Koryo Politics under the Mongol Control : Dynastic Continuity during the Period of Royal Absense
Journal Title: International Journal of Korean History - Year 2000, Vol 1, Issue 1
Abstract
Koryŏ under Mongol control had unique political features. Despite the long struggle against the Mongols, Koryŏ eventually surrendered to them to become their "son-in-law" country and thus came to be dominated by the Mongols at the loss of their own political autonomy. However, Koryŏ ostensibly managed to maintain its status as an independent kingdom by preserving its own dynasty. This paper attempts to identify the nature and characteristics of Koryŏ under the strong Mongols hegemony. In other words, it will examine how Koryŏ was able to administer its own country despite the varied nature of Mongol intervention and contro!' Notably during the reign of King Ch'ungson(r.1308-1313), who reigned for only years and four months and spent most of that time at the Mongol court at yanjing. In this case, King Ch'ungson on the basis of his unique position as the foreign grandson of the Yuan emperor Shizu was able to have great influence in the politics of the Yuan empire while residing in Yanjing (Beijing), and autocratically ruled the Kory? dynasty through a system of messenger ordinances which was supported by the central hall (todang), organ of council led by prime ministers. His son, King Ch'ungsuk(r.1313-1330, 1332-1339), was also forced to remain at Yanjing for four years and a month. Because of the disintegration of the Koryŏ throne encroaching upon King Ch'ungson position as king, on the orders of the Yuan empire he went to Yuan China and while residing in Beijing lost his royal seal, inaugurating from that point on a vacuum of royal power in Koryŏ. Nevertheless, state administration was not stalled and a minimal system of rule was maintained through the steadfast existence of autocratic government organ of the Koryŏ central hall. Considering these facts, This paper has revealed aspects of late Koryŏ politics under Mongol control during the prolonged absence of its kings from the capital. Although the Koryŏ reigns King Ch'ungson and Ch'ungsuk were different in that the country was governed by an absentee king - unique circumstances marking a phase when Kory? became a Yuan son-in-law state - at the same time the continuation of self-sufficient Koryŏ government administration illustrates the independent nature of Koryŏ rule.
Authors and Affiliations
Hyon-ku Min
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP26242
- DOI -
- Views 654
- Downloads 30
Raising the Issue of ‘Modernity’ : ‘Colonial modernity’ theory as advanced by Japanese Korean Studies scholars and the background thereof
The manner in which the relationship between the colonial rule/period and ‘modernity’ should be perceived has been a hot-button issue in studies on the colonial period in Korea. Particular attention has been paid by so...
The Characteristics of the Ruling Structure during Early Chosŏn
One of the main features of modern historical studies in Korea has been the fact that a great number of scholars have focused on comparing the similarities between the development of Korean history and that of world h...
Ambivalent Social Darwinism in Korea
No Abstract
The Protestant Church as a Political Training Ground in Modern Korea
A great majority of the personages on the political scene right after the liberation in 1945 were Protestant church leaders and members. In addition to moderate to left-wing leaders such as Kim Kyusik, Yo Unhyong, Kan...
Direction of Public Opinion during the Taehan Empire and the People’s Perception of Their Era during the Period of Russo-Japanese Conflict-With a special focus on the Hwangsŏng sinmun
There have been many studies conducted on the subject of how the Hwangsŏng sinmun attempted to use its articles to get the Korean population to support the notion of the forging of an alliance with Japan that was base...