Mu of Balhae

Dae Muye, also known as King Mu (Hangul: 무왕; Hanja: 武王) (r. 718 - 737), was the second king of the Balhae. He is noted for the military expansion of his domain.

Background

Dae Muye was the eldest son of Dae Joyeong, the founder of the ancient kingdom of Balhae, He ascended to the throne after the death in 719 of his father. He was given the title of "King of the Gyeru Province" by Tang Emperor Xuanzong. He gave the posthumous title King Go, to his father and declared the era name In-an, an act of independence from China's Tang dynasty. On the other hand, he frequently sent embassies to the Tang, including his sons and brothers.

Reign of Balhae's 2nd ruler

Balhae's aggressive expansion triggered frictions with Tang, Silla of southern Korea, the Khitans, the Xi, the Göktürks, and several Mohe tribes. When the Heisui Mohe in the north of Balhae came under the direct control of the Tang in 727, Dae Muye attacked the Heisui Mohe fearing a pincer attack.

His pro-Tang brother Dae Munye opposed the military campaign and defected to the Tang. In 732 Dae Muye ordered Jang Munhyu (Hangul: 장문휴; Hanja: 張文休) to raid Tang at Shandong with the Balhae navy. In response, the Tang ordered Dae Muye's brother, Dae Munye, to attack Balhae, but Dae Munye refused.

Dae Muye was said to have been an accomplished swordsman, and directly lead most of the expansion campaigns during his reign. Legend has it that he was so swift, that he could slice a fly into four pieces with his sword.

To avoid international isolation, Balhae began to dispatch embassies to Japan in 729. Japan, whose relationship with Silla was strained, welcomed them as a revival of Goguryeo.

Dae Muye was succeeded by his son Dae Heummu in 737.

Family

• Father
  • Dae Joyeong (대조영, 大祚榮)
• Mother
  • Unknown
• Brothers
  • Dae Munye (대문예, 大門藝)
  • Dae Changbalga (대창발가, 大昌勃價)
  • Dae Hoa (대호아, 大胡雅)
  • Dae Nang-a (대낭아, 大郎雅)
  • Dae Rim (대림, 大琳)
  • Dae Bo-bang (대보방, 大寶方)
• Sons
  • Dae Dorihaeng (대도리행, 大都利行)
  • Dae Ui-sin (대의신)
  • Dae Heummu (대흠무, 大欽茂)
  • Dae Won-ui (대원의, 大元義)

See also

• List of Korean monarchs
• History of Korea

External links

• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
• Citation from The Encyclopedia of World History Sixth Edition, Peter N. Stearns (general editor), © 2001 The Houghton Mifflin Company, at Bartleby.com.
• Columbia Encyclopedia
• U.S. Library of Congress: Country Studies
• Provinces of Balhae Kingdom
• (Korean) The extension of Balhae Kingdom under King Mu