Goryeo-Khitan Wars

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Goryeo-Khitan Wars were a series of 10th- and 11th-century conflicts between the kingdom of Goryeo and Khitan forces near what is now the border between China and North Korea.

History of Korea
Gojoseon, Jin Proto-Three Kingdoms:  Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye  Samhan Three Kingdoms:  Goguryeo   Goguryeo-Sui Wars  Baekje  Silla, Gaya North-South States:  Unified Silla, Balhae  Later Three Kingdoms Goryeo   Khitan wars   Mongol invasions Joseon  Japanese invasions  Manchu invasions  Korean Empire Japanese Occupation  Provisional Gov't Divided Korea  Korean War North, South Korea
Timeline Military history List of Monarchs
Korea Portal

Contents 1 Background 2 Timeline 3 Goryeo-Khitan Wars 4 External links

[edit] Background

After the fall of Goguryeo in 668 and the brief Chinese occupation, the Kingdom of Balhae, composed of Koreans and Mohe, was established and ruled northeastern China, including today's Russian Maritime Province. Right after the fall of Goguryeo, Turkic peoples (called Gokturks) were divided and eventually driven out from most of Central Asia by the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Another Turkic tribe, the Uyghurs, replaced the Gokturks but their control was not very strong.

As Balhae, Uyghur and the Tang Dynasty weakened, the Tungusic Khitan people emerged in the region that is now Inner Mongolia. The Khitan began to expand their territory, and in 916, the Liao Dynasty was founded by Khitan chief Yelü Abaoji, replacing the Uyghurs as the dominator of what is now Mongolia. The Khitan continued to grow and in 926 attacked Balhae, destroying and conquering the kingdom. Ten years later, in 936, the year that Koreans was united under Goryeo rule, the Liao took advantage of long civil war in China after the fall of Tang Dynasty in 907; the Khitan took control of 16 Chinese provinces south of the Great Wall for helping the foundation of short-living Later Jin (晋) Dynasty, which ruled only small part of China. In 946, the Khitan invaded China, trying to conquer all of China but failing; and eventually, as the Song Dynasty unified China in 960, and the inner conflict between Liao royal family members stopped the Khitan dream of Chinese conquest, for a brief period.

However, the Khitan eventually regained power under the strong leadership of Emperor Shengzong (聖宗). He began to seek another opportunity for expansion, and eventually collided with Goryeo and Song. Meanwhile, Goryeo also tried to expand through northern conquest and remained hostile to the Khitans.

[edit] Timeline

• The Decline of Balhae (907 – 926)

• 907 : Liao Dynasty and Khitan Empire was founded by Yelü Abaoji (耶律阿保磯)
  
• 911 : Threatened by Khitan expansion, Balhae sought assistance from the declining kingdom of Silla. Records stated that Balhae also requested Goryeo's help during the Later Three Kingdoms period just before its fall, but under the conflicting state between Balhae and Silla, the aggression of the Khitan into Balhae could not be blocked because Silla and Goryeo rather helped Khitan in spite of the treaty with Balhae because of the adherence of confrontation between the south and the north, along the Northern-Southern Kingdom period (Hangul : 남북국/남북시대, Hanja :南北國/南北時代). From that point, Goryeo and Khitan had not showed any hostility each other until the fall of Balhae in 926.

• The Fall of Balhae : Goryeo-Khitan Relationship (926 – 983)

Many of Balhae's ruling class, who were mostly ethnically Koreans, moved south and joined the newly founded Goryeo Kingdom and took refuge in Goryeo after the fall of their kingdom, then later Baekje and Khitan approached together against Goryeo.

• First Khitanese attacks

Khitans initiated against Goryeo attacks in 983, in 985 and in 989.

[edit] Goryeo-Khitan Wars

• First Goryeo-Khitan War (993)
• Second Goryeo-Khitan War (1010–1011)
• Third Goryeo-Khitan War (1018–1019)

[edit] External links

• Koryo and the Khitan (1)
• Koryo and the Khitan (2)