The Origins of the Choson Dynasty (Korean Studies of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies) cover

The Origins of the Choson Dynasty (Korean Studies of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies)

by John B. Duncan

"Scholars have long held that Korea's Choson dynasty (1392-1910) was established by a new socioeconomic class of scholar-officials of local-landlord origins who overthrew the capital-based aristocracy of the Koryo dynasty (918-1392). The Origins of the Choson Dynasty refutes that view, showing that a key feature of the dynastic transition was continuity in the structure and composition of the central ruling class and arguing that the main force behind the establishment of the Choson was the need to revamp institutions to protect aristocratic interests. The change of dynasties thus was less a revolution than a culmination of a centuries-old effort to create a centralized bureaucratic polity.". "Drawing on a wealth of data compiled from primary sources and presented here in 26 tables and 10 genealogical charts, The Origins of the Choson Dynasty provides an exhaustive analysis of the structure and composition of the central officialdom of the Koryo-Choson transition and offers a new interpretation of the history of traditional Korea."--BOOK JACKET.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?