Chungseon of Goryeo

Summary

King Chungseon of Goryeo (20 October 1275 – 23 June 1325), born Wang Wŏn (Korean왕원; Hanja王謜), later changed his name to Wang Chang (왕장; 王璋), also known by his Mongolian name Ijir Bukhqa (益知禮普花),[1] was the 26th ruler of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He reigned in 1298, and again from 1308 to 1313.

King Chungseon of Goryeo
고려 충선왕
高麗 忠宣王
King of Goryeo
1st reign
Reign1298–1298
Coronation1298
PredecessorChungnyeol of Goryeo
SuccessorChungnyeol of Goryeo
King of Goryeo
2nd reign
Reign1308–1313
Coronation1308
PredecessorChungnyeol of Goryeo
SuccessorChungsuk of Goryeo
Prince of Shen
Reign1308–1316
Coronation1308
SuccessorWang Ko
Born20 October 1275
Sapan Palace, Gaegyeong, Goryeo
Died23 June 1325 (1325-06-24) (aged 49)
Yeongyeong Mansion, Khanbaliq, Yuan Empire
Burial
Deokneung (덕릉, 德陵)[a]
Consort
(m. 1296; died 1316)
IssueChungsuk of Goryeo
Prince Deokheung
Names
  • Goryeo: Wang Won (왕원, 王謜), later Wang Chang (왕장, 王璋)
  • Yuan: Ijir Bukhqa (이지르부카/익지례보화, 益知禮普花)
Posthumous name
  • Great King Seonhyo
    (선효대왕, 宣孝大王; given by Goryeo dynasty)
  • King Chungseon
    (충선왕, 忠宣王; given by Yuan dynasty)
HouseWang
DynastyGoryeo
FatherChungnyeol of Goryeo
MotherQueen Jangmok
ReligionBuddhism
Korean name
Hangul
충선왕
Hanja
忠宣王
Revised RomanizationChungseon Wang
McCune–ReischauerCh'ungsŏn Wang
Birth name
Hangul
왕원, later 왕장
Hanja
王謜, later 王璋
Revised RomanizationWang Won, later Wang Jang
McCune–ReischauerWang Wŏn, later Wang Chang
Courtesy name
Hangul
중앙
Hanja
仲昻
Revised RomanizationJungang
McCune–ReischauerChungang

Adept at calligraphy and painting, rather than politics, he generally preferred the life in Dadu (the capital of the Yuan dynasty, present-day Beijing) to that in Gaegyeong (the capital of Goryeo, present-day Kaesong). He was the eldest son of King Chungnyeol and Queen Jangmok; since Wonjong of Goryeo requested to marry his son to a daughter of the Khan in 1269, which Kubilai obliged with the youngest one of his daughters. This made King Chungseon the first Goryeo monarch with Mongolian ancestry.[2]

Biography edit

In 1277, King Chungseon was confirmed as Crown Prince; the following year he travelled to China and received his Mongolian name.[citation needed]

In 1296, he married Borjigin Budashiri, a Yuan princess and great-granddaughter of Kublai Khan. However, he already had three Korean wives, who were daughters of the powerful nobles.

King Chungseon's mother died in 1297, and this was followed by a violent purge brought on by allegations that she had been murdered. Perhaps upset by these events, King Chungnyeol petitioned Yuan to abdicate the throne and was accordingly replaced by his son in 1298.[3] Faced with intense plotting between the faction of his Mongol Queen and his Korean wife, Royal Consort Jo of the Pungyang Jo clan, King Chungseon returned the throne to his father shortly thereafter.

As the grandson of Kublai Khan, Chungseon had significant sway in the Kuriltais of the early 14th century gathered to elect the new Khan. When Temür Khan's death spurred a competition to the throne, his wife Bulugan put Ananda as successor. Ayurbarwada, who was put to exile, rebelled with his brother Khayishan. King Chungseon who was their cousin, was intimate with them since his days in China, supported them. He supported Khayishan (Külüg Khan) to the throne in 1307, and supported Ayurbarwada (Buyantu Khan) to the throne in 1311.[4] Thus he sat 7th in hierarchy in the empire after the sons of the Khan in their Kurultai.[5][6]

Külüg Khan thanked his efforts by giving him a new title on top of his kingship of Goryeo, the Prince/King of Shenyang,[b][c] in 1307[7] or 1308 specifically mentioned as thanks to his efforts of bringing the Khan to power.[4] After his father's death in 1308, King Chungseon obliged to return to the throne of Goryeo and made efforts to reform court politics, but spent as much time as possible in China. In 1310, his Chinese title was changed to Prince/King of Shen.[d][8] He is a very rare case of personal unions in East Asia.

