Wiman of Gojoseon

Wiman of Gojoseon
Wiman of Gojoseon
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	衛滿
Simplified Chinese	卫满
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Wèi Mǎn
Wade–Giles	Wei4 Man3

Wi Man
衛滿
위만
Wi Man; 衛滿; 위만
King of Wiman Joseon
Reign	194 BCE – Unknown
Successor	Unknown
House	Wi

Last updated June 24, 2024

Wi Man (in Korean) or Wei Man (in Chinese) was a Chinese military general and monarch. He was originally a military leader of the Chinese Kingdom of Yan.^{[note 1]} When king Lu Wan of Yan was defeated by the Han in 195 BCE, Wi Man fled to Gojoseon in north-western Korea and later usurped power from its king in 194 BCE, establishing Wiman Joseon. Recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of Han , Wiman was the first ruler in the history of Korea to have been recorded in documents from the same time period.

Biography

After Emperor Gaozu of Han suppressed the rebellion of Zang Tu, king of Yan, he appointed general Lu Wan as Yan's new king. In 196 BC, Emperor Gaozu suspected Lu Wan of plotting rebellion and ordered an attack against Yan. Lu Wan fled to the Xiongnu while his general Wiman (Wei Man) led a thousand followers east to Gojoseon.^[1] He was initially ordered to fortify Gojoseon's northwestern border by King Jun of Gojoseon, however with the help of Yan refugees, Wiman usurped the throne (194~180 BCE). King Jun fled to Jin and called himself the "King of Han."

Wiman's capital of Gojoseon was Wanggeom-seong, generally identified as Pyongyang.^[2] Since the Han dynasty was not completely stabilized yet, the governor of Liaodong appointed Wiman as an outer subject, provided that he did not prevent natives going up to the empire. The appointment is dated at 191 or 192 BCE.^[3] Having superior military strength, Wiman Joseon was able to subjugate the state of Jinbeon (진번, 眞番) and Imdun (임둔, 臨屯), vastly extending its borders. His kingdom was eventually conquered by Emperor Wu of Han in 108 BCE during the reign of Ugeo of Gojoseon.

Family

Son and successor: name not recorded, second king of Wiman Joseon
- Grandson: Ugeo (右渠), last king of Wiman Joseon
  - Great-grandson: Wi Jang (衛長),

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The Lelang Commandery was a commandery of the Han dynasty established after it had conquered Wiman Joseon in 108 BC and lasted until Goguryeo conquered it in 313. The Lelang Commandery extended the rule of the Four Commanderies of Han as far south as the Han River in present-day South Korea. South Korean scholars have described its administrative areas as being limited to the Pyongan and Hwanghae regions, whose southern bounds lie roughly 75 miles north of the Han River.

Dangun or Tangun, also known as Dangun Wanggeom, was the legendary founder and first king of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom. He founded the first kingdom around present-day Liaoning province in Northeast China and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the "grandson of heaven", "son of a bear", and to have founded the first kingdom in 2333 BC. The earliest recorded version of the Dangun legend appears in the 13th-century Samguk Yusa, which cites Korea's lost historical record, Gogi and China's Book of Wei.

Gojoseon, also called Joseon, was the first kingdom on the Korean Peninsula. According to Korean mythology, the kingdom was established by the legendary king Dangun. Gojoseon possessed the most advanced culture in the Korean Peninsula at the time and was an important marker in the progression towards the more centralized states of later periods. The addition of Go, meaning "ancient", is used in historiography to distinguish the kingdom from the Joseon dynasty, founded in 1392 CE.

Wiman Joseon was a dynasty of Gojoseon. It began with Wiman's seizure of the throne from Gija Joseon's King Jun and ended with the death of King Ugeo who was a grandson of Wiman. Apart from archaeological data, the main source on this historical period comes from chapter 115 of Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian. Wiman was originally a Chinese military leader from the Kingdom of Yan under the Han dynasty.

Gija Joseon was a dynasty of Gojoseon allegedly founded by the sage Jizi (Gija), a member of the Yin dynasty royal house.

Jun of Gojoseon was the last king of Gija Joseon. He was succeeded by Wiman, whose usurpation of the throne began the dynasty of Wiman Joseon of Gojoseon.

The three Gojoseon kingdoms are states thought to have existed according to Joseon Sangosa (1924–25). The concept gained a following among several fringe historians, although it is not completely accepted by mainstream scholars.

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The Four Commanderies of Han were Chinese commanderies located in the north of the Korean Peninsula and part of the Liaodong Peninsula from around the end of the second century BC through the early 4th AD, for the longest lasting. The commanderies were set up to control the populace in the former Gojoseon area as far south as the Han River, with a core area at Lelang near present-day Pyongyang by Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty in early 2nd century BC after his conquest of Wiman Joseon. As such, these commanderies are seen as Chinese colonies by some scholars. Though disputed by North Korean scholars, Western sources generally describe the Lelang Commandery as existing within the Korean peninsula, and extend the rule of the four commanderies as far south as the Han River. However, South Korean scholars assumed its administrative areas to Pyongan and Hwanghae provinces.

