The Incheon Yi clan (
Hangul: 인천 이씨,
Hanja: 仁川 李氏) is a
Korean clan. Historically known as the Gyeongwon Lee clan or Inju Lee clan, it was one of the most powerful clans in the early Goryeo period due their status as in-laws of the ruling
House of Wang. According to the 2015 South Korean census, there were 83,855 members of this clan.
Name and Origin
An ancestor of the clan, a 23rd generation descendant of
King Suro and
Heo Hwang-ok, was Heo Gi (許奇). He was sent to
Tang China as an ambassador of
Silla.
Emperor Xuanzong bestowed the surname "Yi" on Heo Gi because he helped him escape from the
An Lushan Rebellion. When Yi Heo Gi (李許奇) returned to Silla,
King Gyeongdeok
Gyeongdeok of Silla (景德王; 742–765) was the 35th ruler of Silla and son of Seongdeok of Silla, King Seongdeok (reigned 702–737). He succeeded his elder brother, King Hyoseong, the 34th ruler of Silla. His reign is considered a golden age ...
awarded him the title "Prince of Soseong" (邵城伯)''.''
Later,
Yi Heo-gyeom
Yi or YI may refer to:
Philosophic Principle
* Yì (义; 義, righteousness, justice) among the 三綱五常
Ethnic groups
* Dongyi, the Eastern Yi, or Tung-yi (Chinese: , ''Yí''), ancient peoples who lived east of the Zhongguo in ancient Ch ...
, a 10th generation descendant of Yi Heo Gi and the grandfather of
Queen Wonseong
Queen Wonseong of the Ansan Gim clan (; d. 15 August 1028) or formally called as Grand Queen Mother Wonseong () was a Korean queen consort as the 3rd wife of King Hyeonjong of Goryeo who became the mother of his successors, Deokjong and Jeongj ...
, began the Incheon Yi clan.
Dominance in the Early Goryeo period
The Gyeongwon Lee clan was thought to have been local aristocrats or hojok from Gyeongwon County (modern-day Incheon). The clan was able to use their marriage ties to the Ansan Kim clan, who were in-laws to the royal family, to become royal in-laws themselves. Yi Ja-yeon, the grandson of Heo-gyeom, married three daughters to King
Munjong. One of those three, Queen Inye, became the mother of three kings,
Sunjong
Sunjong, the Emperor Yunghui (; 25 March 1874 – 24 April 1926), was the second and the last Emperor of Korea, of the Yi dynasty, ruling from 1907 until 1910.
Biography
Crown Prince of Korea
Sunjong was the second son of Emperor Gojong a ...
,
Seonjong, and
Sukjong Sukjong () is the temple name of several Korean kings. It can refer to:
* Sukjong of Goryeo (1095-1105)
* Sukjong of Joseon
Sukjong of Joseon (7 October 1661 – 12 July 1720) was the 19th King of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, ruling from 1674 un ...
.
From 981 to 1146, the Gyeongwon Lee clan had 27 officials in the central bureaucracy, 12 of whom were first or second grade officials. This was more than any other clan in during that time period.
In 1095, Yi Ja-ui attempted to replace King Heonjong with his nephew,
Wang Gyun. However, Prince Gyerim (later King Sukjong) and his allies killed Yi Ja-ui on August 29, 1095 before it could happen.
See also
*
Korean clan names of foreign origin
References
External links
* {{Cite book, title=Doosan Encyclopedia 외래귀화성씨 外來歸化姓氏, publisher=
Doosan Encyclopedia
''Doosan Encyclopedia'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by Doosan Donga (두산동아). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (동아원색세계대백과사전), which comprises 30 volumes and began to be p ...
, url=http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1129680&cid=40942&categoryId=31639&mobile