Injong of Goryeo

Injong of Goryeo
Hangul 인종
Hanja 仁宗
Revised Romanization Injong
McCune–Reischauer Injong
Birth name
Hangul 왕해
Hanja 王楷
Revised Romanization Wang Hae
McCune–Reischauer Wang Hae
Courtesy name
Hangul 인표
Hanja 仁表
Revised Romanization Inpyo
McCune–Reischauer Inp'yo
Monarchs of Korea
Goryeo
  1. Taejo 918–943
  2. Hyejong 943–945
  3. Jeongjong 945–949
  4. Gwangjong 949–975
  5. Gyeongjong 975–981
  6. Seongjong 981–997
  7. Mokjong 997–1009
  8. Hyeonjong 1009–1031
  9. Deokjong 1031–1034
  10. Jeongjong II 1034–1046
  11. Munjong 1046–1083
  12. Sunjong 1083
  13. Seonjong 1083–1094
  14. Heonjong 1094–1095
  15. Sukjong 1095–1105
  16. Yejong 1105–1122
  17. Injong 1122–1146
  18. Uijong 1146–1170
  19. Myeongjong 1170–1197
  20. Sinjong 1197–1204
  21. Huijong 1204–1211
  22. Gangjong 1211–1213
  23. Gojong 1213–1259
  24. Wonjong 1259–1274
  25. Chungnyeol 1274–1308
  26. Chungseon 1308–1313
  27. Chungsuk 1313–1330
    1332–1339
  28. Chunghye 1330–1332
    1339–1344
  29. Chungmok 1344–1348
  30. Chungjeong 1348–1351
  31. Gongmin 1351–1374
  32. U 1374–1388
  33. Chang 1388–1389
  34. Gongyang 1389–1392

Injong of Goryeo (29 October 1109 – 10 April 1146) (r. 1122–1146) was the 17th monarch of the Korean Goryeo dynasty. He was the eldest son of King Yejong and Queen Sundeok, the daughter of Yi Cha-gyeom. His reign saw two major internal crises that nearly ended the House of Wang, and a collapse of Northern Song and establishment of Jurchen Jin dynasty as the dominant power.

Background

Domestic

Injong ascended the throne in accordance with the third of the Ten Injunctions of Taejo, as “the eldest legitimate royal issue.”[1] Despite the reverend status of this document,[2] its succession rules were not always followed. As recent as in 1095 Injong’s grandfather King Sukjong became a monarch after his nephew had abdicated. At the age of twelve and a half Injong's succession became possible largely due to the influence of his maternal grandfather Yi Cha-gyeom, while according to the report of the Song envoy Xu Jing, Injong’s uncle Prince Po, supported by the Han An-in faction, ``had designs on [the throne]” [3]

International

By the early 1122 the Khitan state of Liao was effectively destroyed by the armies of Taizu of Jin. Large number of Khitans fled to Goryeo.[4] Operations of Song against Khitan were unsuccessful, and they recovered the lost territories south of the Great Wall only after the Jurchen victory. The 1123 treaty formalized the superior status of Jin: the annual tribute of Song was set to 200,000 taels of silver and 200,000 bolts of silk.[5] Nevertheless, the Song government still overestimated significance of the recovery of Yanjing (a modern-day Beijing) and its own military capabilities.[6]

1122-1126: Yi Cha-gyeom years

1122-1123

The early years of Injong’s reign were dominated by Yi Cha-gyeom.[7][8] As the Supreme Chancellor (munha sijung, junior first rank) at the head of combined Secretariat-Chancellery (chungseo munha-seong) Yi Cha-gyeom was the highest-ranking government official.[9] His dominance was challenged during the last years of Yejong, but with the beginning of his grandson’s reign Yi took decisive steps to bolster it. By the end of 1122 Princes Po and Hye were exiled, Han An-in assassinated, and several hundred of his followers,[10] including a dozen core members of Tanju Han and Cheongan Im clans, were either banished or demoted.[3]

During this period officers of the Royal Army began to play an important role in the domestic politics. Through his career Yi Cha-gyeom cultivated muban military officials, that after 960 had a lower status and enjoyed less perquisites than their civilian munban counterparts. Two of his most important allies were Choe Hong-jae, a high civilian official of a military background, and a military commander Cheok Chun-gyeong.[3][8][10]

With this power base Yi Cha-gyeom was the most influential figure in the Goryeo politics. He became the Chief-Minister-Extraordinary in charge of all three chancelleries (samseong), while keeping the position of the head (superintendent, pansa) of the Ministry of Personnel (Yi-bu). He was also created a Duke (kong).[10] Nevertheless, his authority never became absolute: both in execution of policies he favored and rooting out the opposition he had to take head of other factions.

