Yi Dynasty

History of the Yi (Choson) dynasty

A dialog from the H-Asia list, November 1997

From: Lawrence Ober

Subject: Q.: history of the Yi dynasty

A simple query. I am a high school history teacher with a fascination for Asian history.

In order to organize the larger scope that perforce is part of a secondary school curriculum, the medium of genealogy of ruling families has often been helpful in keeping some order. I have collected an extensive genealogical history of the ruling "princes" of India under the British Raj, but would like to extend the survey elsewhere.

Would anyone have any suggestions regarding the history or genealogy of the Yi dynasty of Korea in the l9th and early 20th centuries?

Many thanks.

Lawrence M. Ober

Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 11:47:36 -0600

From: Don Baker

Subject: Yi dynasty history

A simple genealogy

of all the kings in Korean history can be found on pages 387-394 of Ki-baik Lee's A New History of Korea from Harvard University press. That book also contains several chapters on the history of Korea in the 19th and 20th centuries. More detailed studies of the final decades of the Yi dynasty would include:

1) Ching Young Choe.

The Rule of the Taewongun, 1864-1873. Harvard East Asian Monographs.

2) Martina Deuchler.

Confucian Gentlemen and Barbarian Envoys, the Opening of Korea, 1875-1885. University of Washington Press.

3) James Palais.

Politics and Policy in Traditional Korea. Harvard University Press (the best guide to the domestic politics of this period).

4) Vipin Chandra.

Imperialism, Resistance, and Reform in Late Nineteenth-century Korea. Institude of East Asian Studies, UC Berkeley.