Wiman Joseon
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Template:Koreanname Chinesename Wiman Joseon (194 - 108 BC), was the last dynasty of Gojoseon, the first Korean state. It began with Wiman's seizure of the throne from King Jun and ended with the death of Wiman's grandson, King Ugeo, as Gojoseon fell to China's Han dynasty.
Wiman is said to have been a refugee from the Chinese state of Yan, who submitted to King Jun. Jun appointed Wiman a commander in the western border region of Gojoseon, but he revolted against the King and took over the throne. He made the capital in Wanggeomseong (왕검성, 王險城), today's P'yŏngyang. Although culturally Sinicized, Wiman Joseon was not a colony of China.
In this period, Gojoseon expanded to control a vast territory and became strong economically by controlling trade between China's Han Dynasty and the outlying regions to the northeast. Feeling increasingly threatened by the growing Wiman Joseon, and fearing she would ally with the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu of Han China launched an attack on Wiman Joseon in 109 BC. After a year of battle, Wanggeomseong was captured and Gojoseon was destroyed. Han China established four commanderies in the captured areas, three of which fell quickly to local resistance. The fourth, Lelang or Nangnang, remained an important commercial and cultural outpost until conquered by Goguryeo in 313.
References
- http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-9500.html
- http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Korea-Democratic-People-s-Republic-of-DPRK-HISTORY.html
- http://www.bartleby.com/65/ko/Korea.html
- http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/04/eak/ht04eak.htm
- http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/publications/pdfs/korea/divided/History-Religions.pdf
- http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/c/cumings-korea.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
- http://www.mmtaylor.net/Literacy_Book/DOCS/Part_2_Korea.html