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| Joseon period | |
|---|---|
| Name | Joseon period |
| Native name | 조선 |
| Conventional long name | Kingdom of Joseon |
| Common name | Joseon |
| Era | Early modern period |
| Status | Tributary state |
| Government | Monarchy |
| Year start | 1392 |
| Year end | 1897 |
| Capital | Hanseong (Seoul) |
| Religion | Neo-Confucianism, Buddhism, Shamanism |
| Leader title | King |
| Currency | Mun, Sangpyeong tongbo |
Joseon period The Joseon period was a Korean dynastic era that established a centralized Joseon dynasty state centered in Hanseong and produced enduring institutions, literatures, and conflicts that shaped East Asian geopolitics. Founded after the overthrow of the Goryeo dynasty, it saw rulers, factional strife, and reforms involving figures such as Yi Seong-gye, Sejong the Great, and Heungseon Daewongun while interacting with neighbors including the Ming dynasty, Qing dynasty, and Tokugawa shogunate.
The dynasty began when Yi Seong-gye led a coup against Gongyang of Goryeo and established a new royal house supported by officials like Jeong Do-jeon, who drafted foundational codes such as the Gyeongguk daejeon and reorganized administrative organs modeled after Goryeo precedents and Ming dynasty institutions. Early consolidation involved conflicts with remnants of Goryeo loyalists and purges of rival claimants during reigns including Taejo of Joseon and Jeongjong of Joseon, and land reforms echoed earlier policies like the gyeol allocations and military service system adjustments debated at court.
Central governance rested on the royal household, the State Council of Joseon (Uijeongbu), and six ministries patterned on Samjeong, with influential inspection bodies such as the Office of Inspector-General (Saganwon) and Saheonbu. Factional politics split officials into groups like the Sarangbang-aligned Easterners, Westerners, Southerners, and Northerners, affecting succession crises in reigns from Sejo of Joseon to Gwanghaegun. Legal codification progressed through the Gyeongguk daejeon and later administrative updates under reformers such as Yun Doo-su and technocrats connected to institutions like the Jiphyeonjeon and Hongmungwan.
Society was stratified into classes including the ruling yangban, the bureaucratic gentry, the peasant sangmin, the artisan and merchant chonmin groups, and enslaved people (nobi). Prominent literati families such as the Andong Kim clan, Pungsan Hong clan, and Yeoheung Min clan dominated court politics while local administration relied on magistrates from the yangban class and village institutions influenced by lineages like the Jeonju Yi clan. Social norms were shaped by codes upheld in ceremonies derived from works promoted by Sejong the Great and scholars of the Sarim schools including Yi Hwang and Yi I.
Agricultural expansion used techniques promoted during committees and manuals tied to royal patronage like those from Sejong the Great and leveraged land systems with taxation instruments such as the yeomjeon and currency like the Sangpyeong tongbo. Commercial hubs at Gaeseong, Busan, and Ulsan linked to maritime trade with Ming dynasty, Ryukyu Kingdom, and Japanese merchants, while guilds like the Jangok and markets such as Dongmun regulated crafts. Technological achievements included the Jikji printing innovations, the Cheomseongdae astronomical tradition's successors, and military and scientific advances personified by figures like Jang Yeong-sil and administrative instruments used in irrigation and metallurgy.
State ideology prioritized Neo-Confucianism with institutions such as the Seowon academies and examination systems like the Gwageo shaping careers of scholars associated with works by Yi Hwang and Yi I and debates recorded in compilations like the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty. Printing flourishing produced vernacular literature including Hangul promulgated under Sejong the Great, historical compilations like the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, and encyclopedic works such as the Dongguk Tonggam. Visual arts included court painting traditions linked to Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok, while musical forms like Aak and theatrical genres influenced rituals at the Jongmyo Shrine and performances patronized by figures like King Jeongjo.
Diplomatic relations involved tributary ties and envoy exchanges with the Ming dynasty and later the Qing dynasty, while tensions with the Wokou pirates and episodes such as the Imjin War saw leaders like Yi Sun-sin and conflicts like the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598). Northern borders faced incursions by groups associated with the Jurchen and later the Manchu conquest leading to interactions including the Later Jin campaigns and tributary realignments culminating during the Treaty of Ganghwa era engagements with Meiji Japan and port openings at Busan.
Decline accelerated in the 19th century amid internal factionalism, peasant uprisings such as the Donghak Peasant Revolution, reform attempts by figures like Heungseon Daewongun, pressure from Western powers including United States expeditions, and encroachment by Imperial Japan leading toward the Korean Empire proclamation and eventual annexation. The period left enduring legacies visible in institutional records like the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, cultural artifacts preserved in Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung, linguistic reforms through Hangul, and genealogy archives maintained by clans such as the Andong Kim clan and Pungsan Hong clan.
Category:Korean dynasties