Dongcheon of Goguryeo

Dongcheon (* 209, † 248) was the eleventh ruler of the state of Goguryeo, the northern of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He reigned from 227 until his death in 248

Life

Dongcheon was the grandson of the eighth king Sindae and the son of the tenth king, his father Sansang. He was appointed crown prince and 213 followed his father in the year 227 to the throne.

Goguryeo had faced in the past decades, a great military threat from the Chinese Empire. Under Dongcheons government the power decay after splitting China in the Three Kingdoms began to show. The North Goguryeo was indeed determined by the Chinese governor and warlord Gongsun Yuan, which, however, underestimated his strength and an alliance with the emperor Sun Quan from southern China an uprising against his supremacy, the Wei dynasty under Cao Rui, tried. Dongcheon allied briefly with the Wei Dynasty and beat together with the Wei - General Sima Yi Gongsun Yuan. In the year 242 Dongcheon took a further gain in power after his victory at the fortress Yodong.

In the year 246, the Wei dynasty sent an invasion force of 10,000 men after Goguryeo and conquered the capital Hwando. Dongcheon moved about in the next year the capital to Pyongyang. He was finally able to beat back the invasion and safeguard the independence of Goguryeo. At the same time ( 245-248 ) fought against the southern kingdom of Silla Dongcheon, but could not achieve any success.

Dongcheon fell ill and died in 248. His son, Yeon- Bul, Crown Prince since 243, succeeded him as king Jungcheon to the throne.

• King (Korea)
• Born 209
• Died 248
• Man
• Korean