Dae Joyeong

Dae Joyeong

Dae Joyeong”, “Dae Jo-yeong”, “Tae Choy?ng”, or “Tae Cho-y?ng” redirects here. For the historical drama, see Dae Joyeong (drama).

Dae Jo-yeong (大祚榮, 대조영; unknown – 719), also known in Korea as King Go (고왕), established the state of Balhae, reigning from 699 to 719. His origin is heavily disputed (see below); most Korean scholars believed that he was of Goguryeo heredity, but most scholars in China believed that he is of Malgal (Mohe) ancestry.

Dae Joyeong was the first son of general Dae Jung-sang (Hangul: 대중상 Hanja : 大仲象 ) or Qiqi Zhongxiang (Koreanized : 걸걸중상 Sinicized: 乞乞仲象 pinyin) of Goguryeo, and was born in unknown. After the fall of Goguryeo to the Silla-Tang armies, Dae Jung-sang remained in Ansi Fortress, which had not been attacked during the 3rd Goguryeo-Tang war. However In 668, Goguryeo fell, despite father and son fighting bravely.

However father and son were taken captive. In the confusion of the Khitan uprising led by Li Jinchong against the Tang (Zhou) in May 696, the Sumo Mohe and Goguryeo remnants peoples leader, Dae Jung-sang, and the Baishan Mohe leader Qisi Piyu (Koreanized : 걸사비우 Sinicized: 乞四比羽 pinyin), made an alliance sought independence. In spite of Empress Wu Zetian’s appeasement policy, they fled eastward to their homeland.

The Tang killed Qisi Piyu, and Dae Jung-sang also died. Dae Jo-yeong integrated the armies of Goguryeo and the Malgal to resist the Tang’s attack. His overwhelming victory over the Tang at the Battle of Cheonmun-ryeong (Hangul: 천문령, Hanja: 天門嶺ֺ) enabled him to establish his own Kingdom. He claimed himself the King of Jin in 698. He put his capital at Dongmo Mountain in the south of today’s Jilin province, and built Dongmo sanseong, which was to become the Great Jin-guk’s (Hangul:대진국 , Hanja: 大辰國) capital.
He attempted to expand his influence in international politics involving the Tang, the Gokturks, the Khitan, Silla and some independent Mohe tribes. At first he dispatched an envoy to the Gokturks. Then he reconciled himself with the Tang when Emperor Zhongzong was restored to the throne. In 712, He renamed his empire, Balhae. In 713 he was given the titular title of “Prefecture King of Balhae” by Emperor Xuanzong. Upon reaching a period of rest within the empire, Emperor Go made it clear that Silla was not to be dealt with in a peaceful stance because they were the ones who received the help of the Tang to conquer Goguryeo, which was the predecessor state to Balhae. This aggressive stance toward Silla was continued on by his son and successor Emperor Mu of Balhae

Dae Joyoung died in 719, and his son Dae Muye assumed the throne. Dae Jo-yeong was given the posthumous name “Emperor Go”.