was named after its capital. The districts were: Andong-bu , Chuncheon-bu , Chungju-bu , Daegu-bu , Dongnae-bu , Gangneung-bu , Ganggye-bu , Gapsan-bu , Gongju-bu , Gyeongseong-bu , Haeju-bu , Hamheung- bu , Hanseong-bu , Hongju-bu , Incheon-bu , Jeju-bu , Jeonju-bu , Jinju-bu , Gaeseong-bu , Naju-bu , Namwon-bu , Pyeongyang-bu , Uiju-bu .
The system of 23 districts was abolished in 1896, i.e. the following year, and the previous provinces were restored, although five of the previous provinces were divided: Chungcheong-do became Chungcheongbuk-do and Chungcheongnam-do , Gyeongsang-do Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do , Hamgyeong-do to Hamgyeongbuk-do and Hamgyeongnam-do , Jeolla-do to Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do, and Pyeongan-do to Pyeonganbuk-do and Pyeongannam-do . The division into 13 provinces had existed through all subsequent epochs of Korea until its division in 1945.
trade
China was traded overland. Since a market was only held three times a year on the border with China, sales were low.
Trade with Japan began at the end of the 16th century. For this purpose, a Japanese branch was established in Busan , from where trade routes to Tsushima and Nagasaki were established. However, trade with Japan was insignificant until the Japanese-Korean Friendship Treaty , but developed briskly thereafter.
Smuggling has been very important.
religion
After Joseon was founded, its founder, King Taejo, as Yi Seong-gye was posthumously referred to, propagated the previously established but not dominant Confucianism as an official religion .
Catholic missionaries first came to Korea from China in 1837. The new faith was initially not tolerated and violently persecuted. In 1859 there were 15,200 Christians. Persecution did not end until 1886, and freedom of religion was granted in Korea in 1899 . At the end of Joseon's existence there were around 22,000 Roman Catholic and 330 Protestant Christians living there in addition to the mainly Buddhist population.
science and technology
At the end of Joseon's existence, various sciences such as printing technology, astronomy and agronomy reached a high level. Thanks to the development of astronomy and agronomy, crop yields increased. With the help of the printing technique with movable letters (already widespread in the Goryeo empire since the 12th century) , agronomic books have also been distributed since the 16th century.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ 신형식 : Korean History . 2009, p. 100 ff .
- ↑ Eggert, Plassen: Small History of Korea . 2005, p. 64 .
- ↑ Han Young Woo : Joseon Era . 2010, p. 26 .
- ^ A b c Eggert, Plassen: Small History of Korea . 2005, p. 65 .
- ↑ Han Young Woo : Joseon Era . 2010, p. 30 .
- ↑ a b c 신형식 : Korean History . 2009, p. 102 .
- ↑ Suh Kyung-ho: Documents relating to Joseon's diplomatic missions to Japan are UNESCO World Heritage Sites . In: Koreana . Volume 13, No. 1. The Korea Foundation , 2018, ISSN 1975-0617 , p. 40 f . (German language edition).
- ↑ The Brockhaus in Text and Image 2003 [SW], electronic edition for the office library, Bibliographisches Institut & FA Brockhaus, 2003; Article: "Korea"
- ^ Brockhaus Enzyklopädie, 1991, 19th edition, 12th volume, p. 357, section: "Korea", FA Brockhaus Mannheim
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Korea . In: Brockhaus Konversations-Lexikon 1894–1896, Volume 10, p. 632.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Korea (population, trade and traffic). . In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon . 4th edition. Volume 10, Verlag des Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1885–1892, pp. 87–87.