Jinseong of Silla
| Jinseong of Silla 진성여왕 眞聖女王 | |
|---|---|
| Queen of Silla | |
| Reign | 887-897 |
| Coronation | 887 |
| Predecessor | Jeonggang of Silla |
| Successor | Hyogong of Silla |
| Born | ? Unified Silla |
| Died | 897 Unified Silla |
| House | Kim |
| Father | Gyeongmun of Silla |
| Mother | Queen Munui |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Jinseong of Silla | |
| Hangul | 진성여왕 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 眞聖女王 |
| Revised Romanization | Jinseong yeowang |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chinsŏng yŏwang |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | 김만, also 김원 |
| Hanja | 金曼, also 金垣 |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Man, also Gim Won |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Man, also Kim Wŏn |
| Monarchs of Korea |
| Silla |
|---|
| (Post-unification) |
|
Jinseong of Silla (c. 865–897), personal name Kim Man, was the fifty-first ruler of the Korean kingdom, Silla from 887 to 897.[1] She was also Silla's third and last reigning queen after Seondeok and Jindeok. Her reign saw the weakening of Unified Silla and the beginning of the Later Three Kingdoms period. According to her older brother Jeonggang, she was smart by nature and tall like a man.[2]
Life
Jinseong was the daughter of King Gyeongmun and Queen Munui. The younger sister of Heongang and Jeonggang, she rose to the throne when both of her brothers died without issue. When King Jeonggang was dying in 887, he appointed his sister Jinseong as his heir, justifying the choice of a female monarch by pointing at Seondeok's and Jindeok's successful reigns.[2] Though Seondeok and Jindeok's successful reigns were invoked to help Jinseong secure the throne, Silla's third queen regnant ultimately did not live up to the expectations of her predecessors.[3]
Reign
According to Samguk Sagi, Jinseong did licentious conduct that bringing attractive men into the palace and committing lewd acts with them.[3] She also carried on an affair with the high commander (Gakgan) Kim Wi-hong. The Samguk Sagi was written by Confucianists, who held a negative view of female rule, so the precise details therein should perhaps not be taken at face value.
In contrast, according to the records of Choe Chiwon, she was a good-hearted monarch with no greed, who accepted his various recommendations to reform the government of Silla to prevent it's downfall.[3]
During her reign, public order collapsed. Taxes could no longer be collected and the military conscription system failed. Taking advantage of this domestic disarray, Yang Gil in the northwest and Gyeon Hwon in the southwest rebelled and founded their own kingdoms, reviving the fallen states of Goguryeo and Baekje as Later Goguryeo and Hubaekje respectively.
In 895, Jinseong appointed Heongang's illegitimate son Kim Yo as Crown Prince. On June, 897, she abdicated the throne and later died on December, 897. She was buried to the north of Sajasa temple in Gyeongju.
Legacy
She ordered the first compilation of hyangga works, Samdaemok, to be created.
Family
Parents
- Father: Gyeongmun of Silla (841–875)
- Grandfather: Kim Kye-myŏng
- Grandmother: Madam Gwanghwa (광화부인)
- Mother: Queen Munui of the Kim clan (문의왕후 김씨)
- Maternal grandfather: Heonan of Silla (헌안왕)
- Maternal grandmother: Unknown
Consorts and their respective issue:
- Kim Wi-hong (김위홍), son of Kim Kye-myŏng (김계명)
- Stepson: Yang Jeong (양정)
In Popular Culture
- Portrayed by Noh Hyun Hee in the 2000 KBS1 TV series Taejo Wang Geon
- Portrayed by Kim Hye-ri in the 2003 film The Legend of the Evil Lake
See also
References
- ^ Lee Bae-yong, Women in Korean History, Ewha Womans University Press, 2008, pp. 145-147, ISBN 978-8-973-00772-1.
- ^ a b Kim Bu-sik (1145). Samguk Sagi. Vol. 11.
- ^ a b c 엄, 광용 (January 2020). "거타지 설화'를 탄생시킨 진성여왕". Monthly Chosun. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
Sources
- "진성여왕". Doosan Encyclopedia (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-08-02.