Taejong of Joseon facts for kids

Taejong of Joseon (born June 13, 1367 – died June 8, 1422) was the third king of the Joseon dynasty in Korea. His personal name was Yi Bang-won. He was also the father of King Sejong the Great, one of Korea's most famous rulers. Before he became king, he was known as Prince Jeongan.

Becoming King of Joseon

Early Life and Helping His Father

Yi Bang-won was born in 1367. He was the fifth son of King Taejo, who later founded the Joseon dynasty. In 1382, he became an official in the Goryeo dynasty, which was the ruling kingdom before Joseon.

Yi Bang-won played a big part in helping his father gain support from people and important government figures. He even helped his father start the new Joseon dynasty by removing officials who were still loyal to the old Goryeo kingdom. During his father's reign, he was called Prince Jeongan and studied with Confucian scholars.

The Princes' Struggles for Power

After helping to create the new Joseon dynasty, Yi Bang-won hoped to be chosen as the next king. However, his father, King Taejo, and a key advisor named Jeong Do-jeon chose Yi Bang-seok, Yi Bang-won's younger half-brother, to be the crown prince instead.

Jeong Do-jeon believed that the new kingdom should be run by its ministers, with the king as a guide. Yi Bang-won, however, wanted the king to have absolute power. These different ideas caused a lot of tension.

In 1398, after his stepmother Queen Sindeok passed away, Yi Bang-won led a surprise attack. This event, known as the "First Strife of Princes," resulted in the deaths of Jeong Do-jeon and his supporters, including the crown prince.

King Taejo was very upset by his sons fighting for the throne. He decided to step down and made his second son, Yi Bang-gwa (King Jeongjong), the new ruler. King Jeongjong moved the capital back to Kaesong. However, Yi Bang-won still held much of the real power.

Soon, Yi Bang-won faced another challenge from his older brother, Yi Bang-gan. In 1400, Yi Bang-gan rebelled in what was called the "Second Strife of Princes." Yi Bang-won defeated his brother's forces. King Jeongjong, fearing his powerful brother, then named Yi Bang-won as the crown prince and stepped down. Finally, Yi Bang-won became King Taejong, the third ruler of Joseon.

King Taejong's Rule

Strengthening Royal Power

When Taejong became king, his father, Taejo, initially refused to give him the royal seal, which showed that a king was legitimate. Taejong then began to make changes to show he was fit to rule.

One of his first actions was to stop powerful government officials and nobles from having their own private armies. This greatly increased the number of soldiers in the national army and made it harder for nobles to rebel.

Taejong also improved the way the government collected taxes on land. By finding land that had been hidden, the country's income doubled. He also started a system called hopae, which was an early form of ID card. This helped the government keep track of people and their movements. He even placed a large drum in front of the palace. Common people could beat this drum if they had problems and wanted to speak to the king.

Printing with Movable Type

King Taejong is also remembered for ordering the creation of 100,000 pieces of metal type and two complete sets of fonts in 1403. This was many decades before Johannes Gutenberg and Laurens Janszoon Coster in Europe developed similar metal movable type. This shows how advanced Korea was in printing technology.

Building a Strong Government

Taejong worked to create a strong central government where the king had absolute power. In 1399, he played a key role in replacing the old Dopyeong Assembly, which had too much power, with the State Council of Joseon. This new council worked closely with the king.

After changing tax laws, King Taejong made a new rule: all decisions made by the State Council needed the king's approval to become law. This meant that ministers could no longer make decisions on their own. This greatly increased the king's power.

He also set up the Sinmun Office. This office allowed ordinary people to report if they felt they had been treated unfairly by government officials or nobles.

Taejong generally kept the good changes made by Jeong Do-jeon. He promoted Confucianism as the main philosophy, which was more about how to live and govern. He reduced the influence of Buddhism, which had become very powerful during the Goryeo dynasty. He closed many Buddhist temples and took their wealth for the national treasury.

He also honored Jeong Mong-ju with a high title, even though Taejong himself had ordered his death. This was an interesting twist in history.

In foreign policy, Taejong was very firm. He attacked the Jurchens in the north and Japanese pirates along the southern coast. He is also known for leading the Ōei Invasion of Tsushima Island in 1419.

