Goi of Baekje
Encyclopedia
Goi of Baekje was the 8th king of Baekje
, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
. He was the second son of the 4th king Gaeru
and younger brother of the 5th king Chogo
.
, Gusu's eldest son Saban
became king, but proved to be too young to rule. Goi dethroned Saban and became king.
Some scholars interpret the Korean records Samguk Sagi
and Samguk Yusa
to mean that Goi was the younger brother of the mother of King Chogo, implying that he is of the Utae - Biryu
lineage, rather than a direct descendent of the traditionally recognized founder Onjo
.
The Chinese records Book of Zhou
(周書) and Book of Sui
(隋書) refer to "Gutae" as the founder of Baekje, and some scholars believe that "Gutae" actually refers to Goi as the true founder of the kingdom.
Immediately upon taking the throne, he established a central military office to restrain the independence of regional clans. The Samguk Sagi also records that in 260, he established a central bureaucracy of six ministers, sixteen rank levels, and a code of dress, although the full system may have been completed after his reign (see, e.g., Best (2002)).
In 262, he is said to have established regulations against bribery
, requiring corrupt officials to repay three times the amount of the bribe. He also ordered the cultivation of farmlands south of the capital.
region and gained permanent ascendancy over the remaining states of the Mahan
, a loose confederacy in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula
. He also attacked the borders of Baekje's eastern rival Silla
.
Baekje also changed its defensive posture against the Chinese to an offensive one. Goi attacked the Chinese-controlled Lelang commandery
and the Daifang commandery
when the Chinese launched an attack against the Han River region to disrupt and prevent Baekje's emerging power. In 246, according to both the Korean Samguk Sagi and the Chinese Wei Zhi, Baekje went to war against Daifang commandery, and the commandery's governor Gong Zun was slain.
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
. He was the second son of the 4th king Gaeru
Gaeru of Baekje
Gaeru of Baekje was the fourth king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. According to the history compilation Samguk Sagi, he was the son of the previous king Giru.-Reign:...
and younger brother of the 5th king Chogo
Chogo of Baekje
Chogo of Baekje was the fifth king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.-Background:He was the son of King Gaeru....
.
Background
Upon the death of the 6th king GusuGusu of Baekje
Gusu of Baekje was the 6th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. According to the Samguk Sagi, he was descended from the founding king Onjo and the eldest son of the 5th king Chogo....
, Gusu's eldest son Saban
Saban of Baekje
Saban of Baekje was the 7th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of the 6th king Gusu.According to the Samguk Sagi, Saban was found too young to rule and quickly succeeded by King Goi, the younger brother of the 5th king Chogo...
became king, but proved to be too young to rule. Goi dethroned Saban and became king.
Some scholars interpret the Korean records Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
and Samguk Yusa
Samguk Yusa
Samguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea , as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period.The text was written in Classical Chinese, which was...
to mean that Goi was the younger brother of the mother of King Chogo, implying that he is of the Utae - Biryu
Biryu
Biryu was the second son of Jumong and So Seo-no, and older brother of Onjo, the traditionally recognized founder of Baekje , which was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...
lineage, rather than a direct descendent of the traditionally recognized founder Onjo
Onjo of Baekje
Onjo was the founding monarch of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. According to the Samguk Sagi, he was the ancestor of all Baekje kings.- Background :...
.
The Chinese records Book of Zhou
Book of Zhou
The Book of Zhou was the official history of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and it ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was compiled by the Tang Dynasty historian Linghu Defen and was completed in 636...
(周書) and Book of Sui
Book of Sui
The Book of Sui was the official history of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty, and it ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was compiled by a team of historians led by the Tang Dynasty official Wei Zheng and was completed in 636.-External links:* of the Book of Sui,...
(隋書) refer to "Gutae" as the founder of Baekje, and some scholars believe that "Gutae" actually refers to Goi as the true founder of the kingdom.
Reign
Goi is generally credited with centralising the Baekje kingdom, concentrating royal power and laying the foundation of the state structure.Immediately upon taking the throne, he established a central military office to restrain the independence of regional clans. The Samguk Sagi also records that in 260, he established a central bureaucracy of six ministers, sixteen rank levels, and a code of dress, although the full system may have been completed after his reign (see, e.g., Best (2002)).
In 262, he is said to have established regulations against bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
, requiring corrupt officials to repay three times the amount of the bribe. He also ordered the cultivation of farmlands south of the capital.
Foreign relations
Under Goi's reign, Baekje expanded control of the Han RiverHan River (Korea)
The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River , which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River , which originates on the slopes of Mount...
region and gained permanent ascendancy over the remaining states of the Mahan
Mahan confederacy
Mahan was a loose confederacy of statelets that existed from around the 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE in the southern Korean peninsula in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. Arising out of the confluence of Gojoseon migration and the Jin state federation, Mahan was one of the Samhan , along...
, a loose confederacy in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
. He also attacked the borders of Baekje's eastern rival Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
.
Baekje also changed its defensive posture against the Chinese to an offensive one. Goi attacked the Chinese-controlled Lelang commandery
Lelang Commandery
Lelang was one of the Chinese commanderies which was established after the fall of Gojoseon in 108 BC until Goguryeo conquered it in 313. Lelang Commandery was located in the northern Korean peninsula with the administrative center near modern P'yongyang....
and the Daifang commandery
Daifang Commandery
Daifang Commandery was one of the remnants of the Four Commanderies of Han in the Korean peninsula.-History:Gongsun Kang, a warlord in Liaodong, separated the southern half from the Lelang commandery and established the Daifang commandery in 204 to make administration more efficient...
when the Chinese launched an attack against the Han River region to disrupt and prevent Baekje's emerging power. In 246, according to both the Korean Samguk Sagi and the Chinese Wei Zhi, Baekje went to war against Daifang commandery, and the commandery's governor Gong Zun was slain.