Edge Rewrite
everything Source code View original
// HTMLRewriter · presentation

This page was redesigned at the edge.

Cloudflare fetched the original article and streamed it through HTMLRewriter to apply an entirely new visual system without rebuilding the source page.

// request.cf · coarse context

A page that knows where it met you.

Only coarse request metadata is shown. This demo does not display or persist visitor IP addresses.

Country
US
Cloudflare location
CMH
Connection
HTTP/2
Language
Not provided

Ray ID: a411c7e68adca376

Jump to content

Queen Insu

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Queen Insu
Naehun (Instructions for women)
Naehun (Instructions for Women), written by Queen Insu
Grand Queen Dowager of Joseon
Tenure29 January 1495 – 21 May 1504
PredecessorGrand Queen Dowager Jaseong
SuccessorGrand Queen Dowager Seongryeol
WithGrand Queen Dowager Inhye
Queen Dowager of Joseon
Tenure11 April 1475 – 29 January 1495
PredecessorQueen Dowager Jaseong
SuccessorQueen Dowager Jasun
WithQueen Dowager Inhye
Queen of Joseon
(unspecified status)
Tenure3 March 1470 – 11 April 1475
Crown Princess of Joseon
Tenure16 September 1455 – 29 September 1457
PredecessorCrown Princess Gwon
SuccessorCrown Princess Han
Born16 October 1437
Hanseong, Joseon
Died21 May 1504(1504-05-21) (aged 66)
Gyeongchunjeon Hall, Changgyeonggung, Hanseong, Joseon
Burial
Gyeongneung, Seooreung Cluster, Goyang, South Korea
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1450; died 1457)​
Issue
Detail		2 sons, 1 daughter
Regnal name
Insu Jasuk (인수자숙; 仁粹慈淑)[a]
Posthumous name
Queen Hwisuk Myeongui Sohye (휘숙명의소혜왕후; 徽肅明懿昭惠王后)
Clan
DynastyYi
FatherHan Hwak, Internal Prince Seowon
MotherInternal Princess Consort Namyang, of the Namyang Hong clan
ReligionConfucianism (Neo-Confucianism), Buddhism
Korean name
Hangul
인수왕후
Hanja
仁粹王后
RRInsu wanghu
MRInsu wanghu

Queen Sohye (Korean: 소혜왕후; Hanja: 昭惠王后; 16 October 1437 – 21 May 1504), of the Cheongju Han clan, commonly known as Queen Insu, was the wife of Crown Prince Uigyeong (posthumously King Deokjong). Though her husband never became king during his lifetime, she was nevertheless elevated to the position of queen following the accession to the throne of her second son, King Seongjong, in 1470. She was then styled as Queen Dowager Insu from 1475 until King Seongjong's death, and as Grand Queen Dowager Insu during the reign of her tyrannical grandson, Yeonsangun.

Queen Insu is remembered for her proficiency in Chinese classics, Confucianism and Buddhism, as well as for her involvement in political affairs,[1] which spanned from the accession of her father-in-law, Grand Prince Suyang, until her death during the reign of her grandson, Yeonsangun. In 1475, she wrote Naehun, widely regarded as the first book authored by a woman in Korea.

Biography

[edit]

Early life

[edit]

The future Queen Sohye was born during the reign of King Sejong, as the legitimate seventh child and youngest daughter among three sons and six daughters. Her father was Han Hwak, who would later become left state councilor, and her mother was a lady from the Namyang Hong clan. She also had six brothers of concubine birth. Her natal Cheongju Han clan was a powerful yangban family with a long tradition of providing high-ranking officials and royal consorts, and Lady Han was given an education in Confucian values and the Chinese classics.

One of her elder sisters married the eighth son of King Sejong.

Her youngest full-brother married a daughter of Princess Jeongui (정의공주), King Sejong's second daughter.

Her paternal aunts were Consort Kanghuizhuangshuli and Madame Gongshen (공신부인), a consort of the Xuande Emperor.

Her first cousin, Han Chi-hyeong (한치형), married the twelfth daughter of Grand Prince Yangnyeong.

On her paternal side, Lady Han was a fourth cousin once removed of Queen Jangsun, Queen Gonghye, Queen Ansun, and her husband's consort, Sugui Shin.

Her maternal uncle, Hong Won-yong (홍원용), married the eldest sister of Queen Jeonghui.

Another maternal uncle, Hong I-yong (홍이용), married firstly the sister-in-law of Prince Onnyeong (온녕군), King Taejong's seventh son, and secondly the maternal aunt of Queen Jeonghyeon. His daughter by his first wife was Grand Princess Consort Gangnyeong (강녕부부인), the wife of King Sejong's ninth son, Grand Prince Pyeongwon (평원대군).