He encouraged publishing, trade, and education. He also gave full independence to the Uigeumbu, which was like the country's Supreme Court.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1418, Taejong stepped down from the throne and gave it to his third son, Yi Do (King Sejong). However, he continued to make important decisions behind the scenes. He removed some of the supporters who had helped him become king, especially those who expected special favors. He did this to strengthen the royal power and fight corruption.

To limit the influence of powerful families connected to the royal family, he even removed his son Sejong's father-in-law, Shim On, and his younger brother. He also removed his own wife's four brothers when he found out they were trying to control politics.

Taejong is seen as a complex figure. He made tough decisions and removed many rivals, but he also ruled effectively. He improved the lives of his people, strengthened the country's defenses, and built a strong foundation for his son Sejong's successful reign.

Royal Family

• Father: King Taejo of Joseon (born 1335 – died 1408)
• Mother: Queen Sinui of the Cheongju Han clan (born 1337 – died 1391)

Main Consort and Children:

• Queen Wongyeong of the Yeoheung Min clan (born 1365 – died 1420)
  • Princess Jeongsun (born 1385 – died 1460)
  • Princess Gyeongjeong (born 1387 – died 1455)
  • Princess Gyeongan (born 1393 – died 1415)
  • Yi Je, Grand Prince Yangnyeong (born 1394 – died 1462)
  • Yi Bo, Grand Prince Hyoryeong (born 1396 – died 1486)
  • Yi Do, Grand Prince Chungnyeong (born 1397 – died 1450) - Later King Sejong the Great
  • Princess Jeongseon (born 1404 – died 1424)
  • Yi Jong, Grand Prince Seongnyeong (born 1405 – died 1418)

Taejong also had many other consorts and children, including:

• Royal Noble Consort Myeong of the (old) Andong Gim clan
• Royal Noble Consort Ui of the Andong Gwon clan
  • Princess Jeonghye (died 1424)
• Royal Noble Consort Hyo of the Cheongpung Gim clan
  • Yi Bi, Prince Gyeongnyeong (born 1402 – died 1458)
• Royal Noble Consort Shin of the Yeongwol Shin clan
  • Yi In, Prince Hamnyeong (born 1402 – died 1467)
  • Yi Jeong, Prince Onnyeong (born 1407 – died 1453)
  • Princess Jeongshin (died 1452)
  • Princess Jeongjeong (born 1410 – died 1456)
  • Princess Sukjeong (died 1456)
  • Princess Suknyeong
  • Princess Soshin (died 1437)
  • Princess Sosuk (died 1456)
  • Princess Sukgyeong (born 1420 – died 1494)
• Royal Noble Consort Seon of the Sunheung Ahn clan
  • Yi Jeong, Prince Hyenyeong (born 1407 – died 1440)
  • Yi Chi, Prince Iknyeong (born 1422 – died 1464)
  • Princess Gyeongshin
  • Princess Sukan (died 1464)
• Royal Noble Consort So of the Jangyeon No clan
  • Princess Sukhye (born 1413 – died 1464)
• Royal Noble Consort Jeong of the Go clan
  • Yi Nong, Prince Geunnyeong (born 1411 – died 1462)
• Royal Consort Sug-ui of the Choe clan
  • Yi Ta, Prince Huinyeong (born 1412 – died 1465)
• Royal Lady Suggong of the Cheongdo Gim clan
• Royal Lady Uijeong of the Hanyang Jo clan (died 1454)
• Royal Lady Hyesun of the Goseong Yi clan (died 1438)
• Royal Lady Sinsun of the Seongju Yi clan (born 1390 – ?)
• Princess Deoksuk of the Yi clan
  • Yi Gan, Prince Hunyeong (born 1419 – died 1450)
• Princess Hyeseon of the Hong clan
• Princess Sunhye of the Andong Jang clan (died 1423)
• Princess Seogyeong
• Concubine Gim
  • Princess Sukgeun (died 1450)
• Lady Yi
  • Princess Suksun (born 1421 – died 1481)

See also

In Spanish: Taejong de Joseon para niños

• List of monarchs of Korea
• Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido
• Chen Yanxiang (a Chinese merchant from Java that Taejong hosted during his reign)