Sinmu of Silla (r. 839, died 839) (born Ujing) was the 45th monarch of the Korean kingdom of
Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms ...
. His reign was the briefest in the state's history, lasting only from the fourth to the seventh
lunar month
In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two successive syzygies of the same type: new moons or full moons. The precise definition varies, especially for the beginning of the month.
Variations
In Shona, Middle Eastern, and Eur ...
of 839.
Sinmu was the son of the ''
Sangdaedeung {{Short description, Office of the Silla state in Korea
Sangdaedeung (상대등, 上大等, the First of Daedeungs or Peers, Extraordinary Rank One) was an office of the Silla state. It was considered as the highest and most prestigious office that ...
'' Kim Gyunjeong (?–836), a descendant of
King Wonseong (r. 785–798) and cousin to
King Heungdok (r. 826–838). Upon the death of King Heungdok in 836 a succession struggle erupted between Kim Gyunjeong and his nephew, Kim Jeryung (?–838). Ujing and his follower, Kim Yang supported Gyunjeong, while
Kim Myeong and Kim Rihong stood by Jeryung. Jeryung's party ultimately triumphed and Gyunjeong was killed. Kim Jeryung was then crowned as
King Huigang in 836.
Yang escaped, but Ujing did not. Though being pardoned promptly by the new king, he soon became threatened by Myeong who became ''
Sangdaedeung {{Short description, Office of the Silla state in Korea
Sangdaedeung (상대등, 上大等, the First of Daedeungs or Peers, Extraordinary Rank One) was an office of the Silla state. It was considered as the highest and most prestigious office that ...
''. So in 837, Ujing fled and entrusted himself with
Jang Bogo
Jang Bogo (787–841), childhood name: Gungbok, was a Sillan who rose to prominence in the Later Silla period of Korea as a powerful maritime figure who effectively controlled the Yellow Sea (West Sea), and dominated the trade between Silla, H ...
in
Cheonghaejin
Cheonghaejin (literally "Clear sea headquarters") was a major military headquarters and trading hub located on Wando island, South Jeolla province of South Korea, and established by Korean general Jang Bogo in 828 ACE during the Silla kingdom p ...
. However, a year later, Myeong fomented a revolt against
King Huigang which killed several of the King's aides. Faced with defeat, King Huigang committed suicide. Kim Myeong then ascended the throne as King Minae. Kim Yang, who was then concealing himself on a mountain near the capital, heard the news and raised up an army to go to
Cheonghaejin
Cheonghaejin (literally "Clear sea headquarters") was a major military headquarters and trading hub located on Wando island, South Jeolla province of South Korea, and established by Korean general Jang Bogo in 828 ACE during the Silla kingdom p ...
. He told Ujing of these events and persuaded him to have his revenge. Ujing asked
Jang Bogo
Jang Bogo (787–841), childhood name: Gungbok, was a Sillan who rose to prominence in the Later Silla period of Korea as a powerful maritime figure who effectively controlled the Yellow Sea (West Sea), and dominated the trade between Silla, H ...
to help him to take advantage of the confusion of the country and to make himself a king.
Jang Bogo
Jang Bogo (787–841), childhood name: Gungbok, was a Sillan who rose to prominence in the Later Silla period of Korea as a powerful maritime figure who effectively controlled the Yellow Sea (West Sea), and dominated the trade between Silla, H ...
agreed and had his friend Jeong Nyeon also follow Ujing. In 839, Ujing and his followers defeated King Minae's army at the battle of
Daegu and quickly advanced upon the capital. All the king's aides then ran away leaving the king behind, so the king hid himself in a villa near the royal palace. Soldiers came into the palace and searched for the king. Finally, they found the king in the villa and killed him in spite of his pleas. Kim Rihong was also killed. Ujing then placed himself on the throne as King Sinmu.
He died three months later from disease and was buried on Mt. Jehyeong in the Silla capital of
Gyeongju.
It is also said that Sinmu dreamed of seeing the dead Rihong shooting an arrow into him. Sinmu awoke with a start when the arrow hit him, but the wound remained real, becoming worse and worse, finally leading to his death.
Family
Parents
* Father: Prince Kim Gyun-jung (김균정), posthumously named King Chujong (추존 국왕)
**Grandfather: Prince Hyechung (혜충태자) (750–791/792)
** Grandmother: Queen Seongmok, of the Kim clan ( 성목태후 김씨)
* Mother: Lady Park, of the Park clan (정교부인 박씨), posthumously named Queen Heonmok (정교부인 박씨)
Consorts and their respective issue:
* Queen Jeonggye (정계부인)
**Son:
Munseong of Silla
Munseong of Silla (died 857) (reigned 839–857) was the 46th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the eldest son of King Sinmu and Lady Jeonggye.
Munseong's reign was typical of late Unified Silla, with rampant strife and uprisings. ...
(died 857) (문성왕) –was the 46th ruler of the
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
n kingdom of
Silla
Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms ...
See also
*
List of Korean monarchs
This is a list of monarchs of Korea, arranged by dynasty. Names are romanized according to the South Korean Revised Romanization of Korean. McCune–Reischauer romanizations may be found at the articles about the individual monarchs.
Gojoseon ...
*
List of Silla people
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*
Unified Silla
Unified Silla, or Late Silla (, ), is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668 CE. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje and the southern part of Goguryeo in the ...
References
{{s-end
Silla rulers
839 deaths
Year of birth unknown
9th-century Korean monarchs
yo momma