Joseon - Part 7

-1506- King Jungjong is enthroned.
   -Rebel soldiers led by 3 merit courtiers (Seong Hi-an, Park Won-jong, and Yu Sun-jeong) enthroned him after the tyrannical rule of his half-brother, the brutal King Yeonsan.
   -King Jungjong was very unlike King Yeonsan, but was dominated by the courtiers that had gotten him into power.
      -Immediately there was a bunch of drama between the courtiers and the old guard that had benefited under King Yeonsan's rule.
-1509- A courtier named Jo Gwang-jo, very smart and hungry for power, began to rise up through the ranks.  More on him later.
-Meanwhile in the south, many ex-waegu began to settle around Busan after all the raiding and shenanigans had stopped.
   -The Joseon officials sent from Seoul took advantage of these waegu immigrants by over-taxing them and just being shitty to them.
      -These ex-waegu tried to complain to the Joseon government about it, but to no avail.  So, they went to Tsushima Island (Daema Island in Korean), where they were able to raise a strong navy!  They then attacked Busan, killing the officials, and sacking the city!
         -In response, Joseon sent a force down and crushed the rebellion.
   -Diplomatic relations between the Ashikaga shogunate and Joseon were icy after that for about 50 years, and most Japanese living in the south were deported.
   -In preparation for a possible war with the Ashikaga Shogunate, King Jungjong ordered that temples in Gyeongju be gutted, in case the temple artifacts were needed to be melted down to create weapons.
      -King Jungjong didn't give a fuck because he wasn't Buddhist, but this obviously upset many of the largely Buddhist common folk.
         -This was arguably the nadir of the history of Korean Buddhism.
-Meanwhile, Jo Gwang-jo continued to rise in the ranks, gaining recognition from the king personally.
   -Finally, he was appointed a junior censor.
      -He immediately created controversy by confronting the elite in government about corruption and the limited power of the censors.  He was also mostly supported by the Sarim.
         -This was surprisingly supported by King Jung-jong, who seemed to have a mancrush on Jo Gwang-jo.
         -There was a huge political gridlock in the court, but ultimately Jo Gwang-jo was able to dominate.
-1518- The Jurchen began to get rowdy again north of the Yalu River.
   -The war council had planned for a sneak attack, but Jo Gwang-jo thought that a truly civilized people like Joseon didn't stoop to such low tactics, and convinced the court not to go ahead with this plan.
-1519- Jo Gwang-jo is appointed as official tutor of the crown prince.  He also continued to grow in power.
   -Introduced new government policies- streamlined the provincial governorship process and position.
   -Introduced a harsh system of justice based around public shaming.
      -Allegedly, crime went down!
   -Ceased public gender segregation.
   -Made people wear different clothing to indicate social status.
   -Introduced the Hyangyak ("Village Code"), rooted in Neo-Confucian philosophy.
      -Gave local power to rural officials, and gave the yangban power to enforce local governments.
      -This made the realm more secure too, because the local officials could use the money to raise local armies.
         -This was a big reason why Joseon survived as a distinct political entity into modern times.
-However, Jo Gwang-jo went too far in his will to power by trying to purge the rival Hungu yangban.
   -Tried to prove that the entire faction of Hoongu were fake or undeserving of their position via personal attacks, etc.
      -This initially worked, and more than half of the Hungu were stripped of their ranks, but the Hungu struck back by manipulating King Jungjong's favorite concubine into speaking badly of Jo Gwang-jo.
         -They also allegedly spread the rumor that the common folk were clamoring for Jo Jung-gwan to take the throne himself...but maybe this also wasn't a rumor?
         -They also allegedly tried to make supernatural tricks happen to suggest that ill omens from heaven were trying to show that Jo Gwang-jo was evil.
-Finally, the Hungu spread a rumor that Jo Jung-gwan was about to attack and usurp the throne, and then convinced the king to take immediate action.
   -The Sarim and Jo Gwang-jo were then summoned to the court.
      -A bunch of Jo Gwang-jo supporters showed up to protest, but the damage had already been done.
         -Jo Gwang-jo was beaten and exiled.  He tried to clear his name and communicate with the king, but to no avail.  Finally, soldiers were sent to execute Jo Gwang-jo by making him drink poison :(
            -The king believed that Jo Gwang-jo in the end was just more trouble than he was worth.  However, his legacy would prove quite venerable, and he would be seen as a Neo-Confucian hero for future generations to come.

