Hyegong of Silla
Encyclopedia
Hyegong of Silla (r. 765–780) was the 36th ruler of the Korea
n kingdom of Silla
. He was the son of King Gyeongdeok
by Lady Manwol. Hyegong was the last descendant of King Muyeol
to sit on the throne. Because of this, his reign is often regarded as the end of the middle period of the Silla
state.
Hyegong became king at the age of 8, and did not adapt well to the role. According to the Samguk Sagi
, as a young man Hyegong's dissolute life kept the palace in disarray. He faced rebellions led by high officials in 768, 770 and 775. Faced in 780 with another rebellion, by his ichan Kim Ji-jeong, the king dispatched sangdaedeung
Kim Yang-sang to put down the uprising. However, the rebel forces stormed the palace and slew the king and queen. Kim Yang-sang, who was an eleventh-generation descendant of King Naemul
, then took the throne as King Seondeok
.
Hyegong was thought to be effeminate, since his behavior was thought to be girlish, and historians described him as a man by appearance but a woman by nature, and so was killed in the April 780 rebellion that stormed the palace (for his subordinates could not accept his 'femininity'.)
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n kingdom of Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
. He was the son of King Gyeongdeok
Gyeongdeok of Silla
King Gyeongdeok of Silla was the 35th ruler who reigned from 742 to 765 over the kingdom of Silla. He is perhaps best known today for his efforts to encourage Buddhism....
by Lady Manwol. Hyegong was the last descendant of King Muyeol
Muyeol of Silla
King Taejong Muyeol , born Kim Chunchu, was the 29th monarch of the southern Korean kingdom of Silla and ruled from 654 to 661. He is credited for leading the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...
to sit on the throne. Because of this, his reign is often regarded as the end of the middle period of the Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
state.
Hyegong became king at the age of 8, and did not adapt well to the role. According to 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...
, as a young man Hyegong's dissolute life kept the palace in disarray. He faced rebellions led by high officials in 768, 770 and 775. Faced in 780 with another rebellion, by his ichan Kim Ji-jeong, the king dispatched sangdaedeung
Sangdaedeung
Sangdaedeung was an office of the Silla state equivalent to the European King's/Queen's Counsel. The Sangdaedeung was chosen from among those men of “true bone” lineage in Silla‘s strict aristocratic social order...
Kim Yang-sang to put down the uprising. However, the rebel forces stormed the palace and slew the king and queen. Kim Yang-sang, who was an eleventh-generation descendant of King Naemul
Naemul of Silla
Naemul of Silla was the 17th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the nephew of King Michu. He married Michu's daughter, Lady Boban. He is given the title Isageum, the same one borne by earlier rulers, in the Samguk Sagi; he is given the title Maripgan, borne by later rulers, in the...
, then took the throne as King Seondeok
King Seondeok of Silla
King Seondeok of Silla was the successor to King Hyegong and the 37th to rule the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was an eleventh-generation descendant of King Naemul, and the Daughter of haechan Kim Hyo-bang by King Seongdeok's daughter Lady Saso...
.
Hyegong was thought to be effeminate, since his behavior was thought to be girlish, and historians described him as a man by appearance but a woman by nature, and so was killed in the April 780 rebellion that stormed the palace (for his subordinates could not accept his 'femininity'.)
See also
- Unified SillaUnified SillaUnified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
- List of Korean monarchs
- List of Silla people
- Hyegong (Silla monk)