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Wi Janghang was a prince of Ugeo. At that time, Emperor Wu of Han sent warrior to surrender Wiman Joseon and his father, Ugeo, was killed by an assassin. Even after the king's death, some ministers resisted against the Han dynasty. The Han dynasty made Wi Janghang who already surrendered to kill those ministers and subdued Wiman Joseon.

Wan Gyeop was one of the four members who operated the government of Wiman Joseon. His position was a general. Since Wang Gyeop had a family name, it is believed that he was an exile from China or person related to China. Just like his master Ugeo who was the last king of Wiman Joseon. He was in charge of military affairs.

No In was one of the four members who operated the government of Wiman Joseon. His position was a chancellor and he was in charge of politics of Wiman Joseon. Since No In had a family name, it is believed that he was an exile from China or person related to China. Just like his master Ugeo who was the last king of Wiman Joseon. In BC 109 to 108, when Han dynasty attacked Wiman Joseon, he was surrendered instantly together with those exiles from China, Han Eum and Wang Gyeop while leaving the King of Wiman Joseon Ugeo. He died on the way to surrender. Even after Uego's death, some ministers of Wiman Joseon resisted to Han dynasty. Han dynasty sent Wi Jang and No Choe then killed those ministers. Choe was a son of No In.

Han Eum also known as Han Do was one of the four members who operated the government of Wiman Joseon. His position was a chancellor. Since Han Eum had a family name, Han, it is believed that he was an exile from China or person related to China. Just like his master Ugeo who was the last king of Wiman Joseon.　In BC 109 to 108, when Han dynasty attacked Wiman Joseon, he was surrendered instantly together with those exiles from China, No In and Wang Gyeop, while leaving the King of Wiman Joseon Ugeo. After his surrender, Han dynasty nominated him as a peerage of Jeok ja (적자; 荻苴. He died after 19 years without a successor.

No Choe was a son of No In who was one of the four members who operated the government of Wiman Joseon.

Sam was one of the four members who operated the government of Wiman Joseon. He was a chancellor of Nigye and it was where he based himself for. He was the only one who did not have family name in those 4 members. In BC 109 to 108, when Han dynasty attacked Wiman Joseon, those three exiles from China, No In, Han Eum and Wang Gyeop surrendered instantly while leaving the King of Wiman Joseon Ugeo and Sam was only one who resisted against Han dynasty among those members. However, in BC 108, Sam sent an assassin to Ugeo, killed him and surrendered to Han dynasty. After his surrender, he was nominated as a peerage of Hwae Cheong by Han dynasty. 11 years later, he was arrested on suspicion of hiding the fugitive from Wiman Joseon and died of illness while he was in prison.

Wèi is a Chinese surname. It means ‘defend, guard’ and is written Wai in Cantonese. The character 衞 is traditionally preferred although 衛 is now more prevalent, with 卫 being the simplified form in Mainland China. In 2013 it was found to be the 214th most common surname, shared by 480,000 people or 0.036% of the population, with the province with the most being Shanxi.

References

↑ Lee, Ki-baik: Walled-Town States and Confederated Kingdoms. The New History of Korea, page 16-17. Harvard University Press, 1984
↑ Concerning controversy over the location of Lelang Commandery, there is a minority view that Wiman's domain was located in Liaoning instead of north-western Korea. However, it is generally accepted that the river referred to as "Majasu" (마자수, 馬訾水) refers to the Yalu River and "Paesu" (패수, 浿水) refers to the Yalu River or Ch'ongch'on River or Daling River, and that Wiman's territory was bordered on the north by the Han dynasty. P'yŏngyang is the most likely site for the capital Wanggeom-seong but lacks archaeological evidence. For more information, see (Tani:1987).
↑ (Ibaragi:1984)

Notes

↑
- Peterson, Mark (2009). Brief History of Korea. Infobase Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-4381-2738-5.
"The term was used again by a refugee from the Han dynasty named Wiman, who about 200 B.C.E. set up a kingdom in Korea called Wiman Choson."
- Cotterell, Arthur (2011). Asia: A Concise History. Wiley. ISBN 978-0470825044.
"The earliest documented event in Korean history involves China. After an unsuccessful rising against the first Han emperor Gaozu, the defeated rebels sought refuge beyond the imperial frontier and one of them Wiman, took control of Choson, a Korean state in the north of the peninsula."
- Kim, Jinwung (2012). A History of Korea: From "Land of the Morning Calm" to States in Conflict. Indiana University Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-0253000248.
"For instance, Wiman, a refugee from the Yan dynasty, which then existed around present-day Beijing, led his band of more than 1,000 followers into exile in Old Chosŏn in the early second century bc."
- Tennant, Roger (1996). History Of Korea. Routledge. p. 18. ISBN 978-0710305329.
"Retaliation by the Han then brought in refugees from Yan, the most notable of whom was a war lord, Weiman ('Wiman'in Korean), who somewhere about 200 BC led his followers into the territory held by Choson."
- Xu, Stella Yingzi (2007). That glorious ancient history of our nation. University of California, Los Angeles. p. 220. ISBN 9780549440369.
"Here, Wiman was described as a "Gu Yanren 故燕人"or a person from former Yan. It is confusing because there were two Yans around this period. The first was the Yan state, which was one of the seven states during the Warring States period, and the second was the vassal state of Yan of the Han dynasty."

