Gwanggaeto the Great

Gwanggaeto the Great was king of Goguryeo from 391 to 413. His campaigns expanded the kingdom across much of Manchuria and the Korean Peninsula.

Goguryeo: An ancient Korean kingdom that ruled northern Korea and parts of Manchuria from the first century BCE to 668 CE. Gwanggaeto’s campaigns greatly enlarged this kingdom and strengthened its regional influence.
Gwanggaeto Stele: A monumental stone inscription erected in 414 near Gwanggaeto’s tomb in present-day Ji’an, China. Its account of the king’s campaigns is the principal contemporary source for his reign.
Jangsu of Goguryeo: King of Goguryeo from 413 to 491 and son of Gwanggaeto the Great. He succeeded Gwanggaeto and continued to strengthen Goguryeo’s power.
Gwanggaeto Stele inscription debate: A scholarly dispute over damaged and ambiguous passages in the Gwanggaeto Stele’s account of events around 400. Different readings have produced competing claims about Goguryeo’s role in southern Korea.
Three Kingdoms of Korea: The historical period when Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla competed for control of the Korean Peninsula. Gwanggaeto’s expansion changed the strategic relationships among the three kingdoms.
Goguryeo–Wa conflict: A conflict around 400 in which Goguryeo forces intervened in the southern Korean Peninsula against Wa-backed forces. The stele describes Gwanggaeto’s intervention in Silla and the defeat of forces associated with Wa.
Gogukyang of Goguryeo: King of Goguryeo from 384 to 391 and father of Gwanggaeto the Great. His reign immediately preceded Gwanggaeto’s accession.
Japanese historiography of Korea: The study of how Japanese historians have interpreted Korea’s past, including debates shaped by colonial rule. Modern interpretations of the stele have been entangled with arguments about ancient Japanese influence in Korea.
Silla: An ancient Korean kingdom that unified much of the Korean Peninsula in the seventh century. Gwanggaeto sent forces to aid Silla against a Baekje-led coalition in 400.
Tomb of Gwanggaeto: A large ancient tomb near Ji’an, traditionally identified as the burial place of Gwanggaeto the Great. The stele was erected near this tomb as part of the memorial complex for the king.

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