Hyeonjong of Joseon
Encyclopedia
King Hyeonjong of Joseon (1641-1675) was the 18th monarch of the Korean Joseon Dynasty
, reigning from 1659 to 1675. His reign was mostly marked by heavy conflict among nation's political factions on various issues, especially on funeral issues.
as Yi Yeon, while his father was still in China
as captive of Manchu
Qing Dynasty
; thus he was born at Shenyang
, the Manchu capital before Qing Dynasty officially move its capital to Beijing
after defeating Ming Dynasty
in 1644. He returned to Korea in 1645 along with his father and became Crown Prince in 1651.
's second wife, should have to wear funeral garment according to the Confucian form of funeral. The Westerners, headed by Song Si-yeol
, contended that she needed to wear the funeral garment for only a year, while the Southerners and their leader Heo Jeok wanted a 3-year period. This conflict arose because there was no previous record about Confucian funeral requirements when somebody's second stepson who actually succeeded the family line dies. The Westerners wanted to follow the custom for a second stepson, while the Southerners thought Hyojong deserved a 3-year funeral since he actually succeeded King Injo in the royal line.
The final decision was up to young King Hyeonjong; He chose to enforce a 1-year period, which would keep the Westerners as the major faction. However, at the same time, Hyeonjong did not remove Heo Jeok from office of Prime Minister, in order to prevent the Westerners from threatening royal authority. The feud between the Southerners and the Westerners was highly intensified by funeral issue; Earlier, after the fall of the Greater Northerners in 1623, the Westerners and the Southerners formed political alliance under the leadership of King Hyojong, but on the funeral issue, both sides were intractable, leading to a greater probability of confrontations.
Hyeonjong at first maintained the balance of two factions by compromising between them with the 1 year period of the Westerners and keeping Southerner Heo Jeok as Prime Minister, and the two factions resumed a peaceful relationship temporarily. However in 1674, when Queen Inseon, Hyojong's wife and Hyeonjong's mother, died, the funeral issue came up again; The Southerners wanted Queen Jaeui to wear the funeral garment for one year while the Westerners preferred a nine month period. This time Hyeonjong listened to the Southerners and selected their method, making the Southerners faction as major political faction over the Westerners. The funeral controversy continued even after Hyeonjong died in 1675, and it was settled by Hyeonjong's successor King Sukjong
, who banned all debate about the issue. The controversy even affected the publishment of official history of Hyeonjong's era; at first it was written chiefly by Southerners but later it was revised by Westerner historians.
left Korea and returned to the Netherlands
, where he wrote a book about Joseon Dynasty and his experience in Korea, which introduced the small kingdom to many Europeans.
Hyeonjong stopped Hyojong's insuperable plan of northern conquest, since the Joseon had became a tributary state of the Qing Dynasty. Furthermore, after a series victories against the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty had became too mighty to resist. However, Hyeonjong continued Hyojong's military expansion and reconstruction of the nation which was devastated from the Seven-Year War and two Manchu invasions. He also encouraged astronomy
and printing. He also legally banned the marriage between relatives and also between those who share the same surnames. He died in 1675, and was succeeded by his son Sukjong.
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, reigning from 1659 to 1675. His reign was mostly marked by heavy conflict among nation's political factions on various issues, especially on funeral issues.
Background
Hyeonjong was born in 1641 as the first son of King HyojongHyojong of Joseon
King Hyojong was the seventeenth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1649 to 1659. He is best known for his plan for expedition to Manchu Qing dynasty and his campaigns against the Russian Empire by the request of Qing Dynasty...
as Yi Yeon, while his father was still in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
as captive of Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
; thus he was born at Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
, the Manchu capital before Qing Dynasty officially move its capital to Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
after defeating Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
in 1644. He returned to Korea in 1645 along with his father and became Crown Prince in 1651.
Conflict about Hyojong's funeral (Yesong controversy)
When King Hyojong died in 1659, Hyeonjong succeeded his father as the ruler of Joseon. The first issue during his reign was about his predecessor's funeral; The conservative Westerners faction and the liberal Southerners faction squared off about how long Queen Jaeui, King InjoInjo of Joseon
Injo of Joseon was the sixteenth king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the grandson of Seonjo, son of Grandprince Jeongwon...
's second wife, should have to wear funeral garment according to the Confucian form of funeral. The Westerners, headed by Song Si-yeol
Song Si-yeol
Song Si-yeol , also known by his penname U-am, was a Joseon Dynasty-era politician and Korean Neo-Confucianism scholar and philosopher. Born in Okcheon, North Chungcheong, Korea, he was known for his concern with the problems of the common people...
