Goguryeo–Wei War

Long ago, two groups fought.

It started when the two groups did not get along. The Wei army went to the land of Goguryeo. They reached the capital city of Hwando.

The fighting was very hard. The king of Goguryeo had to run away to stay safe. The Wei army caused much damage to the city.

After the fight, things were very different. Goguryeo had to work for a long time. They worked to build their land back up.

This big fight changed their history. It was a very important time for them.

A long time ago, two groups fought a big war. One group was called Cao Wei. The other was Goguryeo. This war happened from 244 to 245. It started after Goguryeo attacked a Wei area called Xi'anping.

A Wei leader named Guanqiu Jian led his army. He went into the land of Goguryeo. The two armies met at a place called Liangkou. The fighting there was very hard. King Dongcheon of Goguryeo lost the battle. He had to flee to stay safe.

The Wei army then reached the capital city, Hwando. They caused much damage to the city. They also took many people away. The king and his family had to run away again.

This war changed Goguryeo a lot. It broke their ties with other nearby tribes. The king had to find a new place to live. Goguryeo spent fifty years rebuilding their land. This war was a major turning point for them. It marked a new stage in their growth.

The Goguryeo–Wei War was a major conflict between two powerful groups. It happened from 244 to 245. This war was a turning point for the state of Goguryeo. It changed how they grew and how they ruled. Before the war, Goguryeo was becoming a strong political power. They had grown by taking land in the north. They also used iron weapons to protect themselves. This war divided their history into different stages.

The fighting started because of a raid. In 242, King Dongcheon of Goguryeo sent men to attack a Wei area. This place was called Xi'anping. It was located near the mouth of the Yalu River. Xi'anping was very important for farming. It also gave Goguryeo access to the sea. The Cao Wei government saw this as a threat. They wanted to keep control of their nearby lands. Because of this, they decided to launch an invasion.

A Wei leader named Guanqiu Jian led the first campaign. He brought seven legions into Goguryeo territory. This was about 10,000 soldiers in total. King Dongcheon met the army with 20,000 of his own men. They fought a big battle at a place called Liangkou. Some stories say the Goguryeo king won early battles. However, the Wei army was very strong and fought hard. In the end, the king lost the battle. He had to flee with only a few horsemen.

After the battle, the Wei army chased the retreating soldiers. They reached a mountain pass called Chengxian. Since the land was so rocky, they could not use horses. The soldiers climbed up toward the capital city of Hwando. The Wei army attacked the city and caused much damage. They captured and killed many people during the fight. King Dongcheon and his family had to run away to stay safe. The capital was left in ruins after the attack.

The war did not end with just one fight. In 245, a second campaign was sent to find the king. A man named Wang Qi led this pursuit. Because Hwando was destroyed, the king had to flee again. He went to a place called South Okjeo to hide. This war broke the ties between Goguryeo and nearby tribes. It also hurt their economy very badly. Goguryeo spent the next fifty years rebuilding their whole country. They had to learn how to be strong again.

The Goguryeo–Wei War was a series of military invasions occurring between 244 and 245. These campaigns were launched by the Cao Wei state against the kingdom of Goguryeo. The conflict was a retaliation for a raid conducted by Goguryeo in 242. This war is viewed by historians as a watershed moment. A watershed moment is a turning point that divides history into different stages. For Goguryeo, the war marked a transition in how the state grew and functioned.

To understand the war, one must look at the political landscape of Northeast Asia. During the 1st and 2nd centuries BC, the Western Han dynasty extended control into the region. This created the Four Commanderies of Han. As the Han dynasty declined due to internal turmoil, local warlords like Gongsun Du took control of nearby areas. Goguryeo grew by conquering northern territories under Han rule. After a succession feud in 204, the Goguryeo leader Sansang moved the capital to Hwando. This new capital was located on the Yalu River near modern-day Ji'an.

Hwando was situated in a mountainous region with very little arable land. Arable land is soil that is good for growing crops. Because the land was not rich for farming, Goguryeo had to extract resources from other groups. They relied on tributary relationships with tribes like the Okjeo and Ye. The Okjeo people functioned almost as slaves, hauling cloth, fish, and salt to the Yalu basin. By the 230s, Goguryeo had regained strength and re-established itself in the Jolbon region. In 238, Goguryeo and the Cao Wei state even formed an alliance to defeat the warlord Gongsun Yuan.

The alliance between the two powers broke down in 242. King Dongcheon of Goguryeo sent troops to plunder Xi'anping. This district was located near the mouth of the Yalu River. Xi'anping was a crucial area because it provided agricultural land and sea access. It was also home to the Small River Maek people, who were known for their excellent bows. Most importantly, a Goguryeo presence there threatened land routes used by Cao Wei. The Cao Wei court saw this as a direct threat to their control of the Lelang and Daifang commanderies.

In 244, the Wei Inspector of You Province, Guanqiu Jian, launched the first campaign. He led seven legions, totaling 10,000 infantry and cavalry. King Dongcheon met him with an army of 20,000 soldiers. The two forces met at the junction of the Fu'er and Hunjiang rivers at a place called Liangkou. Historical accounts of this battle differ significantly. The Korean source, Samguk Sagi, claims Goguryeo won two initial battles. It states that King Dongcheon's forces killed 6,000 Wei soldiers before his final charge failed. In that final fight, 18,000 Goguryeo men were killed.

Following the battle at Liangkou, the Wei army chased the retreating Goguryeo forces. They reached a mountain pass known as Chengxian. Because the terrain was mountainous, the Wei cavalry could not be effective. The soldiers left their horses and chariots behind to climb toward the capital. Once they reached Hwando, the Wei army attacked the city. They caused widespread destruction and killed or captured thousands of people. King Dongcheon and his family were forced to flee. Guanqiu Jian eventually returned to You Province in June 245.

The war continued into a second campaign in 245. The Grand Administrator of Xuantu, Wang Qi, was sent to pursue the king. Since Hwando had been ravaged and left defenseless, the king had to flee again. He sought refuge in South Okjeo. This second wave of conflict left Goguryeo greatly diminished. The war broke the economic tributary ties with the surrounding tribes. It took Goguryeo nearly fifty years to rebuild its ruling structure. This period of reconstruction allowed the state to eventually evolve into a much more powerful political entity.