Gyeon Hwon
Encyclopedia
Gyeon Hwon was the king
and founder of Hubaekje
, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Some records render his name as "Jin Hwon" (진훤). He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Gyeon clan. Substantial accounts of his life are preserved in the Samguk Sagi
, which presents a single narrative, and the Samguk Yusa
, which presents excerpts about him from various sources.
, not Gyeon. Most accounts agree that Gyeon Hwon's father was Ajagae
, a farmer
of the Lee clan, and that he was born in what is today Gaeun-eup in Mungyeong
, North Gyeongsang province, as the oldest of six children. His mother was from the Gwangju
area, but her exact identity is not known; Ajagae had two wives, Lady Sangwon and Lady Namwon, and Gyeon Hwon was born to his first wife. However, legend says that his mother was from Gwangju and gave birth to her firstborn son after having physical contact with a worm
disguised as a man, and that Gyeon Hwon grew up drinking the milk of a tiger
.
The Silla
court of Queen Jinseong
was heavily corrupted and embroiled with political confusion. Widespread famine ravaged the country, driving many of the people into rebel forces. Village headmen, and new military forces arose and created power bases all over the country. The government who had tried to implement a forceful taxation plan found itself in the face of rebellions led by bandits, local nobles, and rebel leaders. It was during this time that Gyeon Hwon's father Ajagae, led a local peasant revolt
and set up base in Sangju
.
region. While his father grabbed power in the Sangju region, he independently marshalled local peasants to his cause, and soon gathered many followers. In 892, Gyeon Hwon seized the cities of Wansanju
and Mujinju
, taking over the old territory of Baekje
and winning the support of the people in the area who were hostile to Silla
.
Gyeon Hwon declared himself the king of Hubaekje ("later Baekje") and established his capital at Wansanju
in 900. He established government, made diplomatic ties with China, and continuously pursued the expansion of his kingdom amongst much conflict with Gung Ye
of Hugoguryeo
.
, southwest of the Silla capital Gyeongju
, but the campaign failed and the army retreated. Then in 910, when Wang Geon, the general of the rival kingdom of Hugoguryeo
attacked and captured the city of Naju
, the very city in which Gyeon Hwon had started his rebellion, he made an attempt to retake the city from Wang but failed.
In 918, Gung Ye, who had been maintaining his rule by acts of terror, was dethroned and murdered by his own army commanders. General and chief minister Wang Geon was crowned as their new ruler, marking the beginning point of Goryeo
.
Gyeon Hwon sent another major expedition to Hapcheon in 920 and finally succeeded in taking over the region, forcing King Gyeongmyeong
into an alliance with Goryeo. Then he invaded the present-day Andong
area, but his troops were defeated by local Silla guards. Gyeon Hwon was forced to make peace with Goryeo after the battle, through a hostage exchange of royal family members. However, when his nephew died, he killed the Goryeo hostage, cousin of Wang Geon, and resumed war against Goryeo.
In 927, Gyeon Hwon led his army himself and directly attacked the Silla capital of Gyeongju. King Gyeongae
was unprepared to this attack and he chose suicide over capture by the invading army of Hubaekje. Gyeon Hwon then established Kim Bu as the next Silla king, who became King Gyeongsun
. On his way back, he was met by the forces led by Wang Geon, and easily defeated the Goryeo army, killing many of Wang's notable generals and warriors, with Wang barely escaping through the daring self-sacrifice of his general Shin Sung-gyeom
and Kim Nak. One year later he took over the city of Jinju
from Silla.
) and was unable to recover from the loss. Gyeon Hwon attempted to reverse the current by sacking the Goryeo capital of Gaeseong, but his army suffered another defeat in the year of 934.
Not only was Hubaekje reeling from military defeats, the kingdowm was in internal disarray. In 935, Gyeon Hwon's eldest son Singeom
, who had been slighted as heir to the throne in favor of his younger brother Geumgang, overthrew Gyeon Hwon with the aid of his brothers Yanggeom and Yonggeom. Singeom killed Geumgang and confined Gyeon Hwon to Geumsan Temple
, but Gyeon Hwon escaped and fled to his old enemy Wang Geon in Goryeo
, who welcomed him and provided him with land and slaves.
