|
Ch'oe Mu-sŏn
Ch'oe Mu-sŏn (; 1330–1395) was a medieval Korean chemist, inventor, and military general during the late Goryeo Dynasty and early Joseon Dynasty. He is best known for enabling Korea to domestically produce gunpowder by obtaining a recipe for the Chinese commodity from a Chinese merchant, as well as inventing various gunpowder-based weapons in an attempt to repel the wokou pirates that plundered coastal regions of the Korean Peninsula. Life Ch'oe was born into a wealthy family in Yeongcheon, Gyeongsang province; his father was an official in the administration. He qualified to be a military officer through civil service examination. The government's control of Goryeo was crumbling, and at the same time the pirates crossing the Korean Strait plundered much of the coastal regions. In the southern part of the nation, pirates even marched deep inland, causing havoc. The Goryeo government was not able to ensure security, despite the efforts of generals Yi Sŏng-gye and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unification" by Korean historians as it not only unified the Later Three Kingdoms but also incorporated much of the ruling class of the northern kingdom of Balhae, who had origins in Goguryeo of the earlier Three Kingdoms of Korea. The name "Korea" is derived from the name of Goryeo, also spelled Koryŏ, which was first used in the early 5th century by Goguryeo. According to Korean historians, it was during the Goryeo period that the individual identities of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla were successfully merged into a single entity that became the basis of modern-day 'Korean' identity. Throughout its existence, Goryeo, alongside Unified Silla, was known to be the "Golden Age of Buddhism" in Korea. As the state religion, Buddhism achieved its highes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins, and water. Under natural conditions, the cotton bolls will increase the dispersal of the seeds. The plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Africa, Egypt and India. The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico, followed by Australia and Africa. Cotton was independently domesticated in the Old and New Worlds. The fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft, breathable, and durable textile. The use of cotton for fabric is known to date to prehistoric times; fragments of cotton fabric dated to the fifth millennium BC have been found in the Indus Valley civilization, as well as fabric remnants dated back ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Korean Cannon
Cannons appeared in Korea by the mid 14th century during the Goryeo, Goryeo dynasty and quickly proliferated as naval and fortress-defense weapons. Major developments occurred throughout the 15th century, including the introduction of large siege mortars as well as major improvements that drastically increased range, power, and accuracy. The Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98), Imjin War in the 1590s marked the beginning of a Korean military revolution which saw improvements in cannon design and the introduction and adaptation of foreign-based firearms. This included the ''en masse'' adoption of muskets and the adoption of volley fire and rigorous drill techniques. Breech-loading swivel guns were particularly popular as light anti-personnel artillery. With the rising threat of European powers in the 19th century, the Joseon, Joseon dynasty made attempts at reverse-engineering European firearms but eventually had to simply buy them from foreign entities. Early history The earli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jang Yeongsil
Jang Yeong-sil (; ; 1390 – after 1442) was a Korean mechanical engineer, scientist, and inventor during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). Although Jang was born as a peasant, King Sejong allowed Jang to work at the royal palace. Jang's inventions, such as the Cheugugi (the rain gauge) and the water gauge, highlight the technological advancements of the Joseon Dynasty. Early years Jang Yeong-sil's birth is recorded only in the genealogy of the Jang family and in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. According to these records, his father, Jang Seong-hwi, was the 8th generation of the Jang family. Jang Seong-hwi was the 3rd of 5 brothers and all of the brothers previously were ministers of Goryeo. There are many historical records about his elder brother, Jang Seong-bal, who was born in 1344 and his grave located at Ui-seong in the province of Gyeongbuk. The Annals state that Yeong-sil's mother was a gwangi (gisaeng), assigning them (Yeong-sil and his mother) the social status ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hwacha
The ''hwacha'' or ''hwach'a'' ( ko, 화차; Hanja: ; literally "fire cart") was a multiple rocket launcher and an organ gun of similar design which were developed in fifteenth century Korea. The former variant fired one or two hundred rocket-powered arrows while the latter fired several dozen iron-headed arrows or bolts out of gun barrels. The term was used to refer to other war wagons or other cart-based artillery in later periods, such as that developed by Byeon Yijung in the 1590s. These weapons were notably deployed in the defense of the Korean Peninsula against the invading Japanese when they invaded in the 1590s. Some East Asian historians believe this technological breakthrough, alongside the turtle ship in the mid-16th century, had a distinctive effect during the war. Today, hwachas appear in Korean museums, national parks, and popular culture. History Early firearms Firearms were recognized by Goryeo military leaders as being of utmost importance in national ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fire Arrow
