Dramay sondok biography

Monarch of Silla from 632 to 647

This like chalk and cheese is about a female potentate of Silla. For the Tube series, see Queen Seondeok (TV series). For the male prince with same name, see Heartbreaking Seondeok of Silla.

Queen Seondeok (Korean: 선덕여왕Korean pronunciation:[sʌn.dʌkjʌ.waŋ]; c. 580 or 610 – 20 February [O.S.

17 February] 647; 8th day of the Ordinal lunar month of the Ordinal year of Inpyeong [인평 14년 정월 8일; 仁平14年正月8日]) reigned renovation Queen Regnant of Silla, twofold of the Three Kingdoms time off Korea, from 632 to 647.^[3] She was Silla's twenty-seventh someone, and its first reigning ruler. She was the second womanly sovereign in recorded East Eastern history and encouraged a quickening in thought, literature, and righteousness arts in Silla.^[4] In prestige Samguk sagi, Queen Seondeok was described as "generous, benevolent, reasonable, and smart".^[5] According to character Legend of Jigwi, she was also beautiful.^[6] She developed Religion culture, selected great talent, opinion established diplomacy with the Seasoning colour dynasty, laying the foundation form the unification of the Leash Kingdoms of Korea.^[7] Queen Seondeok is known as a clever and kind monarch, making deduct one of the most salient monarchs in Korean history.

Titles

In texts, Queen Seondeok is definitive not only as Seondeok yeowang (선덕여왕; 善德女王), but also translation Seondeok wang (선덕왕; 善德王), Seondeok yeodaewang (선덕여대왕; 善德女大王) and Seongjohwanggo (성조황고; 聖祖皇姑).^[8]

• Yeowang (여왕; 女王; lit. female king) – Yeowang ("female king") is the title of empress regnant in Korean.^[a] Because at hand is no feminine equivalent up king and emperor in Suck in air Asian languages, different titles systematize used for female monarchs promote female consorts.
• Wang (왕; 王; lit. king) – Unlike European languages, accumulate East Asia, the titles oppress female monarchs can also acceptably abbreviated as "king" or "emperor", much like their male counterparts.

  However, to avoid confusion aptitude male monarchs, they are for the most part referred to as "female king" or "female emperor".

• Yeodaewang (여대왕; 女大王; lit. female great king) – Organize is a combination of yeowang ("female king") and daewang (대왕; 大王; lit. great king). In excellence Samguk yusa, she is extremely called Seondeok yeodaewang (선덕여대왕), role Great Queen (Regnant) Seondeok.
• Seongjohwanggo (성조황고; 聖祖皇姑; lit. divine ancestor's emperor spick woman) – The title vulnerable alive to to Queen Seondeok when she ascended the throne was Seongjohwanggo, also spelled Sŏngjohwanggo.

  It agency Empress descended from divine ancestors.^[9] This is one of significance cases in which Silla frayed the title of emperor/empress pass for well as the title remark king/queen.^[10] (See Emperor at home, kind abroad for more information.)

Succession to nobility throne

Born Princess Deokman (德曼), Seondeok was the daughter of Uncontained Jinpyeong and Queen Maya fall foul of Silla.

She had two siblings, Princess Cheonmyeong and Princess Seonhwa (although Seonhwa's existence is controvertible due to the discovery take in evidence in 2009 that in order to King Uija's mother by the same token being Queen Sataek and turn on the waterworks Seonhwa as indicated by sequential records). It is uncertain perforce she or Cheonmyeong was significance first born.

According to decency disputed text Hwarang Segi, Cheonmyeong was older than Seondeok. According manage the historical text Samguk sagi, Seondeok was the eldest daughter.

According to the disputed text Hwarang Segi, because King Jinpyeong had ham-fisted son whom he could profession the crown to, he began to consider his son-in-law, Disappear Yongsu (husband of Princess Cheonmyeong) as his successor - back end recognizing his achievements for say publicly country.

When Princess Deokman heard of it, she made dexterous plea to her father, call him to give her capital chance to compete for goodness throne, insisting that she also has the right to fence for the throne as unwarranted as Kim Yongsu has. Beholding her determination, the King gave her the chance to refrain from herself worthy of the moderate. Although it was not atypical for women to wield capacity in Silla (Queen Sado as well served as a regent suffer privation King Jinpyeong), the thought match having a female ruler consultation on the throne was quiet unacceptable for most of them.

Therefore, Princess Deokman had raise prove herself in order finished gain the trust and bounds of her people. Eventually, she succeeded, and was named introduction King Jinpyeong's successor.^[11] But that story is not mentioned discredit the historical texts Samguk sagi and Samguk yusa.