In foreign relations he was aligned with the Kyeongju Kim faction led by Kim Bu-sik and his brothers, advocating a submission to the newly established Jin. In 1123 the renewed Song offer of formal investiture was rejected.[11] Jin stepped up the pressure on Goryeo by occupying Uiju (Poju) area along the Yalu river; from their point of view it was a repair of the frontier defenses. After a suppression of unrest in Balhae a secure North-Eastern frontier allowed Jin to focus on the Song.[12]

1124-1126

In early 1124 Choe Hong-jae and military officers associated with him plotted to overthrow Yi Cha-gyeom, but were unsuccessful.[3] Choe and the associates were purged from their positions and exiled. Following the purge Yi married one of his daughters to Injong,[10] and increasingly filled the mid- and high-ranking government positions with his loyalists, including his five sons.[9] He and his faction profited from seized property of the purged officials.[8]

The idea that Goryeo has to submit to Jin was still encountering resistance. The embassy dispatched in 1125 to Emperor Taizong of Jin was rejected by his official because the correspondence it carried addressed the emperor improperly and did not use the term ‘servant’ when referring to Goryeo. The question whether to accept that the mandate of the northern dynasty passed to Jin was debated through 1126. Eventually Kim and Yi prevailed over Injong and the top officials to submit to Jin.[13][14] By that time the Song were collapsing under Jin attack, Emperor Huizong abdicated, while a Goryeo embassy (that included Kim Bu-sik ) had to return without being able to reach Kaifeng. The embassy to Jin sent in 1126 presented the submission of Goryeo in proper terms and brought up the matter of Uiju. Taizong transferred the disputed area to Goryeo.[15]

It was reported that Yi Cha-gyeom intended to usurp the throne and eventually planned to poison the king.[8] According to this report, there was a popular prophecy that a man of the sippal cha, or eighteen child, an anagram on the character for the surname Yi, would become king and the transfer his court to the Southern Capital (Seoul), leading Goryeo to a renewed prosperity. Yi Cha-gyeom is alleged to believe in this prophecy, based on his family name and a location of the family seat in Incheon, close to Seoul.[8] Attempts of Yi to further aggrandize his station are a matter of the public record. He planned performance of ritual music at the tombs of his forefathers and celebration of his birthday as the anniversary of a king (insujeol). Both moves were opposed by Kim Bu-sik and his supporters.[16]

A more serious challenge to the paramount position of Yi Cha-gyeom was a rising organized by two courtiers, Kim Chan and An Po-rin. Beyond the involvement of some twenty-five young courtiers, the plot had a confidence of Injong and a support of three senior military officers, including one divisional commander. Several senior statesmen, such as Yi Kon-su, approved in principle but advised caution. The group struck “one night in 1126”. The plan involved getting control of the palace and king’s person as the first stage of the coup, followed by a strike against other key targets. The conspirators captured the palace and killed several of Yi Cha-gyeim loyalists, including the Minister of War (a brother of Cheok Chun-gyeong). However, the palace was surrounded by the troops of Cheok Chun-gyeong and armed monks led by Yi Cha-gyeom’s son. The rest of Gaegyeong remained in the control of the Yi faction. To finish the stand-off Cheok Chun-gyeong ordered torching the palace (Yi Cha-gyeom’s disapproval was on record as sent to him). Most of the palace, including libraries and the Academy, burned down. “Countless” conspirators were killed. Injong offered to abdicate in favor of Yi Cha-gyeom, but the latter refused.[10]

