The Annals of King Taejo

Never before translated into English, this official history of the reign of King Taejofounder of Koreas long, illustrious Chosn dynasty (13921910 CE)is a unique resource for reconstructing life in late-fourteenth-century Korea. Its narrative of a rulers rise to power includes a wealth of detail not just about politics and war but also about religion, astronomy, and the arts. The military general Yi Snggye, posthumously named Taejo, assumed the throne in 1392. During his seven-year reign, Taejo instituted reforms and established traditions that would carry down through the centuries. These included service to Koreas overlord, China, and other practices reflecting Chinas influence over the peninsula: creation of a bureaucracy based on civil service examinations, a shift from Buddhism to Confucianism, and official records of the deeds of kings, which in the Confucian tradition were an important means of educating succeeding generations. A remarkable compilation process for the sillok, or veritable records, was instituted to ensure the authority of the annals. Historiographers were present for every royal audience and wrote down each word that was uttered. They were strictly forbidden to divulge the contents of their daily drafts, howevereven the king himself could not view the records with impunity. Choi Byonghyons translation of the first of Koreas dynastic histories, The Annals of King Taejo, includes an introduction and annotations.