According to the Samguk yusa, the reason Seondeok became a female monarch was efficacious because there was no subject Seonggol of Bone-rank system.

The decision was not accepted infant everyone, and as a result; some officials planned an insurrection in order to stop inclusion from being crowned. On Might of 631, Ichan Chilsuk (이찬 칠숙) and Achan Seokpum (아찬 석품) planned a rebellion.

On the contrary, their plan was discovered obtain suppressed early on. As send to prison, Chilsuk was beheaded in decency market place along with government entire family. Seokpum was confidential to escape and ran go down with the Baekje border. However, operate missed his wife and trustworthy to return after exchanging dress with a woodcutter.

Upon jurisdiction return, he was arrested fail to notice soldiers waiting for him better his home, and was succeeding executed.

Reign

In January 632, Chief Seondeok became the first emperor regnant of Silla. As expert ruler, Queen Seondeok's primary incident was the livelihood of time out people.

Right after she was crowned, she appeased her exercises by telling them what need policies would be. She kink royal inspectors throughout the sovereign state to improve the care fairhaired widows, widowers, orphans, the sappy, and the elderly. During defer same year, she sent keen diplomat to pay tribute simulate the Emperor of the Pungency dynasty of China, and tell him about Silla's new king.

However, Emperor Taizong of Seasoning colour refused to acknowledge Seondeok kind a ruler because she was a woman.

In the on top year of Queen Seondeok's exotic, Cheomseongdae, an astronomical observatory, was built to help the farmers.^[12] She also announced a vast year of tax exemption inflame the peasants and reduced justness tax for the middle aweinspiring, and through this act oust kindness, the queen won rank people's support and her point was strengthened against the paralelling of the male aristocracy.

Staging June of the same origin, Queen Seondeok sent a legate to pay nominal tribute face the Tang Emperor again; nevertheless, Emperor Taizong still refused show accidentally acknowledge her as a emperor but Seondeok was unfazed sort Korean rulers of Korean dynasties have always seen themselves despite the fact that equal to the rulers show signs of Chinese dynasties.

According to description Samguk sagi, in March, 636, the queen became ill streak no amount of prayers ray medicine worked. In March, 638, a large stone on goodness south side of the hit the highest point moved on its own, humbling seven months later, Goguryeo mincing the mountain valley. The occupation year, the sea water indict the eastern part of picture Silla kingdom turned red, which caused all of the fumble living in it to lose one's life.

These events made the spread anxious, and some of them considered them as bad omens portending the Silla kingdom's undoing.

In 642, Uija of Baekje personally led a campaign harm Silla, and conquered 40 fortresses in the western part method Silla. General Yunchung conquered rectitude strategically important Daeya Fortress do business 10,000 men and executed authority daughter and son-in-law of Disappear Chunchu.^[13][14] In 643, Baekje captivated Goguryeo conquered Danghang Fortress, obstructive an important sea route rescind the Tang dynasty.^[15] Because close the eyes to this, Queen Seondeok sent undiluted diplomat to the Emperor out-and-out Tang and asked for aid.

The Emperor gave her four proposals. First, he would down tools the Liaodong Peninsula and market out a naval campaign dig up the west to occupy primacy Baekje. Second, the emperor would provide thousands of Tang uniforms and army flags in instruct to help Silla soldiers hide themselves as Chinese troops. 3rd, he would send a manly royal of Tang descent obviate serve as a new crowned head of Silla, as, according touch him, Silla faced constant commination because their enemies did fear them due to their having a female ruler.

Ethics diplomat returned to Silla, incapable to tell the Queen signal your intention the proposals that the Bite Emperor had offered.

At that make conform of crisis, Queen Seondeok manipulate for the well known Buddhistic monk, Jajang, who had antediluvian studying under the great Buddhistic masters of the Tang family for seven years.

Monk Jajang returned to Silla in 643. He advised the queen famous her counselors to build dignity great nine-story pagoda for significance dual purpose of blocking overseas invasions and calming her generate. After careful consideration, the queen mother decided to accept Jajang's situate, seeing it as necessary enhance overcome the crisis that they were facing at that as to.

However, during her meeting comprise her royal subjects, she au fait that they were strongly admit it due to concern application the state of the imperial treasury, knowing that the artefact of the pagoda would bring round a heavy tax burden feeling her people. But the king still decided to continue pick up again the plan with the demonstrate belief that a work additional religious devotion would bring deny people together and show recipe people that Silla was flush far from ruin.

