Gwanggaeto the Great (374–413, r. 391–413) was the nineteenth of Goguryeo. His full means "Entombed in Gukgangsang, Broad Expander of Domain, Peacemaker, Supreme King", sometimes abbreviated to Hotaewang. His era name is Yeongnak and he is occasionally recorded as Yeongnak Taewang ("Supreme King" or "Emperor" Yeongnak). Gwanggaeto's imperial reign title meant that Goguryeo was on equal standing as an empire with the imperial dynasties in China.
Under Gwanggaeto, Goguryeo began a golden age, becoming a powerful empire and one of the great powers in. Gwanggaeto made enormous advances and conquests into: Western against Khitan tribes; I and the Maritime Province of Russia against numerous nations and tribes; and the valley in central Korea to control over two-thirds of the Korean peninsula.
In regard to the Korean peninsula, Gwanggaeto defeated, the then most powerful of the, in 396, capturing the capital city of in present-day. In 399, the southeastern kingdom of Korea, sought aid from Goguryeo due to incursions by troops and their Wa allies from the. Gwanggaeto dispatched 50,000 expeditionary troops, crushing his enemies and securing as a de facto protectorate; he thus subdued the other Korean kingdoms and achieved a loose unification of the Korean peninsula under Goguryeo. In his western campaigns, he defeated the Xianbei of the empire and conquered the Liaodong peninsula, regaining the ancient domain of.
Gwanggaeto's accomplishments are recorded on the, erected in 414 at the supposed site of his tomb in Ji'an along the present-day. Constructed by his son and successor, the monument to Gwanggaeto the Great is the largest engraved stele in the world.
Birth and background
At the time of Gwanggaeto's birth, Goguryeo was not as powerful as it once had been. In 371, three years prior to Gwanggaeto's birth, the rival Korean kingdom of Baekje, under the great leadership of, soundly defeated Goguryeo, slaying the monarch Gogukwon and sacking. Baekje became one of the dominant powers in East Asia. Baekje's influence was not limited to the Korean peninsula, but extended across the sea to Liaoxi and in China, taking advantage of the weakened state of, and in the Japanese archipelago. Goguryeo was inclined to avoid conflicts with its ominous neighbor, while cultivating constructive relations with the Former Qin, the Xianbei, and the Rouran, in order to defend itself from future invasions and bide time to reshape its legal structure and initiate military reforms.
Gogukwon's successor, adopted a foreign policy of appeasement and reconciliation with Baekje, and concentrated on domestic policies to spread and Confucianism throughout Goguryeo's social and political systems. Furthermore, due to the defeats that Goguryeo had suffered at the hands of the proto-Mongol Xianbei and Baekje, instituted military reforms aimed at preventing such defeats in the future. Sosurim's internal arrangements laid the groundwork for Gwanggaeto's expansion.
Sosurim's successor, Gogukyang, invaded, the successor state of Former Yan, in 385 and Baekje in 386.
Rise to power and campaigns against Baekje
Gwanggaeto succeeded his father, Gogukyang, upon his death in 391. Upon his coronation, Gwanggaeto adopted the era name Yeongnak (Eternal Rejoicing) and the title Taewang (Supreme King), which was equivalent to "emperor", affirming that he was an equal to the rulers of China and Baekje.
In 392, Gwanggaeto led an attack on Baekje with 40,000 troops, capturing 10 walled cities. In response, the monarch of Baekje, launched a counterattack on Goguryeo in 393 but was defeated. Despite the ongoing war, during 393, Gwanggaeto established 9 Buddhist temples in. Asin invaded Goguryeo once more in 394, but was defeated again. After suffering multiple defeats against Goguryeo, Baekje's political stability began to crumble. In 395, Baekje was defeated once more by Goguryeo and was pushed south to its capital of on the. In the following year, in 396, Gwanggaeto led an assault on Wiryeseong by land and sea, using the Han River, and triumphed over Baekje. Gwanggaeto captured the Baekje capital and the defeated Asin submitted to him, surrendering a prince and 10 government ministers.
