Cho In-gyu (; 1237 – May 15, 1308) was a

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

civil official. Originally an interpreter for the Goryeo crown prince, his success in helping arrange a marriage between the prince and

Kublai Khan Kublai Khan (23 September 1215 – 18 February 1294), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizu of Yuan and his regnal name Setsen Khan, was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty of China. He proclaimed the ...

's daughter propelled Cho's rise in Goryeo officialdom. He would eventually become the chancellor of Goryeo by 1292 and marry his daughter to the crown prince, the future

King Chungnyeol Chungnyeol (3 April 1236 – 30 July 1308), personal name Wang Kŏ, was the 25th king of Korea's Goryeo dynasty from 1274 to 1308. He was the son of Wonjong, his predecessor on the throne. Chungnyeol was king during the Japan of Mongol Invasi ...

Biography

Cho In-gyu was born in 1237 in Sangwŏn as the son of Cho Yŏng () of the

Pyongyang Cho clan The Pyongyang Cho clan () is a Korean clan, with the bon-gwan (ancestral seat) based in Pyongyang, North Korea. Background The progenitor of the clan is considered to be Cho Ch'un (), who lived during the reigns of King Yejong and Injong of ...

. Cho's family was thought to be that of originally of commoner status. Cho In-gyu learned the Mongol language, due to Sangwŏn's close proximity to the Mongol-Goryeo border during

Mongol invasions of Korea A series of campaigns were conducted between 1231 and 1270 by the Mongol Empire against the Korean kingdom of Goryeo. The last campaign concluded with a peace treaty with Goryeo becoming Korea under Yuan rule, a vassal state of the Yuan dynast ...

. Cho's courtesy name was Kŏjin, and his posthumous name was Chŏngsuk. In 1269, due to Cho's proficiency in the Mongol language, Cho was selected to be the interpreter for Crown Prince Sim (the future

) during his visit to the Yuan capital of

Khanbaliq Khanbaliq (; , ''Qaɣan balɣasu'') or Dadu of Yuan (; , ''Dayidu'') was the Historical capitals of China, winter capital of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty in what is now Beijing, the capital of China today. It was located at the center of modern ...

. As an interpreter, Cho was able to cultivate a relationship with not just the crown prince, but the prince's Mongol in-laws, his wife

Princess Jeguk Princess Supreme Jeguk (; 28 June 1259 – 11 June 1297; ), also known as Queen Jangmok () and Queen Mother Inmyeong () was a Yuan imperial princess as the daughter of Kublai Khan and Chabi khatun. She became the first Goryeo queen consort fro ...

and his father-in-law, Emperor

. Due to his close ties to the royal families of Goryeo and the Yuan, Cho was able to quickly rise through the ranks of Goryeo officialdom. He first was given the rank of senior colonel (), for his services in helping arrange the marriage between the heir of Goryeo and Kublai's daughter. He would obtain the offices of lieutenant general, royal secretary, deputy commissioner of the royal secretariat, and 1292, reach the top post of chancellor. In 1292, Cho would also arrange another marriage, this time between his own daughter, Royal Consort Cho, and the crown prince, Wang Chang (the future King Chungseon). In 1298, King Chungseon's Mongol wife,

Princess Gyeguk Princess Supreme Gyeguk (; 1285 – 15 January 1316; ), also known as Princess of Han State () and Grand Princess of Han State () was a Yuan Dynasty Imperial family member as the great-granddaughter of Kublai Khan and became a Korean queen con ...

, noticed that King Chungseon loved his other wife, Royal Consort Cho, more than her. She sent messages to the Yuan court, accusing her rival of having placed a curse on her causing the king to not love her. The Yuan arrested both Royal Consort Cho, as her family, including her father, Cho In-gyu. King Chungseon was deposed as king and his father, King Chungnyeol was re-instated as the king. When King Chungseon began his second reign as king in 1308, Cho's clan, the Pyongyang Cho clan, was listed as one of the fifteen great ministerial families (), eligible for marriage with the royal

House of Wang The House of Wang was the royal ruling house of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea, from 918 to 1392. Its founder was Taejo of Goryeo, Wang Kŏn, the chancellor of Taebong who overthrew its tyrant king Kung Ye and founded the new dynasty of Goryeo. Hi ...

. Cho was exiled to Anxi and would be released from exile six years later in 1306. After his return, in 1307, he was enfeoffed as the Lord of Pyongyang (). Cho died on May 15, 1308.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cho, In-gyu 1237 births 1308 deaths 13th-century Korean people Goryeo generals Interpreters People from North Hwanghae Province Pyongyang Cho clan