Joseon - Part 6

-1469- King Seongjong is enthroned, but is too young, so the regency goes to his grandmother, Queen Jeonghee, and his mom, Queen Insu.
   -During this time, the number of merit scholars surged, entering into a special rank of royal subjects that enjoyed a very privileged life.
      -The old-school Confucian literati hated these new-school privileged chumps, especially because they had to compete with them for government administration jobs.
   -King Seongjong grew up to be a hardcore Confucian.
      -First law he implemented was the identity card system, which was a joke.
      -He also reinvested in the government branches in order to strengthen each department, as their power had been stripped under King Sejo.
      -Also for fun acquired a huge collection of monkeys from the Ryukyu Islands.
      -Also began to crack down on Buddhism in order to promote Confucianism.
-1472- King Seongjong orders the banishment of all Buddhist monks, fortune tellers, and shamans out of the capital.  He also gutted 23 temples and convents, either converting them into schools, or just demolishing them completely.
-1474- The new law code (started being written during the reign of King Sejo) was finally finished.]
   -Under the guidance of King Seongjong, conservative social laws were implemented, such as the outlaw of couples dancing together.  In ceremonial dancing, young boys were to play the female roles.
   -Raunchy language from popular folk songs was banned.
   -Widows were not allowed to remarry.
   -Etc.
-Also during this time, Joseon allied with the Ming dynasty to fight against the Jurchen hordes.
-King Seongjong also loved debate, and his court became quite intellectual and surprisingly "liberal".
   -Joseon began printing many books during this time, including texts on history, poetry, geography, etc.
-There was also some court drama too, involving the crown prince, concubines, etc.
-During this time emerged the elite yangban class, who had even existed before this time (ever since Goryeo) but just hadn't been as powerful.
   -During the Goryeo dynasty, it seemed like overall the military had dominated the government, but with the Joseon dynasty the power shifted to civilian elites who were strictly Confucian, and this class status was hereditary.
-Obviously there were lots of opportunities to be had by staying close to all the drama and intrigue in Seoul, but the crafty knew that the key to power was really to go out and amass power in the provinces.
   -This was during peacetime too, so the yangban were able to grow in power since no one was busy serving in the army.
   -They were always trying to undermine each other and shit, really vicious.
   -There were 2 main factions- the Hoonggu and the Sarim.
      -The Hoonggu were more old-school elites, and the Sarim were new-money elites.
-1494- King Seongjong dies.  His reign was long, but he died young for whatever reason.  He was replaced by his son, King Yeonsan ("Yeonsangun"), who was a really shitty king.
   -Had a really bad temper, which was kept in check when he was a prince, but as king he had full rein.
      -Had his tutor executed.
      -Also, as a kid, loved to torture animals :(
      -He gutted the Confucian college, Seonggyeonggwan, and converted it into his pleasure palace, filled with babes and animals for hunting.
         -His agents scoured the land for the hottest girls and the best horses, and they would then capture them and take them back to his pleasure palace.
      -While he didn't have any violent outbursts against his brothers or other family members, he would steal his courtiers' wives for sex whenever he wanted.  He also replaced many of his father's old concubines.
      -His rule is said to have been a "long carnival of murder, lust, and oppression".
      -Of course, he also had violent purges of perceived political rivals, including the prime minister and a bunch of Sarim yangban via disgusting executions and other gross shit that everyone in the court was forced to watch (and those who looked away or failed to show up were punished, obviously).
   -He also tried to suppress the power of the Office of the Censors, whose job it was to criticize or keep in check the power of the king.  He made the ministers wear a sign that said "A mouth is a door that brings in disaster, a tongue is a sword that cuts off a head.  A body will be in peace as long as its mouth is closed and its tongue is deep within."
      -This event is known as the First Literati Purge.
   -During this time, there was an eerie calm in the capital, as anyone smart (or who could afford it, at least) had fled the capital.  Schools also had closed.
   -1504- King Yanseon found out about how his mother had been executed during the reign of his father.  This really pissed him off, especially since everyone else knew the truth and no one had ever told him (including who his true mother really was).  Thus, the Second Literati Purge took place, with much violence.
      -Over 200 scholars (and even their families in some instances) were executed.
      -Meanwhile, anonymous posters began to pop up around the city, critical of the king (and written in Hangul, which King Yanseon hated).
-1506- A group of courtiers (Park Won-jong, Seong Hui-an, Yoo Soon-jeong, and Hong Gyeong-ju) plotted to overthrow the king.
   -They initially plotted to surprise the king outside the palace gates, but I guess somehow people sensed what was up, and there was soon a huge mob that had gathered demanding the ousting of the king.  The mob broke down the gates and stormed the palace.
      -The king's inner circle was executed, political prisoners were set free, and there was little overall resistance against this revolution since King Yeonsan was a such a shitbag.
         -King Yeonsan was captured, exiled to Ganghwa Island, and eventually died of illness.  He was replaced by his half-brother, King Jungjong.

