Minjung of Goguryeo
Encyclopedia
King Minjung of Goguryeo (? - 48, r. 44-48) was the fourth ruler of Goguryeo
, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
.
, he was the younger brother of his predecessor Daemusin
, and the fifth and youngest son of Goguryeo's second king Yuri
. He became king because of the young age of the crown prince, his nephew and Daemusin's son Hae U (the subsequent king Mobon
.
However, according to the Samguk Yusa
, Minjung was Daemusin's son and the younger brother of Mobon (Hae U).
Several natural disasters marked his reign. In the second year of Minjung's reign, a flood occurred in the eastern provinces causing several citizens to lose their homes and starve. Seeing this, Minjung opened up the food storage and distributed food equally amongst all who came.
In the fourth year of his reign, Minjung found a stone grotto in the western region of his kingdom and was said to have rested in it after a long hunt.
in Minjung-won, thus he was give the posthumous name
, Minjung.
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...
.
Background
According to the Samguk SagiSamguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
, he was the younger brother of his predecessor Daemusin
Daemusin of Goguryeo
King Daemusin of Goguryeo was the third ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. King Daemusin led early Goguryeo through a period of massive territorial expansion, conquering several smaller nations and the powerful kingdom of Dongbuyeo.- Background :Prince Muhyul was...
, and the fifth and youngest son of Goguryeo's second king Yuri
Yuri of Goguryeo
King Yuri was the second ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of the kingdom's founder King Dongmyeongseong. As with many other early Korean rulers, the events of his life are known largely from the Samguk Sagi.- Background :Yuri was the son...
. He became king because of the young age of the crown prince, his nephew and Daemusin's son Hae U (the subsequent king Mobon
Mobon of Goguryeo
King Mobon of Goguryeo was the fifth king of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.-Background and reign:...
.
However, according to the Samguk Yusa
Samguk Yusa
Samguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea , as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period.The text was written in Classical Chinese, which was...
, Minjung was Daemusin's son and the younger brother of Mobon (Hae U).
Reign
Though Minjung did not reign for long, he was able to avoid military conflicts and kept peace through most of the kingdom.Several natural disasters marked his reign. In the second year of Minjung's reign, a flood occurred in the eastern provinces causing several citizens to lose their homes and starve. Seeing this, Minjung opened up the food storage and distributed food equally amongst all who came.
In the fourth year of his reign, Minjung found a stone grotto in the western region of his kingdom and was said to have rested in it after a long hunt.
Death
In 48, after 5 years of reign, Minjung fell ill and died. On his deathbed, he asked to be buried at the place where he had rested and his subjects fulfilled his wish. He was buried at a stone grottoGrotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
in Minjung-won, thus he was give the posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
, Minjung.
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