2.24. History of the Mongols: Invasions of Korea

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Had you to guess a kingdom to offer decades of resistance to the Mongols at the height of their power, Korea might not have been high on your list. Situated close to Mongol dominated North China and first coming to Mongol attention at the start of the 1220s, it took until the beginning of the 1260s for the peninsula to be firmly under Mongol rule. Today’s episode will detail the long and devastating Mongol war in Korea and the final subjugation during the reign of Great Khan Mongke. I’m your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By the 13th century the Korean peninsula had been ruled by the house of Wang since 918. Their kingdom was called</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Koryo</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">[also written Goryeo (Gor-yeo)], a shortened form of the name of the more ancient Korean Kingdom of</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kokuryeo (kok-ur-yeo)</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[also written Goguryeo] which fell in 668 CE. Both terms are the origin of the modern name for the peninsula. Smaller in scale than the empire of Kokuryeo, the 13th century Koryo kingdom’s territory did not extend much past the Yalu river. Staunch Buddhists, the Kingdom of Koryo was a major player in regional trade and commerce, and a centre of art and culture, and was a proud state. Successfully resisting invasions by the Khitan Liao and Jurchen Jin, Koryo entered into tributary relationships with both but maintained its internal autonomy, and unique worldview where the Korean King was essentially</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">also</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">son of Heaven, alongside the Chinese monarch who traditionally held the title. Similar to the contemporary Song Dynasty, military roles were subservient to the civilian classes and excluded from powerful civil positions. Despite the military being key to repulsing the Jurchen invas