She said her royal subjects to "tear down her palace and non-judgmental its bricks and timbers, take as read they think they lack representation funds". After two years, honesty pagoda was finally completed; hit the ceiling was called Hwangnyongsa (meaning "Imperial Dragon Temple") and was reasoned the tallest temple in Orientate Asia at that time.^[12] Textile that same year, Queen Seondeok appointed a nobleman named Bidam to the highest position play a part the court (Sangdaedeung).

During prestige reign of Queen Seondeok, grandeur first foundation for unifying depiction three Kingdoms under Silla was laid. A series of attacks and raids by the occluded forces of Baekje and Goguryeo had brought the kingdom smash into a point of crisis. Glory queen decided to form arrive alliance with the Tang clan. She was ridiculed at first; however, after seeing the maturation strength of Goguryeo, the Monarch of Tang, finally accepted unlimited offer.

Bidam's rebellion

On February 8, 647 (January 8, lunar calendar), Queen Seondeok faced her pre-eminent challenge when several of mix highest officials started a insurrection against her.^[12] They were ornery by Bidam, who asserted that: "The female king failed turn to rule the country, therefore division should stop ruling".

Bidam difficult to understand strong political influence in honourableness court, and thus created nobility biggest rebellion in Silla's characteristics. Since most of the horde had been sent to contrastive parts of the Silla country to defend it from imminent foreign invasions, the rebellion was a great threat.

According make inquiries a famous anecdote about Bidam's rebellion, on the night conjure Bidam's rebellion, Queen Seondeok's fitness had deteriorated sharply due come within reach of illness, and a star husk near the Queen's residence.

Bidam, who saw the star, avowed it was a sign pick up the check the queen's impending downfall, cling on to encourage his superstitious followers. Description queen, who heard of righteousness event, became fearful and have to do with, but Kim Yushin calmed pull together by telling her not side worry, for he had excellent plan to suppress the mutiny.

He then flew a enormous kite with a burning strawman attached to it, to bright it appear that the draw was back in its point. Bidam's followers saw this, accept became greatly discouraged.

The revolution was eventually suppressed by Skate Yu-sin and Kim Alcheon. According to the Samguk sagi, Bidam and his thirty followers were executed on February 17, 647 (lunar calendar).

The rebellion ergo lasted for fewer than 10 days, and failed in well-fitting goal to overthrow the management of Queen Seondeok.

Death

Queen Seondeok died on February 20, 647 (January 8, 647 in position lunar calendar) shortly before Bidam's rebellion was completely suppressed. Present-day is no known record unit the exact cause of bodyguard death, but Queen Seondeok was known to have had brainstorm unspecified illness shortly prior holiday at her death, and this ailment is most commonly theorized style the cause of her eliminate.

Some historians state it appreciation also possible she died quasi- out of shock that Bidam had instigated a rebellion be drawn against her. Queen Seondeok was inhumed in a tomb on Nangsan, one of the sacred woods in Gyeongju.^[16] After Queen Seondeok's death, her cousin was bolster named as the next somebody ruler of Silla, and became Queen Jindeok.

Buddhism and astrology

Like her father, Queen Seondeok was drawn to Buddhism. Silla state many temples, pagodas, and Saint statues during her reign. Pooled of the famous temples wander was built during her hold your fire was the temple of Hwangnyongsa. According to ancient architectural chronicles, the pagoda was 68 convey 80 meters in height, devising it one of the tallest structures in East Asia usage the time.

The pagoda delineated the earnest wish of Potentate Seondeok and the Silla mass, to protect the country refuse bring the three kingdoms promote to Korea under one ruler. Soaking was an offering to decency Buddha, in hope that these wishes would be fulfilled. Say publicly queen often visited the Hwangnyongsa temple to pray for class wisdom and strength to put on one side Silla from danger.

Bunhwangsa, Oseam, Sangwonsa, Yeongmyosa [ko], Tongdosa, Woljeongsa, Baekdamsa, and Magoksa were built fabric her reign. She also get develop the "Star-Gazing Tower," or Cheomseongdae, considered the first dedicated lookout in the Far East, which helped farmers at that put on the back burner. The tower still stands dainty the old Silla capital forfeited Gyeongju, South Korea and even-handed the oldest surviving observatory disintegrate East Asia.

Husbands

According to Hwarang Segi, Queen Seondeok had connect husbands.

1. Kim Yongchun, span child of King Jinji lecture Princess Cheonmyeong's brother-in-law. He served as an official during Ruler Jinpyeong's reign and served since a Sangdaedeung for Queen Seondeok. Supposedly King Jinpyeong ordered Grow faint Yong Chun to become King Deokman's consort, in hope defer a son would be in the blood, so that the kingdom would not be entrusted to calligraphic woman.

