Dae Inseon

Dae Inseon was king of Balhae, (r. 906–926) a kingdom in northeast Asia occupying parts of Manchuria, northern Korea, and the Russian Far East. Dae Inseon was also the last king of Balhae. He and his armies were pushed back and eventually defeated by the Khitan.

Last years of Balhae

This was a time of momentous change for Balhae and its neighbors. In the case of Silla, the nobility increasingly became independent and rebellions sprang up throughout the country. Meanwhile, in China, the Tang faced serious crises caused by the An Lushan Rebellion and many other uprisings. Finally, Zhu Wen established the Later Liang, marking the end of the Tang dynasty in 907.

Dae concentrated on increasing defense capabilities against the threat of new powers and was in favor of allying with the Goryeo Dynasty. However, the interference of the nobility did not allow that to happen. The Khitans' growing power in Manchuria was the most threatening to Balhae. Eventually, they invaded Balhae in 925 and the capital Sanggyeong (also known as Holhan fortress) fell after ten days. In 926, Balhae came to an end, while many of the nobility fled to Goryeo.

Aftermath

Balhae was fully taken over by the Khitan, who established the Dongdan Kingdom. The people of Balhae rose together to oppose their new Khitan rulers, and numerous revival movements occurred over a period of a hundred years. The first of these revival movements was Later Balhae, which was founded by the Balhae Royal Family.

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