Yeon Namsaeng
Encyclopedia
Yeon Namsaeng (634–679) was the eldest son of the Goguryeo
Dae Mangniji
(대막리지, 大莫離支) Yeon Gaesomun
(603?-665). In 665, Yeon Namsaeng succeeded his father and became the 2nd Dae Magniji of Goguryeo
.
. At the age of nine, his father began to bequeath him official positions. He first became Seonin (선인, 先人) and subsequently held the titles of jungli sohyeong (중리소형, 中裏小兄), jungli daehyeong (중리대형, 中裏大兄), and jungli uidu daehyeong (중리위두소형, 中裏位頭大兄) (obscure Goguryeo titles whose exact nature is unknown). Eventually he rose to become Mangniji (막리지, 莫離支) and then Dae Mangniji (active head of state) sometime before his father's death.
After the death of his father, Yeon Namsaeng prepared for war with the Tang
, and set out on an inspection of the border fortresses in Yodong, and other fortresses throughout the kingdom. He left his brothers, Yeon Namgeon
and Yeon Namsan
, in charge of Pyeongyang before he left. Namgeon and Namsan took advantage of their brother's absence and took control of Pyeongyang and the Royal Courts. They falsely accused Namsaeng of being a traitor, and forced the King Bojang
to order Namsaeng's arrest. With nowhere else to go, Namsaeng fled to Tang China at the urge of his son, who had escaped death at the hands of his uncles. Namsaeng fled to the Tang, and received a high position in the Tang military.
, or Andong Duhufu (安東都護府), the Chinese administration established in Pyongyang
following the fall of Goguryeo in 668 and meant to administer the former Goguryeo domains. Namsaeng was buried on Mt. Mang in Luoyang
, Tang’s eastern capital.
Namsaeng's tomb stele, along with that of his brother Namgeon, has been discovered. Namsaeng's biography (Quan Nan Sheng 泉男生傳) appears in the Xin Tangshu (New History of Tang), book 110. The Chinese rendering of Namsaeng’s family name is Cheon (泉, Chinese Quan) rather than Yeon (淵), because Yeon (Chinese, Yuan) was the given name of Emperor Gaozu of Tang
(Li Yuan 李淵), founder and first emperor of Tang, and taboo
to apply to another by Chinese tradition.
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....
Dae Mangniji
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
(대막리지, 大莫離支) Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun was a powerful and controversial military dictator and Generalissimo in the waning days of Goguryeo, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. Yeon is also remembered for a number of successful resistance in military conflicts with Tang Dynasty under Emperor Li Shimin and...
(603?-665). In 665, Yeon Namsaeng succeeded his father and became the 2nd Dae Magniji of Goguryeo
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....
.
Background
Yeon Namsaeng was the eldest son of Goguryeo's Grand Prime Minister Yeon GaesomunYeon Gaesomun
Yeon Gaesomun was a powerful and controversial military dictator and Generalissimo in the waning days of Goguryeo, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. Yeon is also remembered for a number of successful resistance in military conflicts with Tang Dynasty under Emperor Li Shimin and...
. At the age of nine, his father began to bequeath him official positions. He first became Seonin (선인, 先人) and subsequently held the titles of jungli sohyeong (중리소형, 中裏小兄), jungli daehyeong (중리대형, 中裏大兄), and jungli uidu daehyeong (중리위두소형, 中裏位頭大兄) (obscure Goguryeo titles whose exact nature is unknown). Eventually he rose to become Mangniji (막리지, 莫離支) and then Dae Mangniji (active head of state) sometime before his father's death.
Dae Magniji
Yeon Namsaeng was said to have become Dae Magniji sometime before the death of Yeon Gaesomun, who is said to have stepped down from the position and took the honorary position of Tae Dae Magniji.After the death of his father, Yeon Namsaeng prepared for war with the Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, and set out on an inspection of the border fortresses in Yodong, and other fortresses throughout the kingdom. He left his brothers, Yeon Namgeon
Yeon Namgeon
Yeon Namgeon was the second son of the Goguryeo military leader and dictator Yeon Gaesomun , and third Dae Magniji of Goguryeo during the reign of Goguryeo's last ruler, King Bojang-The Fall of Goguryeo:...
and Yeon Namsan
Yeon Namsan
Yeon Namsan was the third son of the Goguryeo military leader and dictator Yeon Gaesomun .The course of his career shadowed closely that of his elder brother Yeon Namsaeng...
, in charge of Pyeongyang before he left. Namgeon and Namsan took advantage of their brother's absence and took control of Pyeongyang and the Royal Courts. They falsely accused Namsaeng of being a traitor, and forced the King Bojang
Bojang of Goguryeo
Bojang of Goguryeo was the 28th and last king of Goguryeo the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was placed on the throne by the military leader Yeon Gaesomun...
to order Namsaeng's arrest. With nowhere else to go, Namsaeng fled to Tang China at the urge of his son, who had escaped death at the hands of his uncles. Namsaeng fled to the Tang, and received a high position in the Tang military.
Fall of Goguryeo and death
From there he led a Tang-sponsored military campaign against Goguryeo with hopes of regaining power. He led the Tang army to victory in 668, and ultimately destroyed Goguryeo. He died in the domains of the Tang-established Protectorate General to Pacify the EastProtectorate General to Pacify the East
The Protectorate-General to Pacify the East was a short-lived military government established at Pyongyang by Tang Dynasty China in 668. It played an important role in the turbulent events of the peninsula in the late 7th century....
, or Andong Duhufu (安東都護府), the Chinese administration established in 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...
following the fall of Goguryeo in 668 and meant to administer the former Goguryeo domains. Namsaeng was buried on Mt. Mang in Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, Tang’s eastern capital.
Namsaeng's tomb stele, along with that of his brother Namgeon, has been discovered. Namsaeng's biography (Quan Nan Sheng 泉男生傳) appears in the Xin Tangshu (New History of Tang), book 110. The Chinese rendering of Namsaeng’s family name is Cheon (泉, Chinese Quan) rather than Yeon (淵), because Yeon (Chinese, Yuan) was the given name of Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
(Li Yuan 李淵), founder and first emperor of Tang, and taboo
Naming taboo
Naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons in China and neighboring nations in the ancient Chinese cultural sphere.-Kinds of naming taboo:...
to apply to another by Chinese tradition.
See also
- Yeon GaesomunYeon GaesomunYeon Gaesomun was a powerful and controversial military dictator and Generalissimo in the waning days of Goguryeo, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. Yeon is also remembered for a number of successful resistance in military conflicts with Tang Dynasty under Emperor Li Shimin and...
- GoguryeoGoguryeoGoguryeo 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....
- Andong DohufuProtectorate General to Pacify the EastThe Protectorate-General to Pacify the East was a short-lived military government established at Pyongyang by Tang Dynasty China in 668. It played an important role in the turbulent events of the peninsula in the late 7th century....
Sources
- Samguk SagiSamguk SagiSamguk 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...
- Old Book of Tang