Sosurim of Goguryeo
Encyclopedia
King Sosurim of Goguryeo (died 384) (r. 371–384) was the 17th ruler of Goguryeo
, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
. He was the son of King Gogugwon
.
. Prince Gu-Bu was made crown prince in 355.
was killed by the Baekje
King Geunchogo
's assault on Pyongyang
Castle.
He is considered to have strengthened the centralization of authority in Goguryeo, by establishing state religious institutions to transcend tribal factionalism. In 372, he received Buddhism
through travelling monks of Former Qin
and built temples to house them.
Also in 372, he also established the Confucian
institutions of Taehak (태학, 太學) to educate the children of the nobility. In 373, he promulgated a code of laws called (율령, 律令), centrally codifying regional customs and acting as the national constitution
.
In 374, 375, and 376, he attacked the Korean kingdom of Baekje
to the south, and in 378 was attacked by the Khitan
from the north.
He died in 384 and was buried in Sosurim, which is a forest in Goguryeo.
, he did play a major role in setting up the foundations that made the great conquests of his nephew and later ruler of Goguryeo, King Gwanggaeto the Great
, a possibility.
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 son of King Gogugwon
Gogugwon of Goguryeo
King Gogugwon of Goguryeo was the 16th king of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the son of King Micheon and Lady Ju. He's birth name is Sa-Yu. He was made crown prince in 314 and became king upon his father's death...
.
Background and Rise to the throne
Born as Go Gu-Bu, King Sosurim was the first son and successor of King Gogugwon. He assisted his father in leading the country and strengthening royal authority, which had been severely weakened due to humiliation brought upon by the Later Yan, who dug up the grave of King MicheonMicheon of Goguryeo
King Micheon of Goguryeo was the 15th ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.- Background and Rise to the throne :...
. Prince Gu-Bu was made crown prince in 355.
Reign
He became king in 371 when his father King GogugwonGogugwon of Goguryeo
King Gogugwon of Goguryeo was the 16th king of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the son of King Micheon and Lady Ju. He's birth name is Sa-Yu. He was made crown prince in 314 and became king upon his father's death...
was killed by the 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....
King Geunchogo
Geunchogo of Baekje
Geunchogo of Baekje was the 13th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He reigned over the apex of Baekje's powers.-Background:...
's assault on Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
Castle.
He is considered to have strengthened the centralization of authority in Goguryeo, by establishing state religious institutions to transcend tribal factionalism. In 372, he received Buddhism
Korean Buddhism
Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new...
through travelling monks of Former Qin
Former Qin
The Former Qin was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Founded by the Fu family of the Di ethnicity, it completed the unification of North China in 376. Its capital had been Xi'an up to the death of the ruler Fu Jiān. Despite its name, the Former Qin was much later and less powerful than...
and built temples to house them.
Also in 372, he also established the Confucian
Confucianism
Confucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . Confucianism originated as an "ethical-sociopolitical teaching" during the Spring and Autumn Period, but later developed metaphysical and cosmological elements in the Han...
institutions of Taehak (태학, 太學) to educate the children of the nobility. In 373, he promulgated a code of laws called (율령, 律令), centrally codifying regional customs and acting as the national constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
.
In 374, 375, and 376, he attacked the Korean kingdom of 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....
to the south, and in 378 was attacked by the Khitan
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
from the north.
He died in 384 and was buried in Sosurim, which is a forest in Goguryeo.
Legacy
Most of King Sosurim's reign and life was spent trying to keep Goguryeo under control and also strengthening royal authority. Although he was not able to avenge the death of his father and previous Goguryeo ruler, King GogugwonGogugwon of Goguryeo
King Gogugwon of Goguryeo was the 16th king of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the son of King Micheon and Lady Ju. He's birth name is Sa-Yu. He was made crown prince in 314 and became king upon his father's death...
, he did play a major role in setting up the foundations that made the great conquests of his nephew and later ruler of Goguryeo, King Gwanggaeto the Great
Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo
Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo was the nineteenth monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. His full posthumous name roughly means "Very Greatest King, Broad Expander of Territory, buried in Gukgangsang.", sometimes abbreviated to Hotaewang or Taewang...
, a possibility.
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