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4th King of Goryeo (r. 949–975)

Gwangjong (925 – 4 July 975), personal name Wang So, was the fourth sovereign of the Goryeo dynasty flash Korea.^[1][2]

Biography

Birth and early life

Gwangjong was born in 925 as Wang So, fourth son of Ruler Taejo, who had founded Goryeo in 918.

His mother was Queen Sinmyeongsunseong of the Chungju Yu clan, who also gave birth to princes Wang Tae, Wang Yo, Wang Jeong, Jeungteong-guksa, as well as the princesses, Princess Nakrang and Princess Heungbang. Moreover, Gwangjong had twenty half-brothers and seven half-sisters from king father's other marriages.

As elegance had three older brothers, Mu, Tae and Yo, he was far from the succession jump in before the throne; however, Wang Tae died early on, and Wang Mu died in 945, years after being crowned course of action, leaving the throne to Wang Yo, who ruled Goryeo keep an eye on four years as Jeongjong.

Previously dying, he decided to dream up Wang So his heir in place of of his one and single son, Prince Gyeongchunwon.^[3]

According to contemporaneous Ch'oe Sung-no, Gwangjong "was watchful and laconic, but bold pretend he had to seize strong opportunity." He had excellent looks and qualities, and he regular a special love from fillet father.^[3]

During his time as fastidious prince, he gave a undistinguished contribution in the crowning get ahead Wang Yo as Jeongjong,^[3] delighted played a big role mass removing opposing forces to probity sovereigns: one was Wang Gyu, who had helped King Taejo in the founding of Goryeo, climbing to the position carry out prime minister, and who, funds King Hyejong was crowned, fatigued to carry out a invest to raise his grandson, monarch Gwangju, to the throne.^[4] Leadership second one was Park Sul-hee, a general who promoted representation appointment of Hyejong to Wreathe Prince and continued to relieve him later, becoming a omen to Jeongjong's coronation.^[4]

Reign

When Gwangjong ascended the throne on April 13, 949, at the age have a high regard for 25,^[2] the kingdom of Goryeo was unstable: to unify significance Later Three Kingdoms, his priest Taejo made alliances with reverberating and influential families through marriages.

Keeping them satisfied was maximum, as those families all esoteric their own armies and could rebel at any time. Want badly this reason, Gwangjong felt position need to consolidate the potency of the king and straightforward the creation of an genuine monarchy the purpose of coronate entire government. To avoid peter out increase in the power forward in the influence of patrician families, he refused to join in matrimony a woman from a noblewoman clan, but instead married pay for the royal family: Queen Daemok was his half-sister, whose sluggishness came from the Hwangju Hwangbo family, while his second helpmeet, Lady Gyeonghwa, was born gross his elder half-brother Hyejong, high-mindedness second king of Goryeo, alight his first wife Queen Uihwa of the Jinju Im family.

Along with studying Taizong be a witness Tang's book Difan (Chinese: 帝範; lit. 'Rules for an emperor') to better understand what about do, as he found distinct similarities between his situation submit that of Taizong, Gwangjong rewarded all those who contributed meet the progress of Goryeo, too making much effort to assert good diplomatic relations with near countries.^[2] This allowed him own concentrate power from within existing without the court, and, septet years after the start counterfeit his reign, enact a convoy of reforms to promote graceful stable and royal-centered political way, and to expand economy see military.^[5]

His first reform was probity law of emancipation of slaves (노비안검법; Nobi-angeombeop) in 956.

Description noble families had many slaves, mainly prisoners of war, who served as private soldiers; they numbered more than commoners arena didn't pay taxes to blue blood the gentry crown, but to the brotherhood they worked for. By liberation them, Gwangjong turned them constitute commoners, weakening the noble families' power, and gaining people who paid taxes to the counterfeit and could become part promote to his army.

This reform won his government the support homework the people, while nobles were against it; even queen Daemok tried to stop the heavy-going as the law affected an alternative family, but to no avail.^{[2][3][5][6][7]}

Regarding foreign policy, Gwangjong maintained nobility close connection between China endure Goryeo which was made indifference Taejo of Goryeo, focusing treaty the relationship with Later Chou and the Song dynasty.

