Taejodae of Goguryeo facts for kids

King Taejo (born 47 AD, died 165 AD) was the sixth king of Goguryeo, an ancient kingdom in Korea. He ruled for a very long time, from 53 AD to 146 AD, which is 93 years. During his rule, Goguryeo grew much bigger and became a strong, organized kingdom. His reign is one of the longest in history, though some details about its length are debated.

Early Life and Becoming King

Taejo's father, Go Jaesa, was the youngest son of King Yuri, Goguryeo's second king. His family, the Go house, was one of the five powerful groups in the kingdom. Taejo's mother came from a kingdom called Buyeo.

After the fifth king, Mobon, died in 53 AD, the royal court needed a new ruler. Even though King Mobon had a son named Ik, the court chose Taejo's father, Jaesa. However, Jaesa was quite old and decided not to become king. Instead, his seven-year-old son, Gung (who later became King Taejo), took the throne. Because he was so young, his mother became his regent. A regent is someone who rules for a child king until they are old enough to rule by themselves.

Making Goguryeo Stronger

When Taejo first became king, he made important changes to strengthen Goguryeo. He changed the five powerful family groups (clans) into five provinces. Each province was led by a governor from that clan, but these governors reported directly to the king. This change gave King Taejo strong control over the army, the economy, and the government. He made sure the king's power was firm.

Expanding the Kingdom

King Taejo was a great leader who helped Goguryeo grow. He conquered several smaller states nearby. In 56 AD, he took over Eastern Okjeo. Later, he conquered Galsa in 68 AD, Jona in 72 AD, and Juna in 74 AD. He brought the local armies and leaders from these new areas into his central government. He also traveled around his kingdom to make sure his royal power was strong everywhere.

Taejo also had many conflicts with China's Han Dynasty. He often stopped trade between the Han Dynasty and their commandery of Lelang. In 55 AD, he ordered a fortress to be built in the Liaodong Commandery, which was a Chinese area. He attacked Chinese border regions in 105, 111, and 118 AD.

In 122 AD, King Taejo formed an alliance with the Mahan confederacy from central Korea and the nearby Yemaek tribe. Together, they attacked Liaodong, which greatly expanded Goguryeo's territory. He launched another big attack in 146 AD.

The End of His Reign

The exact details of King Taejo's death are a bit unclear and debated by historians.

One historical book, Samguk Yusa, says that in the 94th year of Taejo's reign, his younger brother Suseong took the throne and became King Chadae. This book also suggests that King Chadae later harmed Taejo's sons. Another brother, Sindae, who became king after Chadae, is said to have caused the deaths of both Taejo and Chadae in 165 AD.

According to the Samguk Sagi and Samguk Yusa, King Taejo lived to be 118 years old and ruled for 93 years. If this is true, he would be one of the longest-living and longest-reigning monarchs in all of history.

However, a Chinese history book called Book of Later Han gives a different story. It says that Taejo died in 121 AD, and his son Chadae became king. This would mean Taejo ruled for 68 years and lived to be 74. After this, the Chinese emperor decided not to fight Goguryeo anymore, and King Chadae made peace with the Han Dynasty the next year. This different account suggests a more typical lifespan and reign length.

See also

• In Spanish: Taejo de Goguryeo para niños