Lee Seong-gye

Founder of the Yi Dynasty (Yi Dynasty of Korea) in Korea (reigned 1392-98). His temple name was Taejo. His ancestors had lived in Jeonju, Jeolla Province for generations, but at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, they were driven out of Jeonju due to discord with local officials, and his family moved to Hamgyong Province, where they became local nobles. Yi Seong-gye excelled in martial arts, and in 1363 he defeated the Chinese Red Turban army that had occupied the Goryeo capital of Kaesong, and became the military chief of the Northeast Province (Hamgyong Province). He then cooperated with Goryeo King Gongmin's anti-Ming policy, drove the Yuan forces out of the Korean Peninsula, and also made a great contribution to the subjugation of Japanese pirates, earning him a famous military name. After King Gongmin's death, Goryeo again leaned to a pro-Yuan policy and sent an expeditionary force to fight the Ming army in Liaodong. Yi Seong-gye, who had been a part of this force, turned his army back at Wihwa Island downstream of the Yalu River in 88 (Wihwa Island Return Army), expelled King Chang, installed King Gongyang as the new King, and took control of the political and military affairs. At the same time, with the support of the reformist yangban, he re-surveyed the land throughout the country, burned all the previous land registers, and in 91, carried out land reform and implemented a new land system (Gajeonbo). In the process, Yi Seong-gye confiscated the vast lands of Goryeo aristocrats who opposed him to the state and freed the slaves they owned. He also taxed the land of landlords in exchange for allowing them to own land, establishing the financial foundation of the state. In 92, Yi Seong-gye finally became king himself, but at first the country continued to be called Goryeo, and he tried to improve relations with the Ming Dynasty, and from 93 he used the name Joseon. The following year, he moved the capital to Hanyang (later Hanseong, now Seoul). He also promoted a policy of suppressing Buddhism and pro-Confucianism, suppressing the influence of Buddhism (temples), and made Neo-Confucianism (Confucianism) the state religion. In 98, Yi Seong-gye abdicated amid a battle over the succession of the princes that involved his senior vassals, but the battles over the succession of the princes continued even after that, and in his later years after abdicating, he was tormented by the physical conflicts and turned to Buddhism.

[Yazawa Kosuke]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

朝鮮、李朝（李氏朝鮮王朝）の創始者（在位1392～98）。廟号(びょうごう)は太祖。先祖は代々全羅道全州に居住していたが、高麗(こうらい)末期に地方官との不和から全州を追われ、一族は咸鏡(かんきょう)道に移住し、その地方の豪族となっていた。李成桂は武勇に優れ、1363年、高麗の首都開京（開城）を占領していた中国の紅巾(こうきん)軍を破り、東北面（咸鏡道）兵馬使（軍事長官）となった。ついで高麗国王恭愍(きょうびん)王の反元親明(はんげんしんみん)政策に協力して、元の勢力を朝鮮半島から追い出し、また倭寇(わこう)の討伐にも功績をあげ、武名をとどろかせた。恭愍王の死後、高麗はふたたび親元政策に傾き、遼東(りょうとう)の明軍と戦うため遠征軍を派遣したが、これに加わっていた李成桂は、88年、鴨緑江(おうりょくこう)下流の威化島で軍を引き返し（威化島回軍）、国王昌王を追放して新しく国王恭譲(きょうじょう)王をたて、政治・軍事の実権を握った。同時に改革派両班(ヤンバン)の支持のもとに、全国の土地を測量し直し、従来の土地台帳をすべて焼却し、91年、土地改革を断行、新しい土地制度（科田法）を施行した。そのなかで李成桂は、彼に反対する高麗貴族の広大な土地を国家に没収し、彼らが所有していた奴婢(ぬひ)を解放した。また、地主の土地所有を認めるかわりに、彼らの土地にも課税し、国家の財政的基礎を確立した。92年、李成桂はついに自ら国王となったが、初めは国号も従来どおり高麗を称し、明との関係の改善に努め、93年から朝鮮という国号を用いた。翌年、首都を漢陽（後の漢城、現ソウル）に定めて遷都した。また抑仏崇儒政策を推進して仏教（寺院）勢力を押さえ、朱子学（儒教）を国教とした。98年、李成桂は、重臣を巻き込んだ王子たちの王位継承の争いのなかで退位したが、その後も王位継承をめぐる王子たちの争いは絶えず、退位した晩年は、肉身の争いに苦悩し、仏門に帰依(きえ)した。

［矢澤康祐］

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