Gung Ye facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gung Ye弓裔 궁예 |
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Portrait of Gung Ye
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| King of Taebong | |||||
| Reign | July 901 – 24 July 918 | ||||
| Coronation | July 901 | ||||
| Predecessor | Dynasty established | ||||
| Successor | Dynasty abolished (Taejo of Goryeo as the first King of Goryeo) |
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| Regent | Gu Jin (905–906) Wang Geon (912–913) |
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| Born | c. 869 | ||||
| Died | 24 July 918 | ||||
| Spouse | Queen Kang | ||||
| Issue | Gim Cheong-gwang Gim Sin-gwang Gim Sun-baek |
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| House | House of Kim | ||||
| Father | Heonan of Silla | ||||
| Religion | Buddhism | ||||
| Gung Ye | |
| Hangul | |
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| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Gung Ye |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kung Ye |
| Dharma name | |
| Hangul | |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Seonjong |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sŏnjong |
| Other name | |
| Hangul | |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Mireuk |
| McCune–Reischauer | Mirŭk |
Gung Ye (born around 869 – died July 24, 918) was a powerful leader in Korea. He ruled the kingdom of Taebong from 901 to 918. This was during a time known as the Later Three Kingdoms period. Even though he was part of the Silla royal family, he faced many challenges. The Silla government was weak and focused on internal power struggles. This made Gung Ye become a rebel leader against them.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Gung Ye's exact birth date is not known. People believe he was the son of King Gyeongmun. His mother was a lady of the court.
A Difficult Start
A legend says Gung Ye was born on Dano, a traditional holiday. A royal fortune-teller predicted that a baby born on this day would bring bad luck to the country. Because of this, the king ordered his servants to kill the baby. But Gung Ye's mother tried to save him. She threw him from a second-floor window to a maid hiding below. The maid caught the baby, but accidentally poked his left eye, causing him to lose it. The maid secretly raised Gung Ye. After she died, Gung Ye became a Buddhist monk at a temple called Sedalsa.
Rise to Power
During Gung Ye's time, Queen Jinseong was the ruler of Silla. She was Gung Ye's half-sister. She was not a strong ruler, and the government was full of corruption. Royal family members often interfered, and bribery was common.
Why Did People Rebel?
The corrupt government treated farmers and peasants unfairly. They raised taxes a lot in 889, after a year of famine. This led to many revolts and rebellions across the country. Local leaders, called hojok, became very powerful in their areas. The Silla government was too busy with rebellions and their own power struggles to stop them. Among the rebel leaders, Gi Hwon and Yang Gil became the strongest.
Gung Ye Joins the Rebels
Gung Ye first joined Gi Hwon's group in 891. But he soon left because Gi Hwon didn't trust him. In 892, Gung Ye joined Yang Gil's rebel army. He quickly became a top general. He defeated the local Silla army and other rebel groups. Many local leaders, including Wang Geon, joined Gung Ye. This made him even more powerful than Yang Gil.
Founding a New Kingdom
Silla, which had been a strong kingdom for almost a thousand years, was falling apart. In 898, Gung Ye started his own rebellion in Kaesŏng. He then turned against Yang Gil, his former leader, and defeated him. Gung Ye took control of central Korea. In 901, he declared himself king of a new state called Hugoguryeo. He claimed it was the successor to the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo. At the same time, Gyeon Hwon's Hubaekje kingdom took control of the southwest. This period became known as the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Ruling His Kingdom
Gung Ye changed his country's name to Majin in 904. The next year, he moved the capital to Cheorwon. This was a mountain fortress. He moved people from the city of Cheongju to Cheorwon. His kingdom grew to control almost two-thirds of the land Silla once held. In the same year, Gung Ye took over Pyeongyang. He wanted to completely destroy the Silla state.
Gung Ye's Religious Beliefs
Around 905, Gung Ye looked for a way to unite his people. He decided that religious faith would help. Since he had been a Buddhist monk, he declared himself to be Maitreya Buddha. He claimed he had come to Earth to guide and save people from suffering. In 911, he changed his kingdom's name again, to Taebong.
The Downfall of Gung Ye
Later in his rule, Gung Ye became very suspicious of everyone. He accused many people of treason without good reason. He ordered the death of anyone who disagreed with him. This included his wife, Queen Kang, and his two sons.
The End of His Reign
Because of his harsh rule, four of his top generals decided to act. Their names were Hong Yu, Bae Hyeongyeong, Sin Sung-gyeom, and Bok Jigyeom. In 918, they overthrew Gung Ye. They made Wang Geon, one of Gung Ye's former chief ministers, the new king. Gung Ye reportedly escaped the palace. But he was killed soon after, either by a soldier or by peasants who thought he was a thief.
Soon after, the Goryeo dynasty was founded. Wang Geon went on to defeat Silla and Hubaekje. He reunited the three kingdoms in 936.
Different Ideas About His Origin
Some historians have a different idea about Gung Ye's family. They believe he might have been a direct descendant of Go Anseung. Go Anseung was a ruler of a failed state that tried to bring back Goguryeo. Silla records say that Go Anseung was given the royal Silla family name, "Kim." So, Gung Ye being a "Kim" prince was true in a way. But he might not have been the son of a Silla king as commonly believed.
Family
- Wife: Queen Kang (died 915)
- Son: Kim Cheong-gwang (died 915)
- Son: Kim Sin-gwang (died 915)
- Son: Kim Sun-baek
Gung Ye's Legacy
Gung Ye was not able to keep his rule or unite Korea. However, many scholars today are looking at his story again. Historical records about Gung Ye are mostly negative. This is because historians during the Goryeo Dynasty wanted to make Wang Geon's takeover seem right.
A Different View of History
Even after Goryeo was founded, many people did not accept Wang Geon's rule. Some even joined Gyeon Hwon's Hubaekje kingdom. This suggests that many people might have still supported Gung Ye. He might not have been the terrible ruler described in history books. Some scholars think Gung Ye called himself Buddha to make his power stronger. As a Silla royal, he didn't have much influence over powerful local leaders. So, he tried to use religion to keep control, but it didn't work in the end.
Gung Ye in Popular Culture
- Portrayed by Kim Yeong-cheol and Maeng Se-chang in the 2000-2002 KBS1 TV series Taejo Wang Geon.
