Myeongjong (Goryeo)

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Myeongjong
19th King of the Goryeo Dynasty

Spelling of names
Hangeul 명종
Hanja 明 宗
Revised Romanization Myeongjong
McCune-Reischauer Myŏngjong
Reign
Reign of 1170
Reign until 1197
predecessor King Uijong
successor King Sinjong
Life dates
Born on the November 8, 1131
place of birth Kaesŏng , Goryeo
Birth Name 왕호
Hanja 王 晧
Revised Romanization Wang Ho
McCune-Reischauer Wang Ho
father King Injong ( 인종 )
mother Queen Gongye of Jangheung In the Clan ( 공예 )
Death dates
Died on December 3, 1202
Place of death Kaesŏng , Goryeo
Spouses, mistresses, offspring
Woman (s) Queen Uijeong of the Kaesong Wang Clan ( 의정 )
Sons King Gangjong ( 강종 )
Daughters Princess Yeonhee ( 연희 )
Princess Suan ( 수안 )

King Myeongjong ( Korean 명종 ) (born November 8, 1131 in Kaesŏng , Kingdom of Goryeo ; † December 3, 1202 in Kaesŏng, Goryeo) was the 19th king of the Goryeo Empire and the Goryeo Dynasty during his reign from 1170 to 1197 ( 고려 왕조 ) (918-1392).

Life

Myeongjong was the third-born son of King Injong ( 고려 ) and his wife Queen Gongye ( 공예 ), who came from the Jangheung Im clan. At his birth, Myeongjong was given the name Wang Ho ( 왕호 ). King Myeongjong was married to Queen Uijeong ( 의정 ), who came from the Kaesong Wang clan. The marriage resulted in a son and two daughters. His son later became the 22nd ruler of the Goryeo Empire after King Huijong ( 희종 ) under the name Gangjong ( 강종 ).

King Myeongjong came to power after his brother King Uijong ( 의종 ) was deposed after an army rebellion in 1170. Uijong had led an extravagant lifestyle, had palaces and gardens built for himself, and hadn't been too bothered about government. The military was also not appreciated in its role for the state by him and his administration, rather humiliated. When Uijong was traveling to Pohyon Temple, the three commanders Jeong Jungbu ( 정중부 ), Yi Uibang ( 이의 방 ) and Yi Ko ( 이고 ), who had to escort him , rebelled and pulled the military on their side. They took power in the state and ensured that Uijong was deposed and that Uijong's son could not accept the line of succession. Instead, they installed Myeongjong as king, but secured power and influence in the empire.

During King Myeongjong's entire reign, he wasn't really the one in power in the kingdom. For the military, he was only a figurehead. In the army, Jeong Jung-bu , Yi Ui-bang and Yi Ko initially held power and determined the affairs of state. They installed the jung-bang ( 중방 ), a kind of supreme military council. But disagreement between the three led to the fact that Yi Ko was first killed by Yi Ui-bang and this last by Jeong Jung-bu , who was now able to rule alone for a few years. In 1179 he himself was murdered by the young commander Gyeong Dae-seung ( 경대승 ), who controlled the royal court until his death in 1183. After his death, the empire plunged into chaos again and Yi Ui-min ( 이의민 ), who was originally a slave, usurped power and ruled with cruelty for a little over a decade until he was led by General Choe Chung-heon ( 최충헌 ) ( 최충헌 ) has been eliminated. Choe Chung-heon restored order and order in the empire, deposed King Myeongjong and replaced him with his younger brother King Sinjong ( 신종 ).

The royal court remained under the rule of the military for several decades until the Mongol invasion , then came under the influence of the Mongol Empire and only regained its sovereignty under King Gongmin ( 공민 ), the 33rd monarch of the Goryeo dynasty.

King Myeongjong, who was only a puppet in the eyes of the military, died in 1202. His tomb is unknown.

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).
  • Michael J. Pettid, Mark C. Mueller, Raymond F. Wall : Kang Kamch'an . In: Yang Hi Choe-Wall (Ed.): Encyclopedia of Korea . Australian National University , Canberra May 1999 (English).
  • Han Young Woo : Ancient / Goryeo Era . In: A Review of Korean History . Volume 1 . Kyongsaewon Publishing Company , Pajubookcity, Gyeonggi-do 2010, ISBN 978-89-8341-091-7 (English, translated from Korean by Hahm Chaibong).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Han : Ancient / Goryeo Era . 2010, p.  369 .
  2. ↑ 명종 [ 明 宗 , 1131 ~ 1202]. In: Doopedia . Doosan Corporation . Retrieved November 10, 2019 (Korean).
  3. ↑ Pettid, Mueller, Wall : Chŏng Chungbu (1106 to 1179) . In: Encyclopedia of Korea . 1999, p.  211 .
  4. ^ Lee : A New History of Korea . 1984, p.  140 .
  5. ↑ a b c Pettid, Mueller, Wall : Myŏngjong, King (r. 1170-1197) . In: Encyclopedia of Korea . 1999, p.  967 .
personal data
SURNAME Myeongjong
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wang Ho
BRIEF DESCRIPTION 19. King of the Goryeo Empire and the Goryeo Dynasty
DATE OF BIRTH November 8, 1131
PLACE OF BIRTH Kaesŏng , Goryeo
DATE OF DEATH December 3, 1202
Place of death Kaesŏng , Goryeo