In the following government reshuffling Yi rewarded his loyalists. However, Yi Kon-su kept his senior position in the Secretariat-Chancellery, and two Kim brothers were actually promoted, with Kim Bu-sik becoming the Chief Censor. King Injong was living in Cha-gyeom’s house and had married another of his daughters.[10]

This triumph was, however, short-lived. Other aristocratic factions joined forces to bring Yi cha-gyeom down. They fostered a disunity between Cheok and Yi, using the question of responsibility for violation of the sacred palace grounds as a bait. Involvement of Injong, Yi Kon-su and Kin Bu-il left traces in the official records.[10] In the fifth month of 1126 Yi Cha-gyeom, his family and followers were arrested by the soldiers of Cheok Chun-gyeong.[3] Yi was banished to Jeolla province and later beheaded.[8] Banished officials — Choe Hong-jae, members of Tanju Han and Cheongan Im clans and their associates — were recalled and reinstated in their positions. In the sixth month of 1126 King Injong married a daughter of Im Woehae. Cheok Chun-gyeong was demoted and banished in 1127.[3]

1127-1136: Reforms and Myo Cheong’s rebellion

Injong’s government initiated administrative and educational reforms in 1127. In 1135, Injong faced another rebellion, led by the Buddhist monk Myo Cheong

1137-1146

In 1142 Injong comissioned Kim Bu-sik to compile Samguk Sagi, a chronicle of events in the Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla periods.

Injong was succeeded by Uijong of Goryeo.

See also

References

  1. ↑ M. J. Seth, A history of Korea: from antiquity to the present, (Rowman and Littlefield, Lanham MA, 2011), p. 99-101. ISBN 978-0-7425-6715-3
  2. ↑ R. E. Breuker, Establishing a Pluralist Society in Medieval Korea, 918–1170: History, Ideology and Identity in the Koryŏ Dynasty, (Brill, Leiden, 2010), Ch. 10. ISBN 978-90-04-18325-4
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 E. J. Shultz, Twelfth-Century Koryŏ Politics: The Rise of Han Anin and His Partisans, The Journal of Korean Studies 6, 3 (1988-89); available from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41490196
  4. ↑ D. Twitchet and K.-P. Tietze, The Liao, in D. Twitchet and J. K. Fairbank (eds.), The Cambridge History of China, vol. 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907—1368 (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1994), Ch. 1. ISBN 978-0-521-24331-5
  5. ↑ H. Franke, The Chin Dynasty, in in D. Twitchet and J. K. Fairbank, Ch. 3
  6. ↑ A, D. Levine, The Reigns of Hui-tsung (1100–1126) and Ch’in-tsung (1126–1127) and the Fall of the Northern Sung, in P. J. Smith (ed.), The Cambridge History of China, vol. 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and Its Precursors, 907–1279, (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1994), Ch. 7. ISBN 978-0-521-81248-1
  7. ↑ Seth, p. 89.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 J. Kim, A history of Korea : from “Land of the Morning Calm” to states in conflict, (Indiana University Press, Bloomington IN, 2012), pp. 155-157. ISBN 978-0-253-00024-8
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 J. B. Duncan, The Formation of the Central Aristocracy in Early Koryŏ, Korean Studies 12, 39 (1988); available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/23717729
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 H.-w. Kang, The development of the Korean ruling class from late Silla to early Koryo, (PhD Thesis, University of Washington, 1964), pp. 280-289; available at http://hdl.handle.net/1773/11100
  11. ↑ P. Yun, Balance of Power in the 11th-12th Century East Asian Interstate Relations, Journal of Political Criticism 9, 139 (2011.11)
  12. ↑ Franke, p. 226
  13. ↑ Breuker, p. 229
  14. ↑ K. Pratt, Everlasting flower: a history of Korea, (Reaktion Books, London, 2006), p. 96. ISBN 978-1-86189-273-7
  15. ↑ Breuker, pp. 66, 207
  16. ↑ Breuker, p. 238
Injong of Goryeo
Born: 29 October 1109 Died: 10 April 1146
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Yejong		 King of Korea
Goryeo
1122–1146 		Succeeded by
Uijong