Scarlet Heart: Ryeo / Moon Lovers - Taejo

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WANG GEON

(877– 943)

( 66 years)

TAEJO

1ST MONARCH OF GORYEO

 (Reign: 918-943)

( 25 years)

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Jong Min-ki plays Taejo

ORIGINS OF TAEJO’S NAME

Taejo was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty which ruled Korea from the tenth to the fourteenth century (918 - 1392).

It was this kingdom which later gave its name to modern ‘Korea’.

As the first king of a new dynasty, historians gave him the name ‘King Taejo of Goryeo’.

The name, ‘Taejo’, comprises two Chinese characters, ‘Tae’, which means ‘very big or great’, and ‘Jo’, which means ‘grandfather’. ‘Taejo’ means ‘Great Progenitor’.

WANG GEON

BACKGROUND

(MERCHANT CLAN)

TRADE WITH CHINA

During his lifetime, King Taejo was also known as Wang Geon.

Wang Geon was born in 877 into a wealthy merchant clan based in Songak (now known as Kaesong), and which controlled trade on the Yeseong River.

His father, Wang Yung, was the clan leader and had gained much wealth from trade with China.

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His ancestors were known to have lived within ancient Goguryeo boundaries, thus making Taejo a Goguryeon by descent.

THE THREE KINGDOMS

By the first century B.C., three Korean kingdoms were established.

Goguryeo rose in the north. It would eventually encompassed much of what is today North Korea, a large portion of modern South Korea, and part of the northeastern Chinese region that would become Manchuria.

Paekche was established in the south-west.

It was followed by the powerful kingdom of Silla in the southeast.

Each of these kingdoms was under strong Chinese cultural influence, including Mahayana Buddhism (North), Confucianism and the Chinese written language.

But in the 7th century, Silla, supported by the powerful Tang Dynasty of China, conquered both Koguryeo andPaekche.

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Over the years, a more centralised Chinese style administrative trend was adopted that even included an examination system similar to what the Chinese were employing.

The Chinese language was used as the principal means of written communication and even Tang clothing styles were adopted. There were efforts put into creating a phonetic system for writing Korean which would lead to the evolution of the modern Han’gul.

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Tribute missions were sent to Tang China.

In 918, General Wang Geon declared himself king and took up arms against the Silla Dynasty. By the tenth century, Silla had lost control of the peninsula to Goryeo.

Wang Geon renamed the kingdom 'Goryeo'. Goryeo is a short form of Goguryeo.

The following year he moved the capital back to his hometown, Songak (Kaesong).

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TAEJO’S RISE TO POWER

REBELLION AGAINST

THE SILLA QUEEN

Taejo's career began in the turbulent Later Three Kingdoms period.

In the later years of Silla, many local leaders and bandits rebelled against the weak rule of Queen Jinsung.

Among those rebels, Gungye of the northwestern region and Gyeon Hwon from the southwest gained the most power.

In 895, Gungye led his forces into the far northwestern part of Silla, near Songdo. Wang Yung, Taejo’s father, along with many other local clans, quickly surrendered to Gungye.

Taejo followed his father, Wang Yung, into service under Gungye.

Taejo's ability as a military commander was soon recognized by Gungye, who promoted him to general.

THE LATER THREE KINGDOMS PERIOD

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Map of Korea during the Later Three Kingdoms period (892-936),

which immediately preceded the Goryeo period

LATER GOGURYEO

Gungye proclaimed himself king of Later Goguryeo in 901, changing the name to Taebong in 911.

In 913, Taejo was appointed Prime Minister of Taebong.

As time went by, Gungye became tyrannical.

In 918, four of his top generals agreed to overthrow Gungye's rule and to crown Taejo as their new king.

When Gungye was assassinated, the generals installed Taejo as the new king.

In 926, when Balhae was overthrown by the Khitans, the majority of its people came to Goryeo as refugees led by Balhae's last Crown Prince.

Taejo accepted them as his citizens, since they came from a common Goguryeo ancestry. He took control of their abandoned capital, Pyongyang.

Having gained control of the northern territories, Taejo then turned his sights on Later Baekje and Silla.

LATER BAEKJE

In 927, Gyeon Hwon of Later Baekje led forces into Silla's capital, Gyeongju, capturing and executing the king.

Leaving a puppet monarch in place, Gyeon Hwon turned his army toward Goryeo.

The Goryeo forces suffered a disastrous defeat but Goryeo quickly recovered from its defeat and later successfully conquered Later Baekje.

SILLA

In 935, Silla's last king, surrendered to Taejo and  Taejo accepted his daughter as one of his wives.

THE KHITANS

During the 10th century, the Khitans tried to establish relations with Goryeo at least on two occasions.

In 942, the Khitan ruler, Taizu, sent an embassy with a gift of 50 camels to Goryeo, but Taejo refused them, banishing the envoys and starving the camels to death.

