Sansang of Goguryeo

Sansang of Goguryeo
Hangul 산상왕
Hanja 山上王
Revised Romanization Sansang-wang
McCune–Reischauer Sansang-wang
Birth name
Hangul 고연우 or 이이모
Hanja 高延優 or 伊夷模
Revised Romanization Go Yeon-u or I-imo
McCune–Reischauer Ko Yŏnu or Iimo
Monarchs of Korea
Goguryeo
  1. Dongmyeong 37-19 BCE
  2. Yuri 19 BCE-18 CE
  3. Daemusin 18-44
  4. Minjung 44-48
  5. Mobon 48-53
  6. Taejo 53-146
  7. Chadae 146-165
  8. Sindae 165-179
  9. Gogukcheon 179-197
  10. Sansang 197-227
  11. Dongcheon 227-248
  12. Jungcheon 248-270
  13. Seocheon 270-292
  14. Bongsang 292-300
  15. Micheon 300-331
  16. Gogug-won 331-371
  17. Sosurim 371-384
  18. Gogug-yang 384-391
  19. Gwanggaeto the Great 391-413
  20. Jangsu 413-490
  21. Munja 491-519
  22. Anjang 519-531
  23. An-won 531-545
  24. Yang-won 545-559
  25. Pyeong-won 559-590
  26. Yeong-yang 590-618
  27. Yeong-nyu 618-642
  28. Bojang 642-668

King Sansang of Goguryeo (died 227, r. 197–227) was the 10th ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the third son of the eighth king Sindae and the younger brother of the ninth king Gogukcheon, who died without an heir.

Background and rise to the throne

Upon Gogukcheon's death, his queen Lady U supported Sansang's claim and had him placed on the throne. She then became Sansang's queen. This indicates that the custom of Levirate marriage was still practiced in Goguryeo, but also demonstrated Lady U's power in court.

Balgi, older brother to Sansang, led a rebel force attacking the capital. Sansang had his younger brother Gyesu repel the attack, and Balgi committed suicide. Sansang's Goguryeo was later attacked by Han Dynasty China and forced to submit to the Han Dynasty. In 209, the capital was moved to Jian by warlord Gongsun Kang of the Han Dynasty. In 217, he granted refuge to a thousand families from the Liaodong region.

Successor

In the eleventh lunar month of 208, the king chased a sacrificial boar to the village of Jutongchon, where he met a young woman and spent the day with her. The queen heard of this and tried unsuccessfully to have the woman slain. The woman gave birth to a son and was made the second queen. The son was made crown prince in 213 and later became King Dongcheon.

Sansang died during 227, the 31st year of his reign, and was buried in Sansang-neung.

See also