JeonJoseon

Infobox Korean name
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hangul=전조선|hanja=前朝鮮|rr=Jeon-Joseon|mr=Chon-Choson|

Jeon-joseon or Before Joseon was a short Korean kingdom after 108 A.D. when Gojoseon was defeated by the Han dynasty. It was located on Eastern Manchuria and Northern Korean peninsula. Although, there is not much information left about Jeon-joseon, many Koreans feels proud of its glories.

Names

In the Korean history, there is many countries named 'Joseon' such s Gojoseon,Joseon dynasty which appeared after the Goryeo dynasty and also small nations such as Wiman Joseon. Jeon-Joseon was named to tell clearly from Joseon dynasty, which appeared after the Goryeo dynasty.

Also there was another country named JeonJoseon which meant the period when Dangun had actually ruled Gojoseon. But, the JeonJoseon from 108A.D. appeared when Gojoseon had fell in to the hands of the Hans.

History

Foundings

When Gojoseon was defeated by Han dynasty, the whole vast territories of Gojoseon was annexed by Han dynasty. Many of the Gojoseon's people had difficult times. They were either to work loyally for the Han or to live without a country to live in.

But, not after Gojoseon was annexed by Hans, the former general of Gojoseon called, Yi Chan Min had succeeded to escape from Han with about 10 thousands of people and created a new country on the East Manchuria and named it Jeon-joseon to keep the glory of Gojoseon.

Expansion

When Yi Chan Min became the first king of Jeon-joseon he called himself 'Go Wang'. He had built a castle called 'Bak Jang Sung' to protect the people from the nearby kingdoms of that time such as Buyeo and Okjeo. Under the reign of 'Go Wang' the country began to grow stronger. The territories were expanded further.

Jeon-Joseon had the right qualification of being a strong nation but it was too early for them yet. Their military was weak and they didn't have enough territories to be considered as a strong nation at that time. With about a thousand of soldiers, mostly infantries, 'Go Wang' had intruded territories of Buyeo or Okjeo, where there was small number of soldiers.

Later on Jeon-Joseon's territories had grown larger towards the Western Manchuria and parts of Northern Korean Peninsula. But, there is no exact information how they had gained that much lands.

Fall

When 'Go Wang' had died of a disease, his son, Yi Dan Su had became the next king of JeonJoseon. Yi Dan Su, also known as 'Seon Wang' had traded with many countries including Japan,Dongye and Sam Han. But, it's said that 'Seon Wang' had not either trades or kept peaceful relationships with the Han dynasty which conquered Gojoseon. In 'Seon Wang"s period the country was very peaceful and there was no wars or fighting going around.

But, after the time of 'Seon Wang' the country splits in two, North, including Northern part of Manchuria and South, including Southern parts of Manchuria and parts of Northern Korean Peninsula, but the reasons are quite unknown. Researchers predicted that 'Seon Wang"s three sons had fought over to be the next king of Jeon-Joseon and the two sons had killed the oldest brother and controlled the country in two.

The North and the South Jeon-Joseon made an alliance and traded and protected each other from the enemies. But, during the second king of Southern Jeon-Joseon there must have been a conflict between the two states. It's said that the Southern Joseon had attacked the Northern Joseon when the night was deep. Northern Joseon, who didn't even know who was attacking had been conquered by the South.

But, mysteriously after short years after the North and the South War, South Jeon-joseon had disappeared in the history. It is unknown exactly when or why it had disappeared. Researchers believe that Jeon-joseon was weakened by the war and was defeated by stronger nations at that time.

Culture

Jeon-joseon had expanded its territory to the Western side of the Manchuria, gaining part of the lands of Buyeo and to the Northern part of Korean Peninsula by attacking Okjeo.

Jeon-joseon's cultures were combined with Buyeo and Okjeo's culture and its own original culture called as 'Tan Hwa' culture. 'Tan Hwa' culture mostly consists of architecture. At the Eastern side of the Mountain Bak Du there was the part of wooden pillar used to support the palace during that time. And it is predicted to be Jeon-joseon's architecture.

Religion

In Jeon-joseon, there was no special religions but each villages had believed its own kind of superstitions. They honoured the nature and respected as God. They prayed and made a wish to a tree or a rock when they had needed hope to live.

Languages

Like the countries near JeonJoseon such as Buyeo, Goguryeo and Baekje, JeonJoseon was one of the Altaic family.