King Gyeongsun of Silla formally surrendered to Goryeo in 935. The following year, at Gyeon Hwon's request, he and Wanggeon led a massive Goryeo army to Hubaekje and the kingdom fell.
Gyeon Hwon died the same year of an inflamed tumor.
and Later Tang as the legitimate ruler of Hubaekje. In addition, he sought an alliance with the newly-formed Liao Dynasty
in the north, which was founded by the Khitans, in order to surround Goryeo from both north and south. Gyeon Hwon also sent envoys to Japan during his reign for mainly commercial reasons; the Jeolla region, where Gyeon Hwon began his kingdom, was the center of trade in East Asia during the period and had already served as the base for traders such as Jang Bogo
.
However, despite all of his diplomatic, military and trade abilities Gyeon Hwon lacked the political astuteness to found a viable state; his Hubaekje government system was not very much different from the one of Silla, which had been proven to be ineffective in centralizing the power of the local landlords and merchants. In the end, Hubaekje was not able to exercise influence over many of its people, giving the way for Goryeo to incorporate the kingdom and unify the Korean peninsula.
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
and founder of Hubaekje
Hubaekje
Hubaekje, or Later Baekje, was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Hugoguryeo and Silla. It was officially founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, and fell to Wanggeon's Goryeo army in 936. Its capital was at Jeonju, in present-day North Jeolla province...
, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Some records render his name as "Jin Hwon" (진훤). He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Gyeon clan. Substantial accounts of his life are preserved in the 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...
, which presents a single narrative, and the 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...
, which presents excerpts about him from various sources.
Background
Records say that Gyeon Hwon was born LeeLee (Korean name)
Lee is the common English spelling of 이 , a common Korean family name. The proper pronunciation in South Korea is like the English letter "E", although in North Korea the name is still written as "리" and pronounced "Lee". Many times South Koreans will knowingly introduce themselves as "Lee" to...
, not Gyeon. Most accounts agree that Gyeon Hwon's father was Ajagae
Ajagae
Ajagae was a military leader in the Sangju area during the waning years of Unified Silla. He led a local rebellion which seized Sangju. He is remembered today primarily as the father of Gyeon Hwon, the king of Hubaekje. Some Gyeon family lineages therefore claim him as their progenitor, although...
, a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
of the Lee clan, and that he was born in what is today Gaeun-eup in Mungyeong
Mungyeong
Mungyeong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk Province, South Korea. The local government, economy, and transportation networks are all centered in Jeomchon, the principal town. Mungyeong has a lengthy history, and is known today for its various historic and scenic tourist attractions...
, North Gyeongsang province, as the oldest of six children. His mother was from the Gwangju
Gwangju
Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
area, but her exact identity is not known; Ajagae had two wives, Lady Sangwon and Lady Namwon, and Gyeon Hwon was born to his first wife. However, legend says that his mother was from Gwangju and gave birth to her firstborn son after having physical contact with a worm
Worm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
disguised as a man, and that Gyeon Hwon grew up drinking the milk of a tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
.
The Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
court of Queen Jinseong
Jinseong of Silla
Queen Jinseong of Silla was the fifty-first to ruler of the Korean kingdom, Silla. She was also Silla's third and final reigning queen . Her reign saw the end of Unified Silla and the beginning of the Later Three Kingdoms period.Jinseong was the daughter of King Gyeongmun...
was heavily corrupted and embroiled with political confusion. Widespread famine ravaged the country, driving many of the people into rebel forces. Village headmen, and new military forces arose and created power bases all over the country. The government who had tried to implement a forceful taxation plan found itself in the face of rebellions led by bandits, local nobles, and rebel leaders. It was during this time that Gyeon Hwon's father Ajagae, led a local peasant revolt
Peasant revolt
Peasant, Peasants' or Popular is variously paired with Revolt, Uprising and War and may refer to :*Daze Village Uprising 209 BC*Yellow Turban Rebellion 184...
and set up base in Sangju
Sangju
Sangju is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Although Sangju is rather rural, it is very old and was once a key city. Along with Gyeongju, it gives rise to half of the name of the Gyeongsang provinces...