Joseon - Part 5

-1450- King Munjong is enthroned.
   -Sickly, perhaps also broken mentally by the death of his father (King Sejong).
-1452- King Munjong dies, replaced by his son, King Danjong (age 11).
   -Only ruled in name, as the real power lay with 2 generals- Hwangbo In and Kim Jongseo.
   -Another problem for King Danjong was his uncle, Yi Yu (the future King Sejo), who was a charismatic leader, a powerful archer, and a Buddhist.  He also believed that the king should have all the power, contrary to the Confucian belief that a king should be a benevolent ruler who allocated governmental responsibilities to his courtiers.
-1453- possibly believing that the elite had too much power, Yi Yu uncovered an alleged plot by the 2 generals to take over the throne, so he organized a band of warriors to go to the house of Hwangbo In and killed him, then they went back to the palace to inform the king about what had happened.
   -King Danjong realized that Yi Yu was making a power grab, seeing through his ruse, but begged for his life.
      -Yi Yu let the king live, but used him to lure the other courtiers back to the palace, where they were ambushed and murdered (along with, eventually, their families).  This included the murder of Kim Jongseo.  Yi Yu also killed Kim Jongseo's younger brother, exiling him to Ganghwa Island and then poisoning him.
   -The rival courtiers executed, the Hall of Worthies brought under control, and the king's power completely neutered, Yi Yu sent King Danjong to another palace, from the main Gyeongbeok Palace to Changdeok Palace.
      -Yi Yu then rewarded all of his own flunkies with land and slaves.
-Eventually Yi Yu completely stripped King Danjong of his royal title, and then crowned himself as King Sejo!
   -He immediately consolidated power by demoting officials and centralized the six main ministries to be under his control.
   -King Sejo also sent out many officials as "governors" of provinces, but really this was just to get them out of Seoul.
      -Of course, during this time many plots to overthrow King Sejo began to form, but they never got off the ground and were always busted.
      -Many officials and their families were either killed or exiled.  As a final precaution, (King?) Danjong was stripped of all of his titles and exiled to Gangwon-do, but this still proved to be troublesome to King Sejo, so he finally just had him killed!
-As king, King Sejo reorganized the military and made it more professional, and also cut down on excesses in the court to make more money and cut overall waste.
   -Also tried to streamline the cumbersome legal code.
   -Also established a government bureau of medicine, and set up pharmacies.
   -Also set up a historical records system.
-During this time there were some clashes with the Jurchen as well, who were sometimes accompanied by allied Ming forces.
   -Sometimes the Ming dynasty felt that Joseon was getting too authoritative towards the Jurchen, and would attack Joseon in order to warn them to back off of Manchuria since China considered this region to be Chinese territory.
-1467- a rebellion broke out in Hamgyeong Province, but this was quickly quelled.
-1468- King Sejo dies, replaced by his son, King Yejong.
   -However, King Yejong was sickly and weak, so his mother, Queen Jeonghee, ruled in his stead.
-1469- King Yejong dies, replaced by his nephew, King Seongjong.