Sources

Mikami Tsugio 三上次男: Kodai no seihoku Chōsen to Ei-shi Chōsen koku no seiji, shakaiteki seikaku 古代の西北朝鮮と衛氏朝鮮国の政治・社会的性格, Kodai Tōhoku Ajiashi Kenkyū 古代東北アジア史研究, pp. 3–22, 1966.
Ibaragi Kazuo 荊木計男: Ei Man Chōsen ō Sakuhō ni tsuite 衛満朝鮮冊封について, Chōsen Gakuhō 朝鮮学報 (Journal of the Academic Association of Koreanology in Japan) Vol. 113, pp. 1–25, 1984.
Tani Toyonobu 谷豊信: Rakurō-gun no ichi 楽浪郡の位置, Chōsen shi kenkyūkai ronbunshū 朝鮮史研究会論文集 (Bulletin of Society for Study in Korean History), No 24, pp. 23–45, 1987.

Regnal titles
Wiman of Gojoseon House of Wi
Preceded by Jun of Gojoseon	King of Gojseon 194 BC – c. 161 BC	Unknown Next known title holder: Ugeo

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[2] Lee, Ki-baik: Walled-Town States and Confederated Kingdoms. The New History of Korea, page 16-17. Harvard University Press, 1984

[3] Concerning controversy over the location of Lelang Commandery, there is a minority view that Wiman's domain was located in Liaoning instead of north-western Korea. However, it is generally accepted that the river referred to as "Majasu" (마자수, 馬訾水) refers to the Yalu River and "Paesu" (패수, 浿水) refers to the Yalu River or Ch'ongch'on River or Daling River, and that Wiman's territory was bordered on the north by the Han dynasty. P'yŏngyang is the most likely site for the capital Wanggeom-seong but lacks archaeological evidence. For more information, see (Tani:1987).

[4] (Ibaragi:1984)

[1] 
Peterson, Mark (2009). Brief History of Korea. Infobase Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-4381-2738-5.
"The term was used again by a refugee from the Han dynasty named Wiman, who about 200 B.C.E. set up a kingdom in Korea called Wiman Choson."
Cotterell, Arthur (2011). Asia: A Concise History. Wiley. ISBN 978-0470825044.
"The earliest documented event in Korean history involves China. After an unsuccessful rising against the first Han emperor Gaozu, the defeated rebels sought refuge beyond the imperial frontier and one of them Wiman, took control of Choson, a Korean state in the north of the peninsula."
Kim, Jinwung (2012). A History of Korea: From "Land of the Morning Calm" to States in Conflict. Indiana University Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-0253000248.
"For instance, Wiman, a refugee from the Yan dynasty, which then existed around present-day Beijing, led his band of more than 1,000 followers into exile in Old Chosŏn in the early second century bc."
Tennant, Roger (1996). History Of Korea. Routledge. p. 18. ISBN 978-0710305329.
"Retaliation by the Han then brought in refugees from Yan, the most notable of whom was a war lord, Weiman ('Wiman'in Korean), who somewhere about 200 BC led his followers into the territory held by Choson."
Xu, Stella Yingzi (2007). That glorious ancient history of our nation. University of California, Los Angeles. p. 220. ISBN 9780549440369.
"Here, Wiman was described as a "Gu Yanren 故燕人"or a person from former Yan. It is confusing because there were two Yans around this period. The first was the Yan state, which was one of the seven states during the Warring States period, and the second was the vassal state of Yan of the Han dynasty."

[mwYQ] Peterson, Mark (2009). Brief History of Korea. Infobase Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-4381-2738-5.

[mwbg] Cotterell, Arthur (2011). Asia: A Concise History. Wiley. ISBN 978-0470825044.

[mweg] Kim, Jinwung (2012). A History of Korea: From "Land of the Morning Calm" to States in Conflict. Indiana University Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-0253000248.

[mwhw] Tennant, Roger (1996). History Of Korea. Routledge. p. 18. ISBN 978-0710305329.

[mwlA] Xu, Stella Yingzi (2007). That glorious ancient history of our nation. University of California, Los Angeles. p. 220. ISBN 9780549440369.

[note 1]

[1]

[2]

[3]