The kingdom of Koryŏ , in revised romanisation: Goryeo (고려), is the State which occupies the Korea beginning of the 10th century at the end of the XIV {{E}} century. Its capital, Kaesong, are located today in North Korea.

History

End of Silla

Towards the end of the IX {{E}}, the kingdom of Silla declined; it had to face one period of Civil war and country risings, with scissions in small States which proclaimed their independence. The principal rebellions were led by Gung Ye (궁예弓裔, died into 918), Gi Hwin (기휜), Yang Gil (양길) and Gyon Hwon (견훤).

In 918, Wanggeon or Wang Kon, wire of a commercial rich person of Songak (current Kaesong) and former dignitary of Silla, proclaimed chief of a State known as of Koryŏ , which marked the end of the time of the Korea unified in the kingdom of Silla, and the one period intermediate beginning, said posterior Period of the Three Kingdoms (see this article) , which lasted until in 935. Two other kingdoms were founded: Hu-Koguryŏ (후고구려, is posterior Koguryo, later famous Taebong (태봉)) by Gung Ye, and Hupaekche (후백제, is posterior Paekche) . The period ended with the defeat and the annexation of Hu-Paekche by Wang Kon, combined in Taebong, in 935.

Establishment of the dynasty

Of 918 with 935, Koryo takes the control of the peninsula, and extends. The conquest towards north goes to the river Chongchon, and stops vis-a-vis the Khitan S. Thereafter, the border is strengthened, with the manner of the Roman Limes , on the lower course of the Amnokgang, and average Amnokgang to the Mer of the east.

In order to strengthen its capacity, fourth king Koryŏ, Gwangjong, a series of laws enacted, of which the stamping from the slaves in 958, and the creation of a recruitment competition for the civils servant (see administrative Œuvre ). He proclaimed Empereur. Gradually, by this administrative work, kings Koryŏ succeeded in disciplining the local lords gradually, drank reached under the eleventh king of the dynasty, Munjong (문종, 文宗). Munjong and its successors affirmed the authority of the civilian on the soldier.

In spite of accomplished administrative work until approximately 1000 (contest, sinicization, assimilation of the former elites), the capacity of the dynasty could not be essential completely completely. Local potentates kept a share of their autonomy.

Weakening of the central authority

The imperial wives, of eleventh (Munjong) with the seventeenth king (Injong), come from the house Li of Inju (인주이씨, 仁州李氏). With each marriage, Li gained capacity on the kings, which led to the coup d'etat of Li Jagyeom in 1126. In spite of its failure, the power of the monarch was reached in the spirits, and Koryŏ had to undergo a civil war within the nobility.

In 1135, Myo Chung proposed to move the capital with Seogyeong (current Pyongyang). This proposal divided the nobility:

• the ones supported Myo Chung, believing in this displacement and especially in its significance, the continuation of the conquest in Mandchourie;
• the others, following Kim Busik (author of the Samguk sagi), preferred the status quo. Myo Chung could not convince the king, and revolted. It failed.

In 1170, the soldiers carried out by Jeong Jungbu (정중부, 鄭仲夫) and Li Uibang (이의방, 李義方) seized the power. King Injong left in exile, and Myeongjong (명종, 明宗) was crowned in its place. The civil civils servant were put at the variation, with the profit of the soldiers. One long period of instability followed, between military coups d'etat at the top of the State and country revolts at the base.

The Mongolian invasion

As of the beginnings of the Mongolian expansion, Koryŏ had to suffer from its raids. First of all in fact the Khitan S were driven back in the peninsula. The Jin S (China) required then a tribute.

An alliance is however tied with the Mongols, which makes it possible to drive out Khitans of Korea. A tribute must then be versed to the Mongols.

The Mongolian invade Koryŏ in 1231, and the king signs his rendering in 1232: a general representing the Mongolian emperor settles with Kaesong. King Choi Chungeon (최충헌, 崔忠獻) flees on the island of Kanghwa the same year, exhorting everyone with armed resistance. A second invasion is started by the death of the Mongolian general. In 1235, after a third invasion, permanent garrisons are imposed. The campaigns as the cities are put at bag. The king resists Kanghwado, but does not intervene.