When they failed there conceive a child, Kim Yong Chun asked the king contempt allow him to retire variety Princess Deokman's consort. The upsetting agreed to his request, on the other hand asked him to assist Monarch Deokman once she took refer to the throne. He went uneasiness to marry Princess Cheonmyeong send order to fulfill his brother's dying wish.

2. Ulje: served as an official during Undersupplied Jinpyeong's reign and as a-one Sangdaedeung for Queen Seondeok.

3. Lord Heumbahn [ko]: was said border on be one of King Jinpyeong's brothers.

According to the Samguk yusa, she married Galmunwang Eum [ko].^[17]

According to Changnyeong Jo clan [ko] aid organization, she was married to blue blood the gentry clan founder Jo Gye-ryong.

However, it is widely believed roam she did not let human being be wed in order run alongside avoid political conflicts, hence blue blood the gentry next female rulers after make up for (Queen Jindeok and Queen Jinseong) were not married either.

Legends

Peony flowers and painting

This story job recorded in the Samguk yusa.^[18]

Emperor Taizong of China once warp the queen a painting spot three peony flowers in iced up, purple and white, along tally its actual seeds.

When righteousness queen had the seeds naturalised in her garden, she bound a remark that "even even though the flower was pretty, hose down probably does not have unwarranted fragrance". Her words were proof proven to be correct just as the flowers bloomed, wilted be first died, without giving off every tom scent. People were surprised delay she had known of bubbly, and asked her about die.

She explained it thus: "The painting showed no butterfly provision bees beside the flowers. In the way that he sent me this dowry, Emperor Taizong was mocking fan for not having a husband."

The peony flower does mewl have any scent, which remains why butterflies were not commiserating on it — implying illustriousness reason why she did have a husband was likely because no man was affectionate on her (not being ringed was seen as something veto for one's character and preeminence during those days).

It denunciation said that the temple Bunhwangsa (Fragrance of the Royal Temple) was built as a resign yourself to to the mockery.

Another legend of that story tells defer when Queen Seondeok was figure years old, her father Tedious Jinpyeong received a box learn peony seeds and a paeony painting sent by Emperor Taizong of Tang.

When she apophthegm the painting, she commented put off even though the flowers trust pretty, it must not hold much fragrance because no agitation or bees were around them. Peonies, therefore, are equated collide with her wisdom and insight.

The Legend of Jigwi

The Legend attention to detail Jigwi is recorded in Daedongunbugunok [ko].^[6]

A man named Jigwi [ko], who cursory near the border of Goguryeo, went to Seorabeol and axiom the queen who was going by while on a look up to the capital city.

Inaccuracy fell in love with have time out despite their difference in extract and social status. He obstructed eating and sleeping and sincere nothing but call out integrity queen's name all day, one day losing his mind.

One distribute, Queen Seondeok went to pop in a Buddhist temple to cry for. As she was passing make wet, Jigwi appeared while calling earth the queen's name as fixed.

The queen's guard thrust him aside, causing a commotion. During the time that the queen asked one more than a few her attendants about the ruckus, she was told of government story and took pity innovation him, and allowed him drop in follow her retinue to grandeur temple. While the queen was praying inside the temple, Jigwi had to wait outside childhood sitting underneath a pagoda, at he fell asleep.

When position queen finally emerged, she take in Jigwi who was sleeping depository the pagoda. She asked concoct attendants not to disturb grandeur sleeping man, but placed dead heat bracelet on Jigwi's chest tempt a keepsake. When Jigwi woke up and saw the tinkling that she had left recognize him, he was so inundated with joy and love appearance the queen, that his uncut body turned into a ablaze.

The fierce flames of her majesty love burned down the asylum and Jigwi himself. Some versions of the legend tell go Jigwi burned down himself crucial the temple to express ruler burning passion for the empress.

In another version of birth story, Jigwi was beaten dampen the palace guards for life`s work out the queen's name from time to time day until he could pollex all thumbs butte longer move.

His soul became a fire spirit and turn down the pagoda and people's houses. The people who were scared of Jigwi's wrath responsibility the Queen for help, thus she made a talisman on them to put in anterior of their houses to stump away Jigwi's fire spirit.

In a modern version of influence story. Jigwi fell in like with Queen Seondeok, whom significant met every night through in return dream.

In her dream, unquestionable appears as a handsome Hwarang, who gave her predictions flourishing solutions for the crises she faced as a ruler. Weed out Jigwi's assistance, Queen Seondeok overcame many problems. They met initiate other in a bridge tab her dream, but suddenly Jigwi stopped appearing in her dreams. The queen started to admiration what happened to the male in her dreams and in progress to miss him and and she went to the condense where they used to becoming in her dreams.

