Draft Goguryeo
| Title | Goguryeo (37 BCE - 668 CE) |
|---|---|
| Author | Lyndsey Twining |
| Actor | Jumong, King Gwanggaeto, Jangsu |
| Place | Pyeongyang, Amnokgang (Yalu) River, Liaoning peninsula, Manchuria, Korean peninsula, Hangang River basin |
| Concept | Buddhism, Gojoseon, Three Kingdoms (Silla, Baekje), Balhae, Buyeo, North Korea, Wei China, Tang China |
| Object | Gwanggaeto Stele, Goguryeo Tombs |
Goguryeo, one of the Three Kindgoms of Korea, began as a tribal city-state near the Amnokgang (Yalu) River which emerged to consolidate power and become a kingdom. According to the Gwanggaeto Stele, erected in 414 CE, the kingdom was founded by a legendary prince from the northern state of Buyeo, named Jumong. In the 3rd century, Goguryeo engaged in war with Wei China, which destroyed the capital, but Goguryeo recovered and was able to expand its territories. At its height in 476, the kingdom stretched across a large portion of Manchuria, including the Liaoning peninsula, and all but the bottom fourth of the Korean peninsula. In following centuries, Goguryeo experienced decline due to internal strife and external conflict. In 551, Silla and Baekje entered an alliance to push Goguryeo out of the valuable Hangang River valley, and Silla eventually took over the area. Wars with Sui and Tang to the north also weakened the kingdom, and it was defeated by a Silla-Tang alliance in 668, after which its former territories fell to Silla, Tang China and, later, Balhae.
One of the most well-known kings of Goguryeo is King Gwanggaeto (374–413), who made great territorial gains against Tang China, in the north, and Silla and Baekje, to the south. His son, Jangsu (394–491), moved the capital to present-day Pyeongyang, which aided cultural and economic advancement. Goguryeo was the first of the Three Kingdoms to adopt Buddhism, and Goguryeo culture was the origin of more modern Korean culture, including fortress structure and ondol underfloor heating, martial arts, dance, and clothing. Today, some Goguryeo sites, including tombs, fortresses, palaces, and artifacts, in China and North Korea are registered as UNESCO World Heritages. Among these are the Goguryeo tombs, known for their tomb paintings.
Glossary
- People
- 주몽 (founder of Goguryeo)
- 광개토대왕 (great king of Goguryeo)
- 장수 (great king of Goguryeo, son of Gwanggaeto)
- Places
- Pyeongyang (second capital)
- Amnokgang (Yalu) River (originated in this area)
- Liaoning peninsula (was territory)
- Manchuria (was territory)
- Korean peninsula (was territory)
- Hangang River basin (was territory after taken from Baekje)
- Objects
- 광대토대왕비 (414 CE stele describing the origin of Goguryeo, the accomplishments of King Gwanggaeto)
- 고루려 고분 (royal tombs of Goguryo with paintings and artifacts that help to understand Goguryeo culture)
- Concepts
- Buddhism (Goguryeo was the first Korean state to make Buddhism its official religion)
- Related States
- Gojoseon (precursor state)
- Buyeo (founder was from Buyeo)
- Three Kingdoms (Silla, Baekje) (one of the Three Kingdoms)
- Balhae (successor state)
- Wei China (involved in conflict)
- Tang China (involved in conflict)
Editor's Worksheet
Issues to Resolve
- why did moving the capital to Pyeongyang aid in cultural and economic advancement? Because of its central location?
- can we be more specific or have references for "Goguryeo culture was the origin of more modern Korean culture, including fortress structure and ondol underfloor heating, martial arts, dance, and clothing."
Media to Be Produced
- territorial gains throughout the centuries
- locations of Goguryeo heritage sites
Examples
Korean Culture and Information Service, Facts about Korea, Korean Culture and Information Service, 2009, p.27.
Town-states gradually united into tribal leagues with complex political structures which eventually grew into kingdoms. Among various tribal leagues, Goguryeo (37 B.C.-A.D. 668), situated along the middle course of the Amnokgang (Yalu River), was the first to mature into a kingdom.
As a result of the wars of conquest initiated by Gwanggaeto the Great (r. 391-413) and King Jangsu (r. 413-491), Goguryeo was able to occupy a large swathe of land that encompassed Manchuria and large segments of the Korean Peninsula. The subsequent establishment of a political structure resulted in giving it the full trappings of an empire.
- What Was the Goguryeo Kingdom? - about.com