Fire arrows were one of the earliest forms of weaponized gunpowder, being used from the 9th century onward. Not to be confused with earlier incendiary arrow projectiles, the fire arrow was a gunpowder weapon which receives its name from the translated Chinese term ''huǒjiàn'' (火箭), which literally means fire arrow. In China a 'fire arrow' referred to a gunpowder projectile consisting of a bag of incendiary gunpowder attached to the shaft of an arrow. Fire arrows are the predecessors of fire lances, the first firearm. Later rockets utilizing gunpowder were used to provide arrows with propulsive force and the term ''fire arrow'' became synonymous with rockets in the Chinese language. In other languages such as Sanskrit 'fire arrow' (''agni astra'') underwent a different semantic shift and became synonymous with 'cannon'. Design Although the fire arrow is most commonly associated with its rocket mechanism, it originally consisted of a pouch of gunpowder attached to an arrow. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Encyclopedia Of Korean Culture
The ''Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by the Academy of Korean Studies and DongBang Media Co. The articles in the encyclopedia are aimed at readers who want to learn about Korean culture and history, and were written by over 3,800 scholars and expert contributors — mainly associated with the Academy of Korean Studies. ''Munhwa Ilbo'' called it the most extensive encyclopedia of Korean studies. In 2001, the digital edition EncyKorea was published on CD-ROM and DVD. See also *'' Doosan Encyclopedia'' * List of digital library projects *Lists of encyclopedias *List of encyclopedias by branch of knowledge *List of encyclopedias by language *List of historical encyclopedias This is a list of encyclopedias, arranged by time period. For other arrangements, see Lists of encyclopedias. Encyclopedias before 1700 * ''Nine Books of Disciplines'' by Marcus Terentius Varro (116 BC-27 BC) * ''Naturalis Historia'' by Pliny the ... * List of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ch'oe Hae-san
Ch'oe Haesan (, 1380–1443) was a Korean military officer during the Joseon dynasty. He was the son of Ch'oe Musŏn and part of the Yeongcheon Ch'oe clan. He inherited his father's weaponmaking secrets and served as a military commander. References 1380 births 1443 deaths 15th-century Korean people Hae-san {{Korea-bio-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Multiple Rocket Launcher
A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a volley gun. Rockets are self-propelled in flight and have different capabilities than conventional artillery shells, such as longer effective range, lower recoil, typically considerably higher payload than a similarly sized gun artillery platform, or even carrying multiple warheads. Unguided rocket artillery is notoriously inaccurate and slow to reload compared to gun artillery. A multiple rocket launcher helps compensate for this with its ability to launch multiple rockets in rapid succession, which, coupled with the large kill zone of each warhead, can easily deliver saturation fire over a target area. However, modern rockets can use GPS or inertial guidance to combine the advantages of rockets with the higher accuracy of precision-guided mu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hwacha
The ''hwacha'' or ''hwach'a'' ( ko, 화차; Hanja: ; literally "fire cart") was a multiple rocket launcher and an organ gun of similar design which were developed in fifteenth century Korea. The former variant fired one or two hundred rocket-powered arrows while the latter fired several dozen iron-headed arrows or bolts out of gun barrels. The term was used to refer to other war wagons or other cart-based artillery in later periods, such as that developed by Byeon Yijung in the 1590s. These weapons were notably deployed in the defense of the Korean Peninsula against the invading Japanese when they invaded in the 1590s. Some East Asian historians believe this technological breakthrough, alongside the turtle ship in the mid-16th century, had a distinctive effect during the war. Today, hwachas appear in Korean museums, national parks, and popular culture. History Early firearms Firearms were recognized by Goryeo military leaders as being of utmost importance in national ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Singijeon
''Singijeon'' or ''shinkichon'' ( ko, 신기전; Hanja: ; literally "Divine machine arrows") was a type of Korean fire arrow rocket, used during the era of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). Multiple ''singijeon'' could be launched by ''hwacha'' (multiple rocket launcher). History During the late 14th century, in order to gain ascendancy at sea against Japanese pirates (''wokou'', also known as ''waegu'' in Korean), fire arrows called ''hwajeon'' or ''hwajon''( ko, 화전) were used, which would become the predecessor of the ''singijeon''. The Koreans had tried to acquire rockets and gunpowder and their production methods from China. The Chinese, however, regarded the technology of gunpowder as a state secret and restricted access to it and trade in its nitrous raw materials (which could only be found in China). The Koreans therefore sought to acquire the manufacturing secrets of gunpowder for themselves and, in 1374 (~1376), Choe Mu-seon was able to bribe a Han Chinese merchan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King U
U of Goryeo (25 July 1365 – 31 December 1389) ruled Goryeo (Korea) as the 32nd king from 1374 until 1388. He was the only son of King Gongmin. Cultural background In the thirteenth century, Mongol forces had invaded China and established the Yuan dynasty in 1271. After a series of Mongol invasions, Goryeo eventually capitulated and entered into a peace treaty with the Yuan dynasty, in which Goryeo was subordinate tributary state to China. The Ming dynasty in China had grown extremely powerful during the 14th century, however, and it began to beat back the Yuan forces, so that by the 1350s Goryeo had managed to regain its northern territories and took back the Liaodong region. Birth According to the records, U was reportedly born to slave girl Banya, a maid of the monk Shin Don, and King Gongmin. Because Gongmin initially denied the child as his son and refused to name him, Shin Don took it upon himself and named the boy Monino (meaning ''"servant of Buddha"''). As a result of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
