Draft Goryeo

Title	Goryeo (918 - 1392)
Author	Lyndsey Twining
Actor	Wang Geon
Place	Gaegyeong (present-day Gaeseong, North Korea)
Concept	Buddhism, movable metal type, Goryeo celedon, Later Three Kingdoms, Silla, Mongol Yuan dynasty, Joseon
Object	Tripitaka Koreana, Jikji

Goryeo emerged during the declining period of Silla. Founded in 918 by Wang Geon, later given the title King Taejo, it united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936. By the late 13th century, Goryeo lost much of its power under the Mongol Yuan dynasty, but regained control in the 14th century. Soon thereafter, however, the royal family was overthrown by general Yi Seong-gye who went on to found the Joseon Dynasty in 1392.In total, the dynasty lasted 474 years. At its height, Goryeo's territories spanned almost all of the Korean peninsula, roughly giving shape to the current territory of present-day Korea and creating administrative boundaries which became the basis for those of today. Prior to this, the peninsula had been comprised of multiple Korean kingdoms occupying various regions, some of which reached into Manchuria.

The official religion of Goryeo was Buddhism. It was during this period that the Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of over 80,000 woodblocks of the Buddhist scriptures, was created. This period also saw the creation of the first movable metal type capable of printing books and the oldest extant movable metal type book, the Jikji. Goryeo was well known for its celadon, which was exported widely outside the peninsula.

It is also from Goryeo that the name Korea originated.

Glossary

• People
  • Wang Geon (founder)
  • Yi Seong-gye (overthrown by)

• Places
  • Gaegyeong (the capital of Goryeo; present-day Gaeseong, North Korea)

• Events

• Concepts
  • Buddhism (the official state religion of Goryeo)
  • Goryeo celedon
  • movable metal type

• Objects
  • Tripitaka Koreana (collection over over 80,000 woodblock prints of the Buddhist scriptures)
  • Jikji (the oldest extant print of moveable metal type in the world)

• Related States
  • Later Three Kingdoms (were united to found Goryeo)
  • Silla (precursor state)
  • Mongol Yuan dynasty (invaded and exerted partial control over Goryeo)
  • Joseon (successor state)

Editor's Worksheet

Issues to Resolve

• more to include regarding culture?

Media Content to be Produced

• Mongol invasion
• Where celedon was produced
• Territory

Samples

• Center for International Affairs, Korea in the World, Academy of Korean Studies, 2015, p.8.

The Goryeo Kingdom came to power in 935 AD after absorbing Silla. Goryeo adopted Buddhism as its national religion, and several excellent Buddhist works of art were produced during this period. The kingdom also maintained an open foreign policy. Thus, the Goryeo Kingdom became known among foreigners as 'Korea.' Goryeo lasted for around 470 years until the rise of the Joseon Dynasty at the end of the 14th century.

• Korean Culture and Information Service, Facts about Korea, Korean Culture and Information Service, 2009, p.29.

The Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) was founded by Wang Geon, a general who had served under Gungye, a rebel prince of the Silla Kingdom. Choosing his native town of Songak (present-day Gaeseongn in North Korea) as the capital, Wang Geon proclaimed the goal of recovering the lost territory of the Goguryeo Kingdom in northeast China.

Wang Geon named his dynasty Goryeo, from which the modern name Korea is derived. Although the Goryeo Dynasty could not reclaim lost lands, it achieved a sophisticated culture represented by cheongja or blue-green celadon and flourishing Buddhist tradition. No less significant was the invention of the world's first movable metal type in 1234, which preceded the Gutenberg Bible of Germany by two centuries. About that time, skilled Korean artisans also completed the herculean task of carving the entire Buddhist canon on large woodblocks.

These woodblocks, numbering more than 80,000, were intended to invoke the influence of Buddha for the repulsion of the Mongol invaders. Called the Tripitaka Koreana, they are now stored at the historic Haeinsa Temple.

• The Koryo or Goryeo Kingdom of Korea - about.com
• History - Koryo - Encyclopaedia of Korea, p. 497-504