Dae Joyeong (; or ; died 719) or Da Zuorong (), also known as King Go (; ; Chinese: Gao), established the state of

Balhae Balhae,, , ) also rendered as Bohai or Bohea, and called Jin (; ) early on, was a multiethnic kingdom established in 698 by Dae Joyeong (Da Zuorong). It was originally known as the Kingdom of Jin (震, Zhen) until 713 when its name was changed ...

, reigning from 699 to 719.

Life

Early life

Dae Joyeong was the first son of general Dae Jung-sang, who was also known as Sari Geolgeol Jungsang () or Dae Geolgeol Jungsang (). Historical sources give different accounts of Dae Joyeong's ethnicity and background. Among the official dynastic history works, the ''

New Book of Tang The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...

'' refers to Dae Joyeong and his state as Sumo Mohe (related to

Jurchens Jurchen (, ; , ) is a term used to collectively describe a number of East Asian people, East Asian Tungusic languages, Tungusic-speaking people. They lived in northeastern China, also known as Manchuria, before the 18th century. The Jurchens wer ...

and later

Manchus The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) an ...

) affiliated with

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...

. The ''

Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...

'' also states Dae's ethnic background as Mohe but adds that he was "高麗別種" (''gaoli biezhong''). The term is interpreted as meaning "a branch of the Goguryeo people" by South and North Korean historians, but as "distinct from Goguryeo" by Japanese and Chinese researchers. The ''

Samguk yusa ''Samguk yusa'' (; ) or ''Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'' is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, d ...

'', a 13th-century collection of Korean history and legends, describes Dae as a Sumo Mohe leader. However, it gives another account of Dae being a former Goguryeo general, citing a now-lost Sillan record. Alexander Kim considers this unlikely since Goguryeo fell in 668 while Dae died in 719, and young men could not receive the rank of general.

King of Jin (Zhen) and Balhae

The Wu Zhou killed Geolsa Biu, and Dae Jung-sang also died. Dae Joyeong integrated the armies of Goguryeo people and some Mohe (Malgal) tribes and resisted Wu Zhou's attack. His victory over the Wu Zhou at the Battle of Tianmenling enabled him to expand his father's empire and claimed himself the King of Jin (Zhen) in 698.Kichan Bae, "Korea at the crossroads:the history and future of East Asia", Happyreading, 2007. p.83 He established his capital at Dongmo Mountain in the south of today's Jilin province, and built a fortress, which was to become Zhen (Jin) kingdom's capital. He attempted to expand his influence in foreign politics involving the Tang/ Wu Zhou, the Göktürks, the Khitan,

Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

Patricia Ebrey, Anne Walthall, "Pre-Modern East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History", Vol.I:to 1800, Cengage Learning, 2013. p.111 and some independent Mohe tribes. At first he dispatched an envoy to the Göktürks, allying against Tang/ Wu Zhou. Then he reconciled himself with the Tang when Emperor Zhongzong was restored to the throne. In 712, he renamed his empire

. In 713, he was given the titular title of "Prince of

Commandery In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...

of Bohai (Balhae)" (渤海郡王) by Emperor Xuanzong. After a period of rest within the empire, King Go made it clear that Silla was not to be dealt with peacefully because they had allied with Tang to destroy Goguryeo, the predecessor of Balhae. This aggressive stance towards Silla was continued on by his son and successor King

Mu of Balhae Dae Mu-ye, also known as King Mu () (r. 719–737), was the second king of the Balhae. He is noted for the military expansion of his domain. Background Dae Mu-ye was the eldest son of Dae Jo-yeong, the founder of the ancient kingdom of Balhae ...

. Dae Joyeong died in 719, and his son Dae Muye assumed the throne. Dae Joyeong was given the posthumous name "King Go."

Legacy

After the fall of Balhae,

Dae Gwang-hyeon Dae Gwang-hyeon (; ) was the last Crown Prince of Balhae and a member of the Balhae royal family. He was the leader of the Balhae refugees who sought refuge in the Korean kingdom of Goryeo. Biography Dae Gwang-hyeon was probably the first so ...

, the last prince led many of the Balhae aristocracy into the Korean state, thus unifying the two successor states of Goguryeo. Dae Joyeong's descendants include modern-day Koreans who bear the surname Tae, or Dae.Lee Ki-baik. "''The Society and Culture of Parhae.''" The New History of Korea, page 88-89. Harvard University Press, 1984. In South Korea, a

television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...

KBS1 KBS 1TV is a South Korean free-to-air television channel that launched on 31 December 1961 and is owned by Korean Broadcasting System. The channel offers more serious programming than its sister channel KBS2, and airs with no commercials. Hi ...

was launched since September 2006 in his honor. Roughly 30% (based on 2007 survey) of the South Korean viewers enjoyed this programme. The third Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyer commissioned by the

Republic of Korea Navy The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ), also known as the ROK Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and Amphibious warfare, amphibious operations. The South ...

is named ''Dae Joyeong''. KDX-II class destroyers are named after significant figures in Korean history such as admiral Yi Sun-sin. The Chunbun Ancestral Rite is held annually in Balhae Village,

North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in eastern South Korea, and with an area of , it is the largest province in the Korean peninsula. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remaine ...

in order to commemorate the achievements of Dae Jo-yeong. The Gyeongsan City mayor participates in the event, which is open for public participation.

In popular culture

* Portrayed by Choi Soo-jong in the 2006–2007 KBS TV series '' Dae Jo-yeong''.

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Portrait of Dae Joyoung (Korean)
{{s-end 7th-century births 719 deaths Balhae monarchs Mohe peoples Korean generals 8th-century Korean monarchs Year of birth unknown Founding monarchs in Asia