He retired from the throne in 1313, and was replaced by his son, Wang Do. After the death of Buyantu Khan (Renzong of Yuan 元仁宗) in 1320, King Chungseon was briefly sent into exile to Tibet (lately Sakya) by the new Khan, but was permitted to return to Khanbaliq soon thereafter, where he died in 1325.

Family edit

  1. Borjigin Budashiri, Princess Supreme of Gye State(d. 1315) – No issue.
  2. Yasokjin, Royal Consort Ui (d. 1316)
    1. Wang Kam, Prince Gwangneung
    2. Wang To, Chungsuk of Goryeo
  3. Royal Consort Jeong of the Kaeseong Wang clan(d. 1345) – No issue.
  4. Royal Consort Cho of the Pungyang Cho clan – No issue.
  5. Lady Sunhwa, Royal Consort Won of the Namyang Hong clan(d. 1306) – No issue.
  6. Royal Consort Sun of the Yangcheon Heo clan (1271–1335) – No issue.
  7. Royal Consort Suk of the Eonyang Kim clan– No issue.
  8. Unknown
    1. Wang Hye, Prince Deokheung
    2. Princess Suchun

Ancestry edit

Popular culture edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ The exact location of the tomb is unknown, but it's believed to be situated in Kaesong, present-day North Korea.
  2. ^ In English, the title wang (王) can be translated as both "prince" (秦王 or Prince of Qin, Emperor Taizong of Tang's title until Xuanwu Gate Incident) and "king" (魏王 or King of Wei, Cao Cao's title at the time of his death).
  3. ^ 瀋陽王 (Simplified Chinese: 沈阳王, Pinyin: Shěnyáng Wáng; 심양왕; Simyang Wang).
  4. ^ 瀋王 (Simplified Chinese: 沈王, Pinyin: Shěn Wáng; 심왕; Sim Wang).

References edit

  1. ^ 范永聰 (2009). 事大與保國 ── 元明之際的中韓關係 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 香港教育圖書公司. p. 58. ISBN 9789882003019.
  2. ^ Doo, Rumy (July 4, 2017). "'The King Loves' delves into destructive desire of Goryeo King". The Korean Herald. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  3. ^ "고려 충선왕, 유배 길에 오르다!". December 19, 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b According to Goryeosa (specifically 《高麗史·卷三十二·世家》).
  5. ^ 蒙·元제국 쿠릴타이(Quriltai) 연구 https://s-space.snu.ac.kr/bitstream/10371/121641/1/000000136576.pdf
  6. ^ According to the Goryeosa (specifically 《高麗史·卷三十一·世家》)
  7. ^ According to the History of Yuan (specifically, 《元史·卷二十二·武宗一》).
  8. ^ According to the History of Yuan (specifically, 《元史·卷二十三·武宗二》).
  9. ^ "高麗史/卷八十九 - 维基文库,自由的图书馆". zh.wikisource.org (in Chinese). Retrieved 2023-04-13.

External links edit

  • A Study on Relations between Koryo's Policy towards Yuan and Costume Policy under Yuan's Interference (Author: Ahn, Jeong-hee) (Didital Collection, Donga University, South Korea)
Chungseon of Goryeo
Born: 20 October 1275 Died: 23 June 1325
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Goryeo
1298
Succeeded by
King of Goryeo
1308–1313
Succeeded by
Chinese royalty
New creation Prince of Shenyang
c. 1308 – 1310
Succeeded by
Himself
as Prince of Shen
Preceded by
Himself
as Prince of Shenyang
Prince of Shen
1310–1316
Succeeded by