Yeongyang of Goguryeo

Yeongyang of Goguryeo
Hangul 영양왕 or 평양왕
Hanja 嬰陽王 or 平陽王
Revised Romanization Yeong-yang-wang or Pyeong-yang-wang
McCune–Reischauer Yŏng-yang-wang or P'yǒng-yang-wang
Birth name
Hangul 원 or 대원
Hanja 元 or 大元
Revised Romanization Won or Daewon
McCune–Reischauer Wǒn or Taewǒn
Monarchs of Korea
Goguryeo
  1. Chumo 37–19 BCE
  2. Yuri 19 BCE–18 CE
  3. Daemusin 18–44
  4. Minjung 44–48
  5. Mobon 48–53
  6. Taejodae 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. Gogugwon 331–371
  17. Sosurim 371–384
  18. Gogugyang 384–391
  19. Gwanggaeto the Great 391–413
  20. Jangsu 413–490
  21. Munja 491–519
  22. Anjang 519–531
  23. Anwon 531–545
  24. Yangwon 545–559
  25. Pyeongwon 559–590
  26. Yeongyang 590–618
  27. Yeongnyu 618–642
  28. Bojang 642–668

King Yeongyang of Goguryeo (died 618) (r. 590–618) was the 26th king of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of King Pyeongwon (r. 559–590).[1]

Reign

He is noted for repelling a series of invasions by the Chinese Sui Dynasty between 598 to 614, known as the Goguryeo-Sui Wars. He fended off four Sui campaigns by Emperors Wendi and Yangdi, including the great assault of 612, during which more than a million troops invaded Goguryeo territory.[2]

The Samguk Sagi relates that Yeongyang was of unsurpassed charisma and had a magnanimous character, and "made it his undertaking to relieve the sufferings of the world and bring peace to the people".[3] He was named Crown Prince by his father in 566, and he assumed the throne when the king died in 590.

King Yeongyang's reign took place in the context of heightened rivalry among the Korean Three Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, as well as the unification of China by the Sui and China's growing ambitions. Initially Yeongyang enjoyed cordial relations with Sui, receiving from the Sui emperor Wendi his enfeoffment as king of Goguryeo and attendant "offices and ranks" by tradition granted by Chinese dynasties to tribute monarchs. At the same time, Yeongyang strengthened relations with the Khitan and Mohe tribes to the north, in the preparations for war against China begun by his father.

In 598 however the Sui emperor Wendi grew incensed by a Goguryeo armed incursion into the Liaodong peninsula, a region claimed by Sui. It was largely this affront, combined with Sui's own geopolitical ambitions to reestablish the hegemony enjoyed by the Han Dynasty, that induced Wendi to launch a 300,000-men invasion of Goguryeo in 598. The 598 Sui invasion was foiled by disease and the weather (a severe storm wreaked havoc on the would-be invasion fleet).[4]

In 607 Emperor Yangdi discovered that Goguryeo was in contact with Yami Qaghan (603-609), khan of the Eastern Turks, another ostensible vassal state to the Sui. This convinced Yangdi to launch a campaign of 1,133,000 troops by land and sea against the recalitrant Goguryeo in 612. This too Goguryeo was able to defeat, most notably in the battle of Salsu led by the General Eulji Mundeok.[5]

In 613, and again in 614, Yangdi issued orders for additional unsuccessful campaigns against Goguryeo. When Yeongyang failed to appear at the Sui court in formal submission another invasion was planned, offset only by domestic turmoil and the subsequent fall of the Sui in 618.

That same year saw the death of Yeongyang, and he was succeeded by his half-brother Go Geon-mu.

In the meanwhile, Goguryeo attacked the southern Korean kingdoms Baekje and Silla in a failed bid to reclaim the Seoul region. Silla, under attack by both Goguryeo and former ally Baekje, reached out to the Sui Dynasty. Silla would later ally with Sui's successor, the Tang Dynasty, to unite much of the Korean peninsula in 668.)[4][1]

Yeongyang ordered the compilation of a new history text Sinjip (신집, 新集), although no copies survive today.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "영양왕" (in Korean). Doopedia. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  2. ↑ "King Yeongyang (2)". KBS World. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  3. ↑ Samguk Sagi, "Annals of Goguryeo", vol. 19
  4. 1 2 "King Yeongyang (1)". KBS World. Retrieved 2016-10-05.
  5. ↑ Jinwung Kim (2012). A History of Korea: From "Land of the Morning Calm" to States in Conflict (e-book via Scribd). Indiana University Press. pp. 103–104. ISBN 9780253000781.
Yeongyang of Goguryeo
 Died: 618
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Pyeongwon		 King of Goguryeo
590–618 		Succeeded by
Yeongnyu
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