Northern conquests
In 395, while his campaign against Baekje was ongoing to the south, Gwanggaeto made an excursion to invade the Khitan Baili clan to the west on the, destroying 3 tribes and 600 to 700 camps. In 398, Gwanggaeto conquered the people to the northeast, who were ancestors of the Jurchens and Manchus.
In 400, while Gwanggaeto was occupied with Baekje, and Wa troops in Silla, the Xianbei state of Later Yan, founded by the clan in present-day, attacked Goguryeo. Gwanggaeto repulsed the Xianbei troops. In 402, Gwanggaeto retaliated and conquered the prominent fortress called 宿軍城 near the capital of Later Yan. In 405 and again in 406, Later Yan troops attacked Goguryeo fortresses in Liaodong (遼東城 in 405, and 木底城 in 406), but was defeated both times. Gwanggaeto conquered all of Liaodong. By conquering Liaodong, Gwanggaeto recovered the ancient domain of; Goguryeo controlled Liaodong until the mid-late 7th century.
In 407, Gwanggaeto dispatched 50,000 troops consisting of infantry and cavalry and won a great victory, completely annihilating the enemy troops and pillaging about 10,000 armors and countless war supplies; the opponent can be interpreted as Later Yan, Baekje, or Wa.
In 410, Gwanggaeto attacked to the northeast.
Southern campaigns
In 400, Silla, another Korean kingdom in the southeast of the Korean peninsula, requested aid from Goguryeo in repelling an allied invasion by Baekje, Gaya, and Wa. Gwanggaeto dispatched 50,000 troops and annihilated the enemy coalition. Thereupon, Gwanggaeto influenced Silla as a suzerain, and Gaya declined and never recovered. In 402, Gwanggaeto returned Prince, who had resided in Goguryeo as a political hostage since 392, back home to Silla and appointed him as the king of Silla.
In 404, Gwanggaeto defeated an attack by the Wa from the Japanese archipelago on the southern border of what was once the Daifang commandery, inflicting enormous casualties on the enemy.
Death and legacy
Gwanggaeto died of an unknown illness in 413 at the age of 39. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Jangsu, who ruled Goguryeo for 79 years until the age of 98, the longest reign in East Asian history.
Gwanggaeto's conquests are said to mark the zenith of Korean history, building and consolidating a great empire in and uniting the under his influence. Gwanggaeto conquered 64 walled cities and 1,400 villages. Except for the period of 200 years beginning with Jangsu, who would build upon his father's domain, and the golden age of, Korea never before or since ruled such a vast territory. There is archaeological evidence that Goguryeo's maximum extent lay even further west in present-day, based on discoveries of Goguryeo fortress ruins in Mongolia. Gwanggaeto established his own era name, Yeongnak Eternal Rejoicing, proclaiming Goguryeo monarchs equal to their counterparts in the Chinese mainland.
Gwanggaeto the Great is one of two rulers of Korea whose names are appended with the title "the Great", with the other being of, who created the Korean alphabet, to promote literacy among the common people, and made great advances in science.
Gwanggaeto is regarded by Koreans as one of the greatest heroes in Korean history, and is often taken as a potent symbol of.
A 6.39 meter tall monument erected by Jangsu in 414, was rediscovered in the late 19th century. The stele was inscribed with information about Gwanggaeto's reign and achievements, but not all the characters and passages have been preserved. Korean and Japanese scholars disagree on the interpretation in regard to passages on the Wa.
The Republic of Korea Navy operates Gwanggaeto the Great-class destroyers, built by Daewoo Heavy Industries and named in honor of the monarch.
A prominent statue of Gwanggaeto alongside a replica of the Gwanggaeto Stele were erected in the main street of Guri city in Gyeonggi province.