.
Early life and founding of Hubaekje
Gyeon Hwon is said to have left home at 15 to join the Silla army and became the commander of Silla forces in the JeollaJeolla
Jeolla was a province in southwestern Korea, one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and the Special City of Gwangju as well as Jeju Island...
region. While his father grabbed power in the Sangju region, he independently marshalled local peasants to his cause, and soon gathered many followers. In 892, Gyeon Hwon seized the cities of Wansanju
Jeonju
Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :...
and Mujinju
Gwangju
Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
, taking over the old territory of Baekje
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....
and winning the support of the people in the area who were hostile to Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
.
Gyeon Hwon declared himself the king of Hubaekje ("later Baekje") and established his capital at Wansanju
Jeonju
Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :...
in 900. He established government, made diplomatic ties with China, and continuously pursued the expansion of his kingdom amongst much conflict with Gung Ye
Gung Ye
Gung Ye was the king of the short-lived Hugoguryeo on the Korean peninsula. Although he was a member of the Silla royal family, he became a victim of the power struggle among the royal family members during the late 9th century...
of Hugoguryeo
Taebong
Taebong or Later Goguryeo was a state established by Gung Ye on the Korean peninsula in 901, during the Later Three Kingdoms period.-History:...
.
Reign
After crowning himself as ruler of Hubaekje, Gyeon Hwon sent his army to present-day HapcheonHapcheon
Hapcheon County is a county in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Famous people born in the county include former South Korean president Chun Doo-hwan.-Location:...
, southwest of the Silla capital Gyeongju
Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...
, but the campaign failed and the army retreated. Then in 910, when Wang Geon, the general of the rival kingdom of Hugoguryeo
Taebong
Taebong or Later Goguryeo was a state established by Gung Ye on the Korean peninsula in 901, during the Later Three Kingdoms period.-History:...
attacked and captured the city of Naju
Naju
Naju is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea.The capital of South Jeolla was located at Naju until it was moved to Gwangju in 1895. The name Jeolla actually originates from the first character of Jeonju and the first character of Naju . Dongshin University is situated in Naju...
, the very city in which Gyeon Hwon had started his rebellion, he made an attempt to retake the city from Wang but failed.
In 918, Gung Ye, who had been maintaining his rule by acts of terror, was dethroned and murdered by his own army commanders. General and chief minister Wang Geon was crowned as their new ruler, marking the beginning point of Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
.
Gyeon Hwon sent another major expedition to Hapcheon in 920 and finally succeeded in taking over the region, forcing King Gyeongmyeong
Gyeongmyeong of Silla
Gyeongmyeong of Silla was the 54th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the eldest son of King Sindeok and Princess Uiseong...
into an alliance with Goryeo. Then he invaded the present-day Andong
Andong
Andong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...
area, but his troops were defeated by local Silla guards. Gyeon Hwon was forced to make peace with Goryeo after the battle, through a hostage exchange of royal family members. However, when his nephew died, he killed the Goryeo hostage, cousin of Wang Geon, and resumed war against Goryeo.
In 927, Gyeon Hwon led his army himself and directly attacked the Silla capital of Gyeongju. King Gyeongae
Gyeongae of Silla
Gyeongae of Silla was the 55th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the son of King Sindeok by Princess Uiseong, and was the younger brother of King Gyeongmyeong, who preceded him to the throne....
was unprepared to this attack and he chose suicide over capture by the invading army of Hubaekje. Gyeon Hwon then established Kim Bu as the next Silla king, who became King Gyeongsun
Gyeongsun of Silla
Gyeongsun of Silla was the 56th and final ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. A sixth-generation descendant of King Munseong, he was the son of Hyojong by Princess Gyea, who was the daughter of King Heongang...
. On his way back, he was met by the forces led by Wang Geon, and easily defeated the Goryeo army, killing many of Wang's notable generals and warriors, with Wang barely escaping through the daring self-sacrifice of his general Shin Sung-gyeom
Shin Sung-gyeom
Shin Sung-gyeom was a Korean general during the turbulent Later Three Kingdoms period in the early 10th century. Born in Gwanghaeju , he became a general in the kingdom of Taebong...
and Kim Nak. One year later he took over the city of Jinju
Jinju
Jinju is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first and second Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War...
from Silla.
