Muryeong of Baekje (462–523, r. 501–23) was the 25th king of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...

, one of the

Three Kingdoms of Korea Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...

. During his reign, Baekje remained allied with

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 of K ...

against

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...

, and expanded its relationships with

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Background

The

Tomb of King Muryeong The Tomb of King Muryeong, also known as Songsan-ri Tomb No. 7 (), is the ancient tumulus of King Muryeong, who ruled the Baekje from 501 to 523, and his queen. The rarity of intact Baekje tombs makes this one of the major archaeological discover ...

calls him King Sama (斯摩), and records his birth year as 462. The ''

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk Sagi'' (, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The ''Samguk Sagi'' is written in Classical Chinese, the written language of the literati of ancient Korea, ...

'' calls him King Muryeong, with the personal name (휘) of Sama (斯摩). He is described as the second son of the 24th king Dongseong. He became king when Dongseong was assassinated by the court official Baekga. The following year, he crushed a planned rebellion by Baekga.

Other records

China's '' Liang shu'' gives his surname as Yeo and personal name as Yung, and states that he restored Baekje into a strong nation. Japan's '' Nihonshoki'' gives his birth year as 461, and describes him as the son of the 21st king Gaero. It is recorded

Buyeo Gonji Buyeo Gonji (? – July, 477) was a member of the royal family of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was a son of the 21st king, Gaero of Baekje and younger brother of the 22nd king, Munju of Baekje. Life According to the ''Samguk Sagi ...

, the brother of King Gaero went to Japan to serve

Emperor Yūryaku (418 - 8 September 479) was the 21st legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 雄略天皇 (21) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession. He is remembered as a patron of sericulture.Nippon ...

with King Muryeong's mother, and she went into labor as their ship was passing by a small Japanese island. He was called Semakishi (嶋君) and King Shima (斯麻王) in Japanese records because he was born in an island.

Reign

In 501, he sent an army to attack Goguryeo's Sugok-seong. In 503, he repelled an attack by the Mohe. In 507, he successfully countered another attack by Goguryeo and Mohe forces. In 512, Goguryeo conquered two castles, but Muryeong personally led 3,000 men to destroy the Goguryeo army. In 523, he ordered the building of a fortified wall to defend the northern border. According to both historical and archeological sources, contact and trade between China and Baekje increased during Muryeong's reign. In 512, according to the '' Liang shu'', Muryeong sent Baekje's first mission to the newly established court of the

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

Liang Dynasty The Liang dynasty (), alternatively known as the Southern Liang () in historiography, was an imperial dynasty of China and the third of the four Southern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. It was preceded by the South ...

. A second mission was sent in 521, announcing various victories over

. In reply, the Liang emperor bestowed various titles on him, including "Great General Tranquilizing the East (寧東大將軍)" and "King of Baekje". These titles were also found engraved on a tablet in King Muryeong's tomb. In 503, he sent a bronze mirror, and in 513 and 516, Confucian scholars to Japan.

Legacy

In 1971,

King Muryeong's tomb The Tomb of King Muryeong, also known as Songsan-ri Tomb No. 7 (), is the ancient tumulus of King Muryeong, who ruled the Baekje from 501 to 523, and his queen. The rarity of intact Baekje tombs makes this one of the major archaeological discover ...

was excavated in Songsan-ri,

Gongju Gongju ([]; Gongju-si) is a city in South Chungcheong province, South Korea. History Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo. Goguryeo had overrun ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

, where he was buried with his queen. In 2001, Japan's emperor

Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide. Bo ...

told reporters "I, on my part, feel a certain kinship with Korea, given that it is recorded in the ''Chronicles of Japan'' that the mother of Emperor Kanmu was one of the descendant of King Muryong of Baekje." It was the first time that a Japanese emperor publicly referred a Korean blood in the imperial line.Guardian.co.uk
/ref> According to the ''

Shoku Nihongi The is an imperially-commissioned Japanese history text. Completed in 797, it is the second of the ''Six National Histories'', coming directly after the '' Nihon Shoki'' and followed by ''Nihon Kōki''. Fujiwara no Tsugutada and Sugano no Mamichi ...

'',

Emperor Kanmu , or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the sco ...

's mother,

Takano no Niigasa was a concubine of Emperor Kōnin of Japan and the mother of Emperor Kanmu. Her full name was Takano no Asomi Niigasa. Life Niigasa was a daughter of Yamato no Ototsugu (和乙継). She became a concubine of Prince Shirakabe (白壁王), grandson ...

(720 - 790) is a descendant of

Prince Junda was the second son of King Muryeong of Baekje who settled in Japan. His father was born on the island of Kyushu in Japan and because of this was called Semakishi (嶋君) and King Shima (斯麻王). Prince Junda was most likely also born in J ...

, son of Muryeong, who died in Japan in 513 ( Nihon Shoki Chapter 17).

Family

* Father:

Dongseong of Baekje Dongseong of Baekje (?–501, r. 479–501by the translators of Il-yeon's: ''Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea'', translated by Tae-Hung Ha and Grafton K. Mintz. Book Two, page 124. Silk Pagoda (2006). ) was ...

* Mother: unknown * Unnamed Queen ** 1st son: 26th King,

Seong of Baekje Seong of Baekje (also ''Holy King'', died 554) (r. 523–554) was the 26th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was a son of Muryeong of Baekje and is best known for making Buddhism the state religion, moving the national capi ...

(聖王, ?–554) – before he was king he was known as Buyeo Myeong (扶餘明) or Buyeo Myeongnong (扶餘明禯). ** 2nd son:

(淳陀太子, ?–513) – known in Baekje as "''Buyeo Junta''", settled in Japan and became ancestor of the

Yamato clan The , also known as , was an immigrant clan active in Japan since the Kofun period (250–538), according to the history of Japan laid out in the '' Nihon Shoki''. The name ''fuhito'' comes from their occupation as scribes. They were descended fro ...

. ** 3rd son:

Shigakishi , was the third son of King Muryeong of Baekje. Some scholars believe he may be the same person as Prince Junda. In October, 504, king Muryeong of Baekje sent a diplomat named Managun with tribute to Emperor Buretsu of Japan. Buretsu was angry th ...

(斯我君, ?–?) – known in Baekje as ''Buyeo Sa'a''. He was sent to Japan in 505 as a political hostage to

Emperor Buretsu (489 — 7 January 507) was the 25th legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 武烈天皇 (25)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. No firm dates can be assigned to this Emperor's life or reign, but ...

of Japan.

Popular culture

* Portrayed by

Lee Jae-ryong Lee Jae-ryong (born September 24, 1964) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for starring in television series, notably the merchant-centered period epic '' Sangdo'' (2001), the medical drama ''General Hospital'' (1994 and 2008), and Noh H ...

in the 2013 MBC TV series ''

The King's Daughter, Soo Baek-hyang ''The King's Daughter, Soo Baek-hyang'' () is a Korean-language historical drama depicting the life of Soo Baek-hyang, the daughter of King Muryeong of Baekje. It was aired on MBC TV from September 30, 2013, to March 14, 2014, on Monday and Fri ...

''.

References

Content in this article was copied fro
Samguk Sagi Scroll 23
at the Shoki Wiki, which is licensed under th
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External links

*

{{Authority control 462 births 523 deaths Baekje rulers Baekje Buddhists Korean Buddhist monarchs 6th-century monarchs in Asia 5th-century Korean people 6th-century Korean people