HIST 80a Chapter Notes - Chapter 15: Taejo Of Joseon, Zhu Xi, Yangban
29 Nov 2016
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Joseon korea (1392 1800) pages 247 269. The joseon was founded in 1392 by yi seonggye, later known as taejo. Taejo"s successor sejong (r. 1418 1450) defeated the wako pirates and introduced many great reforms. Sejong founded the hall of worthies in 1420, a group of scholars who invented the hangul alphabet, and other devices. The government was highly centralized and officials were selected via civil service exams, not family lineage. Yet, most officials were from the yangban aristocracy, because they could afford education. Neoconfucians were able to subdue buddhism, and looked up to the ming as an ideal. They were divided over the arguments of zhu xi. Military capabilities had declined while factional feuds had grown, unlike in japan where troops were used to conflicts and unification was nearing completion. Hideyoshi"s invasion went as far as pyeongyang before the ming forces arrived, resulting in a cost of 2 million korean lives.