Decline and fall
Hubaekje and Goryeo were in constant state of hostilities without one being completely dominant over the other. However, in 930, the Hubaekje troops faced a heavy defeat at the Battle of Gochang (present-day AndongAndong
Andong is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, South Korea. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 in October 2010. The Nakdong River flows through the city...
) and was unable to recover from the loss. Gyeon Hwon attempted to reverse the current by sacking the Goryeo capital of Gaeseong, but his army suffered another defeat in the year of 934.
Not only was Hubaekje reeling from military defeats, the kingdowm was in internal disarray. In 935, Gyeon Hwon's eldest son Singeom
Singeom
Singeom was the second and final king of Hubaekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. He came to the throne after conspiring with his two brothers, Yanggeom and Yonggeom, to overthrow their father Gyeon Hwon and kill the anointed heir, their younger half-brother Geumgang.The brothers...
, who had been slighted as heir to the throne in favor of his younger brother Geumgang, overthrew Gyeon Hwon with the aid of his brothers Yanggeom and Yonggeom. Singeom killed Geumgang and confined Gyeon Hwon to Geumsan Temple
Geumsansa
Geumsansa is a head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It stands on the slopes of Moaksan in Gimje City, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea.-History:...
, but Gyeon Hwon escaped and fled to his old enemy Wang Geon in Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
, who welcomed him and provided him with land and slaves.
King Gyeongsun of Silla formally surrendered to Goryeo in 935. The following year, at Gyeon Hwon's request, he and Wanggeon led a massive Goryeo army to Hubaekje and the kingdom fell.
Gyeon Hwon died the same year of an inflamed tumor.
Diplomacy
Unlike his rival Gung Ye, Gyeon Hwon was active in diplomacy; he was formally confirmed by the Chinese kingdoms of WuyueWuyue
Kingdom of Wuyue , 907-978, was a small independent coastal kingdom founded during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms of Chinese history. It was ruled by the Qian family, which remains widespread in the kingdom's former territory.-Founding:...
and Later Tang as the legitimate ruler of Hubaekje. In addition, he sought an alliance with the newly-formed Liao Dynasty
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
in the north, which was founded by the Khitans, in order to surround Goryeo from both north and south. Gyeon Hwon also sent envoys to Japan during his reign for mainly commercial reasons; the Jeolla region, where Gyeon Hwon began his kingdom, was the center of trade in East Asia during the period and had already served as the base for traders such as Jang Bogo
Jang Bogo
Jang Bogo , also known as Gungbok, rose to prominence in Korea in the late Unified Silla period as a powerful maritime figure who for several decades effectively controlled the West Sea and Korean coast between southwestern Korea and China's Shandong peninsula...
.
However, despite all of his diplomatic, military and trade abilities Gyeon Hwon lacked the political astuteness to found a viable state; his Hubaekje government system was not very much different from the one of Silla, which had been proven to be ineffective in centralizing the power of the local landlords and merchants. In the end, Hubaekje was not able to exercise influence over many of its people, giving the way for Goryeo to incorporate the kingdom and unify the Korean peninsula.
See also
- HubaekjeHubaekjeHubaekje, or Later Baekje, was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Hugoguryeo and Silla. It was officially founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, and fell to Wanggeon's Goryeo army in 936. Its capital was at Jeonju, in present-day North Jeolla province...
- Gung YeGung YeGung Ye was the king of the short-lived Hugoguryeo on the Korean peninsula. Although he was a member of the Silla royal family, he became a victim of the power struggle among the royal family members during the late 9th century...
- WanggeonTaejo of GoryeoTaejo of Goryeo was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943.-Background:...
- Later Three KingdomsLater Three KingdomsThe Later Three Kingdoms of Korea consisted of Silla, Hubaekje , and Hugoguryeo . The latter two were viewed as heirs to the earlier Three Kingdoms of Korea, which had been united by Silla, even though Hugoguryeo has little to do with Goguryeo...
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- List of Korea-related topics