Goryeo had maintained relations with most of the 'Five Dynasties’ and southern kingdoms in China.

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By 962, formal relations were established with the Song dynasty. Relations with Song were close, with many embassies being exchanged between Goryeo and Song, but relations would be interrupted by the rise of the Liao and Jin dynasties.

HOW DID TAEJO CONSOLIDATE

HIS POWER?

1. GIVING LANDS AND TITLES

Realizing that the security of his kingdom depended on the support of the rulers and nobles of the territories he had annexed, Taejo gave them land and titles. 

In this way he secured stability and unity for his kingdom which had been lacking in the later years of the Silla Dynasty.

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2. ALLIANCE WITH LOCAL CLANS

Taejo did not try to conquer and bring powerful local clan leaders under his direct control.

He consolidated his power not by centralising the government, but by seeking alliances and cooperation through intermarriage with the daughters of the local strongmen or clan leaders. 

POLYGYNY

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Taejo married the daughters of everylocal clan leader. He had six queens, and many more wives.

This gained him a certain amount of support from the clans.

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But, the disadvantage was it also produced a large number of nobles claiming connections to the throne and a right to be in the inner circle.

He also controlled the the leaders by requiring them to send relatives as hostages to reside in the capital.

EMPEROR TAEJO

FAMILY

Father: Wang Yung

Mother: Lady Han

TAEJO

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Jong Min-ki

NO

NAME OF EMPRESS / CONSORT  & OFFSPRINGS

CLAN

1

EMPRESS SINHYE

Yoo

2

EMPRESS JANGHWA

HYEJONG OF GORYEO / EMPEROR HYEJONG

(WANG MU)

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Wang Mu played by Kim San Ho

Oh

3

EMPRESS SINMYEONGSUNSEONG

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Empress Dowager Yoo played by Park Ji-young

JEONGJONG I OF GORYEO / EMPEROR JEONGJONG

(WANG YO)

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Wang Yo played by Hong Jong-hyun

GWANGJONG OF GORYEO / EMPEROR GWANGJONG

(WANG SO)

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Wang So played by Lee Joon Gi

King Munwon

Lord Jeungtong

Princess Nangrang

Princess Heungbang

Yoo

4

EMPRESS SINJEONG DAEJONG

Hwangbo

5

EMPRESS DEAMOK

6

EMPRESS SINSEONG

Anjong (Wang Uk / Wang Wook?)

Prince Imperial Hyoui

Kim

7

EMPRESS JEONGDEOK

Prince Wangwui

Prince In-ae

Crown Prince Wonjang

Yoo

8

EMPRESS MUNHYE

-

9

EMPRESS SEONEUI

-

10

Queen Hyunmok

Prince Sumyeong

Pyung

11

Royal Consort Jeongmok

Wang

12

Queen Dowager Sunan

-

13

Royal Consort Dongyang

Prince Hyomok

Prince Hyoeun

Yoo

14

Royal Consort Sukmok

Prince Wonnyeong

-

15

Consort Cheonanbu

Prince Hyoseong

Prince Hyoji

Lim

16

Consort Heungbok

Princess Ilhu

Hong

17

Consort Daeryang

Lee

18

Consort Daemyeongju

Wang

19

Consort Geangju

Wang

20

Consort Sogwangju

Prince Gwangju

Wang

21

Consort Dongsan

Pak

22

Consort Yehwa

Wang

23

Consort Daeseo

Kim

24

Consort Soseo

Kim

25

Consort Seojeon

-

26

Consort Sinju

Kang

27

Consort Weolhwa

-

28

Consort Sohwang

-

29

Consort Seongmu

Prince Hyoje

Prince Hyomyeong

Prince Beopdeung

Prince Jari

Pak

30

Consort Euiseongbu

Grand Prince Euiseongbu

Hong

31

Consort Weolgyeong

Pak

32

Consort Mongryang

Pak

33

Consort Haeryang

-

SOURCE: NEW WORLD ENCYCLOPAEDIA

3. SUPPORTING BUDDHISM

The other ways that Taejo used to gain the support of the people included patronising Buddhism andConfucianism.

BUDDHISM: THE NATIONAL RELIGION

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He built many Buddhist temples in the capital and worked for harmony among the Buddhist sects.

He continued the Silla Festival of Light every year on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month to celebrate the Buddha and pray for peace and prosperity for the state and the royal house.

Taejo promoted Buddhism as the national religion. He wrote Ten Injunctions, a treatise containing his philosophies regarding governance, including instructions that the government must not interfere with Buddhism.

DEATH AND LEGACY

Taejo ruled Goryeo until 943. He died from disease.

UNIFICATION OF THE ENTIRE KOREAN PENINSULA

In 936, the entire Korean peninsula was unified and all Korean people were united for the first time in Korean history. 

Korea remained united for more than 1,000 years, right up to 1948 when Korea was divided into the North and the South.

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Tomb of King Taejo of Goryeo, located in Kaesong