, contended that she needed to wear the funeral garment for only a year, while the Southerners and their leader Heo Jeok wanted a 3-year period. This conflict arose because there was no previous record about Confucian funeral requirements when somebody's second stepson who actually succeeded the family line dies. The Westerners wanted to follow the custom for a second stepson, while the Southerners thought Hyojong deserved a 3-year funeral since he actually succeeded King Injo in the royal line.
The final decision was up to young King Hyeonjong; He chose to enforce a 1-year period, which would keep the Westerners as the major faction. However, at the same time, Hyeonjong did not remove Heo Jeok from office of Prime Minister, in order to prevent the Westerners from threatening royal authority. The feud between the Southerners and the Westerners was highly intensified by funeral issue; Earlier, after the fall of the Greater Northerners in 1623, the Westerners and the Southerners formed political alliance under the leadership of King Hyojong, but on the funeral issue, both sides were intractable, leading to a greater probability of confrontations.
Hyeonjong at first maintained the balance of two factions by compromising between them with the 1 year period of the Westerners and keeping Southerner Heo Jeok as Prime Minister, and the two factions resumed a peaceful relationship temporarily. However in 1674, when Queen Inseon, Hyojong's wife and Hyeonjong's mother, died, the funeral issue came up again; The Southerners wanted Queen Jaeui to wear the funeral garment for one year while the Westerners preferred a nine month period. This time Hyeonjong listened to the Southerners and selected their method, making the Southerners faction as major political faction over the Westerners. The funeral controversy continued even after Hyeonjong died in 1675, and it was settled by Hyeonjong's successor King Sukjong
Sukjong of Joseon
Sukjong was the 19th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1674 to 1720.- Biography :King Sukjong was born on 15 August 1661 to King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong at Changdeok Palace. His given name was Yi Sun...
, who banned all debate about the issue. The controversy even affected the publishment of official history of Hyeonjong's era; at first it was written chiefly by Southerners but later it was revised by Westerner historians.
Achievements
In 1666, during Hyeonjong's reign, after more than thirteen years of captivity, Dutchman Hendrick HamelHendrick Hamel
Hendrick Hamel was the first Westerner to write and experience first-hand in the Joseon Dynasty era in Korea . He later wrote "Hamel's Journal and a Description of the Kingdom of Korea, 1653-1666", published after his return to the Netherlands.Hendrick Hamel was born and died in Gorinchem...
left Korea and returned to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where he wrote a book about Joseon Dynasty and his experience in Korea, which introduced the small kingdom to many Europeans.
Hyeonjong stopped Hyojong's insuperable plan of northern conquest, since the Joseon had became a tributary state of the Qing Dynasty. Furthermore, after a series victories against the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty had became too mighty to resist. However, Hyeonjong continued Hyojong's military expansion and reconstruction of the nation which was devastated from the Seven-Year War and two Manchu invasions. He also encouraged astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and printing. He also legally banned the marriage between relatives and also between those who share the same surnames. He died in 1675, and was succeeded by his son Sukjong.
Family
- Father: King HyojongHyojong of JoseonKing Hyojong was the seventeenth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1649 to 1659. He is best known for his plan for expedition to Manchu Qing dynasty and his campaigns against the Russian Empire by the request of Qing Dynasty...
(효종) - Mother: Queen Inseon of the Deoksu Jang clan (인선왕후 장씨)
- Consort: Queen MyeongseongQueen MyeongseongQueen Myeongseong , was a the wife and Queen Consort of King Hyeonjong of Joseon, the 18th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty.- Sources :...
of the Cheongpung Kim clan (명성왕후 김씨) - Issue:
- Royal Prince Successor (왕세자)Sukjong of JoseonSukjong was the 19th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1674 to 1720.- Biography :King Sukjong was born on 15 August 1661 to King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong at Changdeok Palace. His given name was Yi Sun...
- Princess Myeongseon (명선공주)
- Princess Myeonghye (명혜공주)
- Princess Myeongan (명안공주)
His full posthumous name
- King Hyeonjong Sohyu Yeongyung Dondeok Suseong Sunmun Sukmu Gyungin Changhyo the Great of Korea
- 현종소휴연경돈덕수성순문숙무경인창효대왕
- 顯宗昭休衍慶敦德綏成純文肅武敬仁彰孝大王