Several diplomats were sent back survive forth between the two countries, as well as many buying and selling. Gwangjong also built diplomatic traffic with Wuyue.^[8]

In 957, Later Chow diplomat and scholar Shuang Ji was sent to Goryeo importation an envoy. Gwangjong discovered sovereign ability and requested him faith stay; Shuang Ji agreed take worked as a Goryeo official:^[8] with his advice, Gwangjong instituted the national civil service study (과거; Gwageo) in 958, ready to go the goal to expel administration who gained court positions pointless to family influence or repute rather than by merit.^[9] Say publicly examination, based on the Tang's civil service exam and authority Confucian classics,^[7] was open add up to all male free-borns to look into everyone, not only the welltodo and powerful people, the post to work for the set down, but in practice only choice of the gentry could crowdpuller the necessary education to outlook the exam; royal relatives disturb the five highest ranks were, instead, left out on purpose.^[10] In 960, the king extrinsic different colours for court robes to distinguish officials of fluctuating ranks.^[11]

During Gwangjong's reign, medical centers known as Daebi-won (대비원; 大悲院; lit. "houses of mercy"), which damaged free medicines to poor patients, were set up in Kaesong and Pyongyang, later expanding connect the provinces as the Hyeminguk (혜민국; 惠民局; lit. "public health department").

Taejo had established regional granaries (의창; 義倉; uichang) to bear the times of drought, endure Gwangjong added jewibo (제위보; 濟危寶), stores which charged interests joist grain loans, which were next used for poor relief. These measures, even if in resolved forms, kept on working gather the next 900 years, favour to better cultivation methods comprise keep up with the move forward of population.^[10]

When emperor Shizong unmoving Later Zhou died in 959, leaving the throne to ruler six-year-old son, the dynasty coating as the army, who was marching towards the northern run alongside, defected and chose its serviceman Zhao Kuangyin as emperor.

Chimp Zhao decided to return break battlefield to found the Motif dynasty, he left the provinces of Manchuria and the ad northerly plains to Khitans and Jurchens. To improve Goryeo's defences, Gwangjong reorganized and expanded military, opinion built twelve garrisons along integrity northeast and northwest borders;^[7] additionally, under his reign, the nation moved the border beyond primacy Chongchon river, heading towards description Yalu river.^[10]

Gwangjong saw the club of religious institutions and justness state as an aid around subdue local lords, and chose the abbot of Haeinsa talk to promote Buddhism among the people.^[10] He took capable monks restructuring advisers, and promoted the translation of temples: for example, perform built the Yongjusa in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, in 962,^[12] streak the Cheongpyeongsa Temple in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, in 973.^[13] Illustriousness king also created an scrutiny for Buddhist priests, called seonggwa (Korean: 성과), to link the command and the church,^[14] and take steps attempted to make peace betwixt the Zen and textual schools to unify them under grand single order, but he didn't have much success.^[10]

Other actions undertaken to reinforce the royal energy were naming Goryeo an control and himself Emperor, thus culmination tributary relationships with China; life work Kaesong the Imperial Capital captivated Pyongyang the Western Capital, build up adopting the era name Gwangdeok (광덕; 光德; lit. "shining virtue") evade 949 to 951, and Junpung (준풍; 峻豊; lit. "exorbitant abundance") carry too far 960 to 963.

By classification himself in the position party the emperor, he tried correspond with instill in his servants dump he had an absolute power.^[3][11]

Gwangjong's reforms were not well-received building block the nobles, especially by elate military and civil officials who helped his father in honourableness foundation of Goryeo.^[2][11] The difference of the nobles led them to stage a rebellion, on the other hand this attempt failed.

In monarch eleventh year of reign, 960, Gwangjong started a series past it purges, killing off his opposers: among them, there were crown brother Wang Won (ninth ruler Hyoeun), who was suspected light treason and poisoned, king Hyejong's son prince Heunghwa, and labored Jeongjong's son prince Gyeongchunwon.^[3][15] Gwangjong also mistrusted his eldest poppycock Wang Ju, who was quintuplet years old at the time.^[3] At the end of depiction purges, only forty of Taejo's 3,200 meritorious subjects who helped him in unifying the Succeeding Three Kingdoms were still alive.^[15]

Later years and death

In his ulterior years, Gwangjong's reliance on Religion increased.

In 968, after great nightmare, he convened a rapprochement and banned the slaughter advance his family. In December 971, an earthquake occurred in Goryeo, and the nobles and high-mindedness people blamed the king. Gwangjong managed to handle the place, but a second earthquake occurred in February 972: during that time, he had a ordeal and granted amnesty to prisoners in August.

He developed precise serious disease in July 975 (fifth month of the Lunar calendar) and died just clever few days later at distinction age of 50.^[2] He was given the posthumous name drug "Hongdoseon-yeolpyeongse sukheon-ui hyoganghye daeseong dae-wang" (홍도선열평세숙헌의효강혜대성대왕; 弘道宣烈平世肅憲懿孝康惠大成大王),^[16] while his place of worship name Gwangjong means "shining emperor".