Joseon - Part 4

-King Sejong created the Hall of Worthies, a royal research institute.
-Also created an intelligent, flexible tax system for peasants.
   -Good years were taxed heavily, shitty years were not.
   -Established a surplus of rice reserved for famine.
   -Advanced farming techniques and agriculture planning, and also spread info about this via the printing press.
   -Official Joseon census at the time stated that there were only 4 million people living in the Joseon kingdom at this time, but modern historians think it was probably more like 5-6 million due to slaves, vagrants, illegal immigrants, etc.
-King Sejong's reign was also notable because of the work by genius scientists Jang Yeong-sil, who made advances in astronomy, agriculture, and metallurgy.
   -Close to the king but low-born, he was disliked by the elitist dickhead courtiers of the Neo-Confucian literati.
      -They were even able to get him exiled when King Sejong was involved in a fall or something and blamed it on Jang Yeong-sil.
         -His death wasn't even recorded :(
   -He did other cool shit too: created a celestial globe, improved the printing press, created new metal alloys, and created Korea's first water clock (copied from China).  Also created sundials for people to tell time, and each hour corresponded with one of the 12 zodiac animals.
-1430s- Jurchen tribes were becoming too unruly.
   -After the Jin dynasty collapsed, the Jurchen had reverted back to a loose confederation of tribes.
   -Still nominally allied to the Ming dynasty, but this was highly unstable.
      -Jurchen raiders would raid Joseon lands in the winter, after the rivers froze.
   -Joseon had tried to get the tribes to settle down by offering incentives to come and farm.
      -Set up market villages in Hamgyeong Province to interact with them.
   -Joseon finally decided to send a tactical raid to punish them- this time with gunpowder, and a new weapon: the hwacha (ancient Korean rocket launcher!).
   -Also made a project to "Koreanize" Hamgyeong Province, since so many Chinese immigrants lived there.  Koreans from Gyeongsan Province were uprooted to go live there.
-1440s- Joseon had used Hanja before- Chinese script to represent the Korean language, but this was a mess.  Also, Chinese script was ridiculous and really difficult to read and write, so the peasantry was vastly illiterate.
-1443- Hangul was invented!  King Sejong's greatest triumph!
   -However, Hangul was met with both praise and opposition.  It actually wasn't even used by everyone until the late 19th century!
-King Sejong also published other books as well.
-1448- at this point, King Sejong was going blind and growing worse in health.  He also developed diabetes.
-1450- King Sejong dies, replaced by his eldest son, King Munjong.