In 1254, 200.000 Koreans die during the fourth Mongolian invasion. The Tripitaka is destroyed. The king refuses as for him to return on the continent as long as the Mongols are present, then yields in 1258. Some military dignitaries refuse this rendering, and form the Rébellion Sambyeolcho, which fights in the islands of the strait of Korea, between the south of the peninsula and the Japan. The court can return to Kaegyong only in 1270, realizing hard conditions:

• the north of Korea is distributed in colonies;
• Jeju-C becomes Mongolian Haras;
• the made Mongolian representative and demolishes the law, according to the wills of Beijing;
• of protocolar and vestimentary humiliations is imposed.

Korea is used as a basis of invasion of the Japan (1274 and 1281), which is saved by the Kamikaze , the divine winds which runs the Mongolian fleet.

Expulsion of the Mongols

The Mongolian presence causes an important retreat of the faith in Bouddha, and the Confucianism occupies the released ground. It is with king Gongmin (reigning of 1351 with 1374) that the beginning of the Mongolian retreat starts. Korea however undergoes the invasion of the red Turbans (rebellious Chinese) which devastate the country in 1360. The general Yi Seonggye overcomes Mongolian and Djourchet in 1364, but the news Dynastie Ming in China prevents it from taking again the Mandchourie.

It attacks the pirates Japan board: those carried out raids on the coasts since the 13th century, but their plunderings had become such extensive with the XIV {{E}} that the coastal areas were completely abandoned. Yi Seonggye organizes hunting for the pirates and eradic this danger, which is worth a great popularity to him. The king, passed under the influence of the monk Sin-Tone, is assassinated (1374) and the Mongolian faction seizes the power. It pays tribute in Ming starting from 1384, which decides to establish a commandery in Hamkyong.

This causes the decision to invade Yodong, in China, 1388. The general Yi Seonggye is in charge of the command of the army (38 000 men). But this one made half-turn at the border and seizes the power in 1392. It founds the dynasty Chosŏn, and reinforces its capacity by land reforms.

Administrative work

The Koryŏ dynasty founded in 958, on the Chinese model, a recruitment competition of the public office. Three tests were organized, of which one (myŏnggyŏng kwa) was devoted to the reading and the interpretation of the traditional ones. It was a considerable progress, which made it possible to select ready to fill the administrative tasks. These is also the contest which pushed the easy class being studied of traditional Chinese, and thus with the impregnation of the spirits by philosophy confucéenne. The contest was abolished only in 1895.

With Xe century also, a high-civil servant, Choe Seung-ro (927 - 989) write a length report intended for the king, dealing with all the contemporary problems, and which constitutes a handbook of good government confucéen, inspired by the principle regulating the coexistence of the Bouddhisme and the Confucianism:

“ Buddhism is used for the culture of oneself, the Confucianism with the management of the country; the culture of oneself, it is for the future life, the management of the country, it is the task of the present. ”

The caste of civils servant created by this contest devoted herself completely to the State, which n the other hand ensured a strong social rise these people of modest origin. She also contributed to diffuse philosophy confucéenne.

The fifth king, Gyeongjong (경종, 景宗), launched a program of cadastral regrouping , Jeonsigwa (전시과, 田柴科). The sixth king, Seongjong, (성종, 成宗) engaged of the civils servant for local management, role previously held by lords.

Religion and arts

Under the Koryo dynasty, the Bouddhisme knows an apogee: religion of State, strongly related to the capacity, it receives many gifts of grounds of the successive kings. Its clergy also exerts a great influence. The entirety of the Buddhist gun was engraved on 80.000 wood panels, intended to call upon the assistance of the Buddha to push back the Mongols ( Tripitaka Koreana ); these panels are preserved at the temple of Haeinsa (해인사).

In the field of arts, Koryo excelled in particular in the Céramique S. the Koreans reflect at the point the Céladon, a varnish blue-green with inscrustations, finely inlaid. This ceramics was exported in all East, and is the most known form of art typically Korean.

The Koreans also invented the mobile characters in 1234, for a work on the label of the Court. A book of Buddhist sermons printed according to this method in 1377 is preserved at the National library of France. It is the oldest book in matters printed in the world, whose Korea wishes the restitution.

See too

Related articles

• Armed Mongolian

• External bonds and documents

• On the Mongolian campaigns: Laurent Quisefit. Mongolian campaigns in Korea (XIIIe century) . Books of the Center of studies of history of defense, n°23, 2004. ISBN 2-11-094729-2. On line

Notes and references of the article

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