Marriage

[edit]

In 1450, at the age of 13, Lady Han married 12-year-old Yi Chang (이장), the elder son of Grand Prince Suyang and his wife, Lady Yun.

After the Gyeyu Purge (계유정난) in 1453, Grand Prince Suyang was instated as chief state councilor and Han Hwak was granted the office of right state councilor.[2] Han Myeong-hoe, the orchestrator of the coup, was Lady Han's distant relative.[3] This formed the beginnings of Lady Han's network of political influence.[4] In 1455, Grand Prince Suyang (posthumously King Sejo) forced his young nephew, King Danjong, to abdicate in his favor. Yi Chang was thus invested as crown prince and Lady Han became crown princess.[5]

In early 1455, she had given birth to her first child, Yi Jeong, followed by Commandery Princess Taean in 1456, and Yi Hyeol in 1457. Lady Han was meticulous from a young age and extremely devoted in serving her parents-in-law, so she was often praised by King Sejo as filial;[6] however, she was a strict mother to her two sons, scolding them at the slightest mistake.

One month after the birth of their younger son, Yi Chang suddenly passed away; he received the posthumous name Uigyeong (의경). His brother, Grand Prince Haeyang (posthumously King Yejong), became the new crown prince, and Lady Han was titled Crown Princess Jeong (정빈), which was later changed to Crown Princess Su (수빈) in order to avoid confusion with one of Queen Wongyeong's previous titles. Feeling pity for his daughter-in-law, King Sejo specially allowed her to continue living in the royal palace, but Lady Han declined. A large and magnificent residence was built for her, which in time became the present Deoksugung.

Despite leaving the palace, Lady Han persisted in her diligent care for her parents-in-law, particularly strengthening her relationship with Queen Yun (posthumously Queen Jeonghui), and remained highly favored by King Sejo for the remainder of his life. She married her second son to Han Myeong-hoe's legitimate youngest daughter, maintained close contact with powerful officials such as Shin Suk-ju, and helped her relatives and associates in their rise to high offices. Thanks to her efforts, when King Yejong died just 15 months after acceding to the throne, it was Lady Han's son, Yi Hyeol, who was chosen to become the new king (posthumously King Seongjong), instead of Yejong's own son.

As queen dowager

[edit]

At this time, Lady Han's status was unclear since her husband had never been king and her son had been adopted under King Yejong's name, meaning it was Queen Dowager Inhye who was recognized as King Seongjong's mother. In a first step, Crown Prince Uigyeong was posthumously named king and Lady Han received the ambiguous title "Queen Insu" (인수왕비). The next year, several of her close relatives were designated as meritorious subjects.[7] Because there was a need to determine the hierarchy between Lady Han and Queen Dowager Inhye, Shin Suk-ju argued that they should heed the rules of private households, which followed sibling order, rather than the rules of the royal family, meaning Lady Han was the superior. Her mother-in-law, Grand Queen Dowager Jaseong, also issued an edict declaring that Lady Han had been entrusted by King Sejo with the task of protecting Yejong, implying her seniority above both the late Yejong and Queen Dowager Inhye; as such, Lady Han's superior standing was established. In 1475, King Uigyeong was elevated to great king and received a temple name, while Lady Han was raised to queen dowager.

In any case, the regency was exerted by Grand Queen Dowager Jaseong and Lady Han's influence was constrained. It was only after Grand Queen Dowager Jaseong's death in 1483, when Lady Han became the most senior elder in the palace, that political power shifted into her hands. With the passing of King Seongjong and the accession of her grandson, Yi Yung (later known as Yeonsangun/Prince Yeonsan), she became grand queen dowager. However, once Yeonsangun discovered that his biological mother was the Deposed Queen Yun, brutal clashes ensued between them. Lady Han, who had already been critically ill for some months, died in 1504 following an altercation with Yeonsangun due to his plan to confer a posthumous name upon Deposed Queen Yun.

Insu's grave
The tomb of Lady Han

Lady Han passed away at the age of 66, having survived her husband by 46 years. She was buried alongside him within Gyeongneung (경릉), today part of the Seooreung Cluster in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.[8] Because his tomb was built according to the specifications for a crown prince, it is much simpler than that of Lady Han, who was grand queen dowager at the time of her death.

Legacy

[edit]

Queen Insu authored the Naehun (Instructions for Women) in 1475. This books appears as a Confucian morality guidebook for women, describing appropriate behavior in accordance with Confucian ideals. It can also be read as a manifesto describing self-cultivation as the most appropriate behavior for a woman, endorsing the political activities of the author.

