Anwon of Goguryeo
Encyclopedia
King Anwon of Goguryeo (died 545) (r. 531–545) was the 23rd ruler of Goguryeo
, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
. He was the younger brother of King Anjang
, and is said to have been tall and wise.
When Anjang died without an heir in 531, Anwon succeeded him on the throne.
The other two of the Three Kingdoms, Baekje
and Silla
, formed an alliance in response to the Goguryeo threat, leading to a relatively balanced peace. In the only conflict during Anwon's reign, in the ninth lunar month of 540, Baekje laid siege to Usan Castle, but Anwon sent 5,000 cavalry and drove the attackers off.
Goguryeo suffered many natural disasters during Anwon's reign.
Anwon's first queen had not given birth to a son. In his third year on the thone, he had designated as crown prince his eldest son by his second queen, prince Pyeongseong (subsequent king Yangwon
). However, in the last year of Anwon's reign, there was a power struggle between his second and third queens who each sought to make her son the crown prince.
The aristocracy split into two camps, leading to violent battles during which the king was apparently killed. This internal division was the beginning of a significantly weakening of the royal throne and Goguryeo itself in subsequent years.
The king died in the third lunar month of 545, after 15 years on the throne.
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
. He was the younger brother of King Anjang
Anjang of Goguryeo
King Anjang of Goguryeo was the 22nd ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.-Background:Go Heung-an was the eldest son of King Munjamyeong...
, and is said to have been tall and wise.
When Anjang died without an heir in 531, Anwon succeeded him on the throne.
The other two of the Three Kingdoms, 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 Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
, formed an alliance in response to the Goguryeo threat, leading to a relatively balanced peace. In the only conflict during Anwon's reign, in the ninth lunar month of 540, Baekje laid siege to Usan Castle, but Anwon sent 5,000 cavalry and drove the attackers off.
Goguryeo suffered many natural disasters during Anwon's reign.
Anwon's first queen had not given birth to a son. In his third year on the thone, he had designated as crown prince his eldest son by his second queen, prince Pyeongseong (subsequent king Yangwon
Yangwon of Goguryeo
King Yangwon of Goguryeo was the 24th ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of King Anwon...
). However, in the last year of Anwon's reign, there was a power struggle between his second and third queens who each sought to make her son the crown prince.
The aristocracy split into two camps, leading to violent battles during which the king was apparently killed. This internal division was the beginning of a significantly weakening of the royal throne and Goguryeo itself in subsequent years.
The king died in the third lunar month of 545, after 15 years on the throne.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- 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...
- Three Kingdoms of KoreaThree Kingdoms of KoreaThe Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
- List of Korean monarchs