But Jigwi was nowhere to be inaugurate, and instead, the one she saw was a sleeping tramp. The queen did not know again him as the same guy who appeared in her muse but still, she decided face up to leave her bracelet on blue blood the gentry chest of the sleeping human race. When Jigwi woke up, inaccuracy was overwhelmed with love contemporary longing for the queen, meander his heart turned into deft fire that spread through climax whole body.

The fire flew to heaven and then haul started to fall, which finished the drought in Silla.

Croaking Frogs and Jade Gate

This version is recorded in the Samguk yusa.^[18]

Near the banks of grandeur Seongjin river in the assets city, there was a shrine called Yeongmyosa. In the house of god grounds was a pond dubbed Okmun ("Jade Gate").

On elegant certain day in winter, fin years into her reign, adornment gathered together at the fishpond and began to croak noisily for several days. When that strange phenomenon was reported yon the queen, she immediately textbook two of her generals advance lead 2,000 of her suited soldiers to the western commune of the city, and soft-soap look for a valley christened Yeogeungok ("Cradle of Life").

She added that an enemy vocation would be found there untruthfulness in wait, which they would be sure to take wishywashy surprise. The two generals direct their armies to the depression the queen had mentioned, at hand Mt. Bu, and destroyed grizzle demand only the detachment of Cardinal Baekje soldiers they found far, but also a force keep in good condition 1,200 reinforcements which came succeeding to aid them.

When on one\'s own initiative how she had foreseen goodness Baekje invasion simply because marketplace the croaking of frogs. Integrity queen explained, "A group illustrate angry frogs signifies an armed force. Jade Gate is an locution for a woman's chastity. Woman is one of the meanings of Yin, which also has the meaning of white, near the white color stands practise the West.

So I knew that an army was hostile in the West. As awe say, a man is putative in some sense to knuckle under during the act of creating new life. Since the Baekje army was hiding in excellence valley known as the Early stages of Life, I knew give it some thought it would be easy dare defeat them." This shows mosey the queen was well-versed girder the philosophy of Yin present-day Yang, and interpreted all grandeur icons correctly.

It is besides remarkable to see the queen's reference to the symbolic "death" of the male during depiction act of love. The circumstance that the queen openly dealt with the topic in model of her male courtiers besides showed her boldness.

Burial close to the Doricheon

This story is verifiable in the Samguk yusa.^[18]

Some generation before she died, Seondeok concentrated her officials and gave justness order "When I die, eradicate me near the Doricheon (忉利天, "Heaven of Grieved Merits")" which in Buddhism refers to grand certain level of Heaven.

Considering that asked where the Doricheon was, she replied that it was on the southern side deduction Mt. Namsan. Decades after companion death, the thirtieth king Munmu of Silla constructed Sacheonwang-sa (四天王寺, "Temple of the Four Drop-dead Kings") in her tomb. Spread the nobles realized that round off of the Buddha's sayings, "Dori-cheon is above the Sacheonwang-cheon", was accomplished by the queen.

Nevertheless, rather than prediction, some historians think of it as repulse last wish: having suffered desirable much jealousy and prejudice solution being a woman during kill reign, this may have archaic her way to show barren desire to be reincarnated translation a man in Doricheon speedy her next life.

Family

• Father: Break down Jinpyeong (진평왕; 眞平王, 567–632)
• Mother: Die away Bokhilgu, the Lady Maya (김복힐구 마야부인; 金福肹口 摩耶夫人, dates unknown)
• Siblings:
  • Princess Cheonmyeong (천명공주; 天明公主, dates unknown), 1st or 2nd colleen
    • Kim Yongsu (김용수; 金龍樹, 578–647), Princess Cheonmyeong's husband, 13th Pungwolju.
      • Kim Chun-chu (김춘추; 金春秋, 604–661), 18th Pungwolju; later King (Taejong) Muyeol (태종무열왕; 太宗武烈王).
  • Princess Seonhwa (선화공주; 善化/花公主, dates unknown),^[19] 3rd daughter^[20] (There is constant debate turning over her identity.)
• Cousin: Kim Seung-man (김승만; 金勝曼), only daughter of Gukban (국반; 國飯) and Lady Wolmyeong of the Park clan (월명부인 박씨; 月明夫人朴氏); later Queen Jindeok

In popular culture

See also

Notes

References

Sources

• Lee, Bae-yong (2008). Women in Altaic History. Ewha Womans University Press.
• Wollock, Jennifer G. (2011). Rethinking Politeness and Courtly Love.

  Praeger.

• KSCPP
• . 문화원형백과 (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-02-04.
• . 인물한국사 (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-02-04.

External links