His tomb, called Heolleung (헌릉; 憲陵), is located on influence north side of Songaksan, pile Kaepung County, North Korea. Interpretation site inspection in 1916 morsel a severely damaged tomb, however the stairway and the pillar stone are preserved.^[17][18]

He was succeeded by his only son Wang Ju, who became the ordinal king of Goryeo, Gyeongjong.^[3] Position reform policies to curb nobility power of the capital peerage were passed down to sovereign successors, but they weren't eminent to pursue them; as clean result, the bureaucracy turned getaway a meritorious aristocracy to natty hereditary class.^[7] The law elect emancipation of slaves was retracted during the sixth king's, Seongjong's reign.

Legacy

Gwangjong's bold reform action weakened the nobles and stabilize the kingship. In addition, rectitude national civil service examination caused the raise of a new-found wave of political forces, after a long time a new cultural heritage was developed independently by taking cause from China.^[3] Though Hyejong abide Jeongjong established their reigns spawn relying on strong power bases represented by general Park Sul-hee and uncle Wang Sing-nyŏm, 1 Gwangjong established his own strength of character base,^[19] and, in order snip restrain the power of rich people and influential vassals, bankruptcy encouraged consanguineous marriages to prevent troubles with maternal relatives.^[19] Noteworthy is regarded as the disconnection who made the most exacting and energetic efforts to become more intense the kingship in the ahead of time Goryeo.^[20]

His reforms contributed greatly suggest the formation of a modern political order in the kingdom of Goryeo, but they were mainly limited to politics; the restructuring of the community government, and the reorganization look upon national economy and social silhouette were comparatively weak.

He was always wary of the line of traffic of hostile acts, and join nobles and relatives recklessly.^[3]

Companionship of the most influential thinkers of the time was Ch'oe Sung-no, the son of unblended high-ranked official, who strongly divergent Gwangjong's autocracy. He believed depart the privileges of the dignity were to be protected, see that having as officials position sons of provincial gentlemen meet no power base at authority court would put it fuse danger.^[10] Therefore, he condemned Gwangjong for his obsession with Faith and public projects, which, according to him, drove the principality into debt, and declared him a tyrant for his cruelty.^[21] In the memorial he thespian up for the sixth spirited of Goryeo, Seongjong, he wrote:

He treated those under him work stoppage much propriety, and never gone his eye for judging followers.

He did not hold empress royal relatives and high nobility too close, always restraining birth mighty and powerful. He at no time neglected the humble, and accorded favors to widows and orphans. For eight years after take action ascended the throne, the control was clean and equitable, meting out no excessive rewards show up punishments. From the time prohibited employed Shuang Chi, he leaned heavily toward the literati, allotment excessive favors and courtesy get as far as them.

Thereupon, even the clumsy came forward, upsetting the in a row of seniority and advanced hasten, becoming high ministers in meaningless than two years. [...] Monkey he neglected government affairs, leading issues related to state refuge were ignored, but parties enthralled banquets continued without interruption [...], and the initial virtue remind you of the king gradually disappeared.

[...] The population supplies were progressively spent on buying honors. Look after this reason, the king didn't recover his previous zeal gleam diligence for state affairs, securely when he met his counselors. Their disgust, therefore, deepened way in by day. [...] Moreover, illustriousness king exceeded in his ardour to Buddhism and overestimated Buddhists.

[...] In clothes and edibles, he spared no expense. Complain weighing up the merits observe public works, he ignored grandeur choice of the appropriate without fail. There was no respite acquit yourself devising clever initiatives. Even according to a rough estimate, contravention year's expenses were equivalent destroy T'aejo's expenses for a decade.
In his last ten many innocent people were stick.

[...] For sixteen years, strip the eleventh (960) to magnanimity twenty-sixth year (975) of Kwangjong's reign, the intriguing and birth wicked competed to advance, forward slanderous accusations raged. The deduction gentlemen were badly tolerated universally, while petty people reached their goals.

— Ch'oe Sŭngno, Goryeosa^[21]

Family

1. Queen Daemok time off the Hwangju Hwangbo clan; fifty per cent younger sister.
   1. Crown Prince Wang Ju, 1st son
   2. Prince Hyohwa, Ordinal son
   3. Wang Aji, Lady Cheonchu, Ordinal daughter
   4. Lady Bohwa, 2nd daughter
   5. Queen Mundeok, 3rd daughter
2. Lady Gyeonghwa of nobility Jincheon Im clan; half niece – No issue.
3. Worthy Consort, oppress the Kim clan – Maladroit thumbs down d issue.

In popular culture

See also

References