With the exception of a few poems, this book is the first known book written by a woman in Korea.[9]

Titles

[edit]
  • During the reign of King Sejong (r. 1418–1450):
    • Lady, of the Cheongju Han clan (청주 한씨; 淸州韓氏)
      • Han Hwak's daughter (한확의 딸)
      • Lady Han (한씨; 韓氏)
  • During the reign of King Munjong (r. 1450–1452):
    • Princess Consort Dowon (도원군부인; 桃源郡夫人; from 1450)
  • During the reign of King Sejo (r. 1455–1468):
    • Crown Princess (왕세제빈; 王世弟嬪; from 16 September 1455)
    • Crown Princess Jeong (정빈; 貞嬪; from 1457)
    • Crown Princess Su (수빈; 粹嬪; from 27 August 1465)
  • During the reign of King Seongjong (r. 1470–1495):
    • Queen Insu (인수왕비; 仁粹王妃; from 3 March 1470)
    • Queen Dowager Insu (인수왕대비; 仁粹王大妃; from 11 April 1475)
  • During the reign of Yeonsangun (r. 1495–1506):
    • Grand Queen Dowager Insu (인수대왕대비; 仁粹大王大妃; from 29 January 1495)
    • Queen Sohye (소혜왕후; 昭惠王后; from 1504)

Family

[edit]
  • Father: Han Hwak (한확), Internal Prince Seowon (서원부원군; 1400 – 19 October 1456)
  • Mother: Internal Princess Consort Namyang (남양부부인), of the Namyang Hong clan (남양 홍씨; 1404–1450)
  • Sibling(s)
    • Han Chi-in (한치인; 1421–1477)
    • Lady, of the Cheongju Han clan (청주 한씨; 1423–?)[b]
    • Princess Consort Jeongseon (정선군부인; 1426–1480)[c]
    • Lady, of the Cheongju Han clan (청주 한씨; 1427–?)[d]
    • Lady, of the Cheongju Han clan (청주 한씨; 1431–?)[e]
    • Lady, of the Cheongju Han clan (청주 한씨; 1434–1481)[f]
    • Han Chi-ui (한치의; 1440–1473)
    • Han Chi-rye (한치례; 1441–1499)
    • Han Yu-san (한유산)[g][h]
    • Han Yu-san (한유산)[g][h]
    • Han Gam-san (한감산)[g]
    • Han Si-san (한시산)[g]
    • Han I-san (한이산)[g]
    • Han Do-san (한도산)[g]
  • Husband: King Deokjong (덕종대왕; 12 October 1438 – 29 September 1457)
    • Father-in-law: King Sejo (세조대왕; 11 November 1417 – 2 October 1468)
    • Mother-in-law: Queen Jeonghui (정희왕후), of the Papyeong Yun clan (파평 윤씨; 25 December 1418 – 15 May 1483)
  • Issue
    • Yi Jeong (이정), Grand Prince Wolsan (월산대군; 14 January 1455 – 31 January 1489)
    • Princess Myeongsuk (명숙공주; 1456 – 23 November 1482), personal name Gyeong-geun (경근)
    • Yi Hyeol (이혈), King Seongjong (성종대왕; 28 August 1457 – 29 January 1495)

Ancestry

[edit]
Ancestors of Queen Insu
Han Bang-sin
(한방신)
Han Yeong
(한영)
Han Yeong-jeong
(한영정)
Gwon Jung-hwa
(권중화)
Lady, of the Andong Gwon clan
(안동 권씨)
Han Hwak, Internal Prince Seowon
(서원부원군 한확)
Kim Yeong-ryeol
(김영렬)
Lady, of the Uiseong Kim clan
(의성 김씨)
Queen Sohye
Hong Bo-hyeon
(홍보현)
Hong Gil-min
(홍길민)
Hong Yeo-bang
(홍여방)
Gyeong Jin
(경진)
Lady, of the Cheongju Gyeong clan
(청주 경씨)
Internal Princess Consort Namyang, of the Namyang Hong clan
(남양부부인 남양 홍씨)
Jeong Bu
(정부)
Lady, of the Dongnae Jeong clan
(동래 정씨)
[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Known as honorific name (존호; 尊號) in the Sinosphere, its closest equivalent in the English-speaking world is the regnal name.
  2. ↑ Married Yi Gye-nyeong (이계녕).
  3. ↑ Married Yi Jeung (이증), Prince Gyeyang (계양군; 1427–1464).
  4. ↑ Married Kim Ja-wan (김자완).
  5. ↑ Married Choe Jeong (최정).
  6. ↑ Married Gwon Jip (권집).
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Half-brother.
  8. 1 2 "Yu" uses different hanja: 榴 and 柚.

References

[edit]

Works cited

[edit]
[edit]
  1. Royal Ladies of Joseon Dynasty
  2. Royal Tombs of Joseon
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Queen_Insu&oldid=1372002127"