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Dae Jung-sang
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dae Jung-sang | |
|---|---|
| Hangul: |
대중상 or 걸걸중상
|
| Hanja: |
大仲象 or 乞乞仲象
|
| Revised Romanization: | Dae Jung-Sang or Geol Geol Jung-Sang |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Tae Chung-Sang or Keol Keol Chung-Sang |
Dae Jung-Sang(대중상, 大仲象) or Geol Geol Jung-Sang(걸걸중상, 乞乞仲象) was the contribute of Balhae. Dae Jung-sang was also the father of Dae Joyeong, who was the founder of the ancient Korean kingdom, Balhae. Though most of the credit for the founding of Balhae went to his son, many historians still give credit to Dae Jung-Sang as the main supporter and leader in the founding of Balhae.
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Dae Jung-Sang was clearly a Goguryeo, and is stated in many sources to be so. In some ancient Chinese sources, however, he is stated to have been from one of the many Malgal or Mohe tribes. This dispute has always been present regarding General Dae Jung-sang's origin.
Dae Jung-Sang's service to his proud country is thought to have started at around 640-645 AD. He served under General Yang Manchun, the protector of Ansi Fortress. When Yodong Fortress was about to come under attack, General Dae Jung-Sang was sent to assist Liaodong's protector, General Go Sagye during the first war of Goguryeo and the Tang Dynasty. After fighting to the full extent, General Dae Jung-sang and the other protectors of Liaodong Fortress fled to Ansi Fortress where the famous Battle of Ansi Fortress was fought. The protectors of Ansi Fortress brought victory to Goguryeo and sent the Tang invaders in shameful defeat. It was around this time that Dae Jung-Sang's son, Dae Joyeong was thought to have been born.
Soon after, the armies of the Tang invaded Goguryeo again in the second war of 661. General Dae Jung-Sang was an active participant in this war and also helped defeat the Tang armies once again. Dae Jung-Sang soon witnessed the defeat of his country before his own eyes as the sons of Yeon Gaesomun fell under corruption and fought each other. The Tang saw the internal struggles of Goguryeo and decided that the time was right to launch another invasion. This war was successful and the Tang armies destroyed Pyeongyang Fortress to finally end the great empire that dominated ancient Northeast Asia for almost a thousand years.
After Goguryeo fell to the Silla-Tang alliance armies (Korean: 나당 군 Na-Dang gun) during the year 668, Dae Jung-sang and several other former Goguryo military officers rallied up the remnants of the Goguryeo armies and led them to Dongmo Mountain (동모산). There, he established a new kingdom, which would eventually become Dae Joyeong's Balhae.
Throughout his reign, Dae Jung-Sang witnessed numerous attempts by his fellow Goguryeons to re-establish their proud kingdom. He helped his fellow patriots with as much as he could offer, but in the end, they all fell. During the year 672, Goguryeo General Geom Mojam was assassinated by Prince Anseung, who had become the Taewang of another Goguryeo. Most of the Goguryeo Aristocracy were taken to Yeongju, the homeland of the Khitan. Yeongju became part of the Tang's General Protectorate to Pacify the East, and the Khitan were enraged at this. In 696, during the 29th year of Dae Jung-sang's reign, the Khitan led a revolt that killed the cruel governor of the protectorate and gave Yeongju back to the Khitan. He allied with the Malgal under Geol Sa-Biwoo, and the two powers opposed the Tang in 698 AD. The two leaders resisted the Tang's attack, but were forced to retreat. Both Geol Sa-Biwoo, and Dae Jung-sang died. Crown Prince Dae Joyeong led the remaining Goguryeo and Malgal soldiers and defeated the Tang army at the Battle of Cheonmun-ryeong (천문령 전투) to establish the state of Balhae.
He died from injuries in battle, but on his death bed, appointed Dae Joyeong, his eldest son, as successor and supreme commander of the Goguryeo Remnant army. Dae Joyeong gave his father the posthumous title of Sejo (세조) after establishing the Great Jin.
The most notable and famous of his children was his eldest, Dae Joyeong. Dae Jung-sang had another son, Dae Ya-Bal (대야발), and probably also had other children besides Dae Joyeong because the Balhae Royal line consisted of two lineages, one from Dae Joyeong and the other from Dae Ya-Bal. It is also known that he had one wife and also that he came from a middle class lineage.
Dae Jung-sang's forgotten establishing of a Successor-state of Goguryeo laid the foundations for the founding of an even more powerful kingdom, which was Balhae. Despite all of his hard work, most people remember his son Dae Joyeong as the founder of Balhae. Nevertheless, his descendants continued on the Balhae Royal line to the fifteenth generation. Though Balhae fell, it left a further legacy. The last princes of Balhae quickly gathered the Balhae Aristocracy and retreated to Goryeo for sanctuary. Taejo of Goryeo gladly took them in and the Dae family continued on and still survives to this day as the Hyeop-gye Tae clan(협계 태씨).
- [1] (In Korean)
| Preceded by 'None' |
Emperor of Balhae (Balhae) 668–699 |
Succeeded by Go of Balhae |