The History of Korea (vol. 1 of 2)Hulbert, Homer B. (Homer Bezaleel)
History
The History of Korea (vol. 1 of 2)
Hulbert, Homer B. (Homer Bezaleel)
Korea -- History
As the year 936 opens we see king Wang-gön with his two former rivals,
the peaceful one and the warlike one, gathered under his wing, and the
only cloud upon his horizon the attitude of Kyŭn-whŭn’s sons in the
south. This was soon settled. The king in company with Kyŭn-whŭn, at the
head of an army of 87,000 men, marched southward and engaged the
pitiable force that was all the malcontents could now muster. When they
saw this tremendous army approaching and knew that Kyŭn-whŭn was there
in person, surrender was immediate. Wang-gön’s first demand was “where
is Sin-geum?” He was told that he was in a fortress in the mountains
with a small force and was prepared to fight to a finish. He was there
attacked and 3,200 men were taken and 5,700 killed, which shows how
desperate the battle was. Sin-geum and his two brothers were captured.
The two other sons of Kyŭn-whŭn were executed, because they had driven
their father away, but Sin-geum in some way showed that he had not been
a principal actor in that disgraceful scene and so escaped what we may
well believe was merited punishment. There on the field the old man
Kyŭn-whŭn died. It is said that his death was caused by chagrin that
Sin-geum was not killed with his brothers.
It was in 938 that Wang-gön went outside the walls of the capital to
meet a celebrated monk named Hong-bŭm, who had come originally from
Ch’un-ch’uk monastery in the land of Sŭ-yŭk.
All this time interesting reforms were in progress. The names of all the
prefectures throughout the country were changed. This has always been
customary in Korea with a change of dynasty. The next year, 939, the new
king of Koryŭ was formally recognized by the Emperor who sent and
invested him with the insignia of royalty. The crown prince of T‘am-na,
on Quelpart, came and did obeisance at the court of Koryŭ. A
redistribution of the farming lands throughout the country was effected,
by which, the records say, the worthy received more while others
received less. It would be interesting to know in what way the test of
worthiness was applied.
In 942 the Kitan power in the north tried to make friendly advances and
sent a present of thirty camels. But Wang-gön remembered the way in
which Kitan had feigned friendship for Pal-hă and then treacherously
seized her; and for this reason he showed his opinion of Kitan now by
banishing the thirty men and tying the thirty camels to Man-bu bridge
and starving them to death.
King Wang-gön was now sixty-five years old. His life had been an active
one; first as a warrior and then as the administrator of the kingdom
which he had founded. Feeling that his end was approaching, he set
himself to the task of formulating rules for his successor. As a result
he placed in the hands of his son and heir ten rules which read as
follows:
(1) Buddhism is the state religion.
(2) Build no more monasteries.
(3) If the first son is bad let the second or some other become
king.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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