Korean nobility

Encyclopedia : K : KO : KOR : Korean nobility

Korean monarchy and native nobility existed in Korea until the Japanese occupation's end. (In Imperial Japan, Korean nobles have been continued holding noble title.) The system is roughly the same as Chinese nobility. It included je, wang and gun.

Contents

1 Ruler and princely styles

1.1 Korean Emperor
1.2 Kings
1.3 Prince

2 Lower aristocracy
3 See also
4 Sources, References and External links

Ruler and princely styles

Korean Emperor

Rulers of Goguryeo during Three Kingdom Period adopted the style of Taewang. While the literal translation of the title is the greatest of the kings, it is often substituted with the title emperor, the use legitimised by the fact that his vassals used the title wang (literally translated as king).

Rulers of Korea adopted the title Je (제; 帝), or emperor, during the Barhae and Goryeo dynasties, starting from the reign of Gwangjong. The title was abandoned after the Mongol invasion as the Korean monarch was forced to use the title of king under Mongolian pressure.

The title was revived for less than two decades during the Korean Empire.

Kings

Wang (Hangul: 왕; Hanja: 王), or king, was a Chinese royal style used in many states rising from the dissolution of Gojoseon, in Silla from 500 to 935, in Baekje from 18 BC to 660, and in Goryeo from 1274 - 1392. While it is commonly asserted that the monarchs of Goguryeo used the title of king as well, the actual title Taewang is more appropriately translated as emperor. In late Goryeo (1274-1392) and the Joseon Dynasty (until 1897) the rulers of Korea were still known as "kings", as evident in the title of King Sejong the Great, 世宗大王. However, they were referred to by their temple names.

Some kings, especially of Silla period, have used the title of Maripgan. This follows from an earlier tradition when southern Korean kings were styled either Han or Gan, which are Korean versions of the Turkic/Mongolian title khan.

Prince

Gun (군; 君) is translated as "prince". The Royal Prince born of the Principal Royal consort (Queen) was designated Daegun, translated as the Grand Prince of the Blood. The princes born of concubine was given the title gun (often distinguished as wangja-gun), translated as the Prince of the Blood. The father of the king who himself have never reigned was given the special title of Daewongun (The Grand Prince of the Blood in the Court).

Those who has distinguished himself in the service of the court were also given the princely title as well. Buwongun (The Grand Prince of the Court), were the title of the father of the Queen, or those who have reached the rank of the Chief State Councillor. Gun was the title of the meriteous subjects who reached the rank of the State Councillor. These princes created for service had a prefix attached to the princely title, a town that a subject is affiliated to. Though designed as a titular appointment as a Lord of the area, the title was purely honourific.

The title gun can also refer to the dethroned ruler of Joseon dynasty as well. There were three dethroned kings to be called "Gun" in Joseon Dynasty (one restored to the dignity of king posthumously).

Under the Korean Empire (1897-1919), the Prince of the Blood were given the title of Chinwang. While the literal translation is the Imperial King of the Blood, a more appropriate title is the Imperial Prince of the Blood. Only four chinwang were appointed.

Lower aristocracy

In Silla kingdom, the nobility was long split into two classes: sacred bone, which meant eligibility for the royal succession, and true bone, until the former was extinguished.

There also were several lower ranks of aristocracy under the empire, similar to those in China, with ranks descending generationally, by one degree with each succeeding heir to a title, with the exception of Gun and Kong. These were the seven main grades, with tentative Western equivalents, in descending order:

Gun Prince (see above).
Gong Duke. This was the title given to the Progenitor of the major branches of a clan.
Champan Marquis.
Poguk Count.
Panseo Viscount.
Chamise Baron.
Chusa somewhat similar to the British Baronet.

Sources, References and External links

Almanach de Bruxelles (now a paying site)
[Titles] of the Joseon Dynasty

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.