Joseon - Part 3

-1418- King Sejong is enthroned!  Arguably Korea's greatest king!
-The political makeup of East Asia at this time:
   -Like a Confucian family:  the father is Heaven, the eldest son is the Emperor of China, and the the younger brothers are China's tributary states (Korea, Japan, and many others).
-During this time, many waegu were based out of Tsushima Island, loosely controlled by the Ashikaga Shogunate (Japan).
   -One of King Sejong's first actions as king was to invade the island (although it's likely that this was a plan originally devised by King Taejeong).
      -Korea's strategy in the past was always to just try and defend itself from the attacks, which was costly and ineffective.
      -King Sejong raised a navy of 800 warships and 60,000 soldiers to go fight the waegu, and to also defend Gyeongsan-do (Busan, Gyeongju, and Geoje Island).
   -Joseon's plan was to start with an attack on Tsushima Island, and then retreat back to Geoje Island, hoping that the pirates would chase them and then fight at the island so that they could have home territory advantage (and cannon support!).
      -It took awhile (for various reasons), but finally in June the fleet set sail!
         -They were able to capture 129 pirate ships, execute 114 pirates, take 21 prisoners, and rescue 131 Chinese slaves.  Unfortunately, Joseon's reinforcement fleet got lost and were ambushed by waegu, resulting in the death of 300 soldiers.
            -The leader of these pirates was also captured, too!  However, Joseon failed to ultimately subdue the waegu as a whole.
   -Overall, this was considered a victory, but still proved that Joseon had a long way to go in terms of having strong national security and defense.
-Joseon then officially decided to annex Tsushima Island, making it a part of Gyeongsan-do.
   -This annexation caused an uproar with the Ashikaga shogunate, and Joseon sent diplomatic relations to Kyoto to try and smooth things over.
      -However, King Sejong refused to back off, but unfortunately, due to a lack of resources caused by a drought (and the death of King Sejong's dad, King Taejeong in 1422), couldn't get it together enough to conquer the island.
-Finally, Joseon reached a diplomatic agreement with the Ashikaga shogunate, and the Japanese agreed to reign in Tsushima Island.  In return, Joseon granted the Japanese exclusive trading rights, which increased trade and made Joseon a bunch of money.
   -They especially made a lot of money selling Buddhist scriptures that had been printed with their movable type.
      -King Sejong wasn't Buddhist, so he didn't really have a problem with making money off of this.
-King Sejong also trimmed spending on celebrations for holidays and stuff like that.
   -Also an intellectual and loved debates and shit.

Joseon - Part 2

-1400- Yi Bangwon is enthroned as King Taejong!
   - A man of vigor and energy, perhaps he is the true founder of the real Joseon dynasty in terms of spirit.
   -Began to reorganize the government into a Confucian bureaucracy, completely gutting the former offices.
      -Also set up 6 official government ministries, as well as different offices set up for a system of checks and balances to prevent corruption.
-Also a harsh penalty system, and a redistribution that set up the same 8 regions of Korea that were used until the 20th century!
   -Pyeongan-do, Hamgil-do (Hamgyeong-do), Hwanghae-do, Gangwon-do, Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheong-do, Jeolla-do, and Gyeongsan-do.
      -Each province has a governor who operated out of a special capital, and then the province was administered by high-ranking officers at the level of the great county, which were further broken up into magistrate-level divisions of county, city, island, and town, and all of these positions had to be filled by men who had passed the Civil Service Exam.
   -Also implemented a system of paper money.
   -Trade also flourished due to a crackdown on the waegu.
   -Because rice was in short supply, King Taejeong cracked down on makgeoli!  He even forbade it from being served in the palace!
      -He also opened up the private royal hunting grounds for public use (whatever that means).
      -Also began to strip land property from monks to give to farmers- apparently, he really didn't like Buddhism and thought praying to Buddha was foolish and called it an "empty religion".
         -He also hated geomancy and fortune-telling, and even burned books!
-1408- (former) King Taejo dies, having never truly reconciled with his son, King Taejeong.
-1413- King Taejeong tries to implement the hopae system, which was essentially a plan to have everyone to have national ID cards for "tax collection" purposes, but really it was to control migration.
   -It was mandatory that these tags were worn at all times.
   -The rich had hopae made of ivory and deer horn, while the middle class had them made of wood.  peasants wore small wooden squares, and slaves and "untouchables" wore gigantic wooden tags around their necks.
-King Taejo was able to crack down on the waegu by mounting cannons onto ships, which made fucking them up easier.
   -However, on land, Koreans still hadn't figured out how to make legit guns yet.
      -King Taejeong did, however, send a force of 10,000 "gunpowder troops" to defend the border against the Jurchen.
-King Taejeong was getting old.  Who would succeed him?
   -He had 11 sons from 6 different women.
   -He began a purge, exiling various courtiers and relatives, executing his queens' brothers.
   -Various sources claim different things, but somehow his son, Yi Do, was named as crown prince and married to a princess of the Min clan, and then King Taejeong executed some influential Min family members to keep them from corrupting him.
-1418- King Taejeong abdicates the throne, taking a new position as a military commander and foreign policy officer.
   -His son, Yi Do, is enthroned as King Sejong!