Founding King of Baekje: Go Uru of Buyeo

Guwuru (Hangul: 고유루; Hanja: 高儒樓) is a legendary figure in Korean history, best known for being the first king of Baekje among the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Baekje, along with her Goguryeo and Silla neighbors to the east and west, comprised the trifecta of ancient Korean kingdoms that ruled large portions of the Peninsula for centuries. Despite the vast majority of information regarding Go Uru coming from myth-laden ancient texts, he is known as a founding father in the creation of Baekje during 1st century BCE.

Baekje is established at un-modern located area of Southwest Korea Where sets the square one of a historical cultural turn Though not as well-documented as other figures such as King Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo or King Kim Il-sung of Silla, Go Uru's life and reign are important to understanding the early formation of Korean kingdoms and their relations with neighbouring powers - China and Japan.

Baekje: The Origin from History

The roots of Baekje are usually placed at the semi-mythical state of Buyeo in northern Korea, which had a deciding role in the birth of the Three Kingdoms. Go Uru is said to have originated from Buyeo, and it was this kingdom where the royal family of Baekje, including Go Uru came from.

The period that Go Uru ruled is challenging to determine as written records were scarce in reliability during the era. Nonetheless, it is widely supposed that he founded Baekje in circa 18 BCE which he fled from Buyeo to create a new kingdom in the south of Korea. Baekje was established in a time of disunion on the Korean peninsula, which followed the collapse of Gojoseon and several tribal groups competing for territory.

Although there are variances in the sources for Go Uru and the start of Baekje, perhaps the most prominent histories comes from Samguk Sagi (삼국사기) History of The Three Kingdoms, compiled by scholar Kim Bu-sik during Goryeo Dynasty 12th c. The Samguk Sagi is one of the major sources of information on early Korean history, and although it was not an eyewitness account of Go Uru, it can give us a glimpse into the legendary origins of Baekje as well as its early powerful figures.

Legend of the Birth and Development of Go Uru

One of the most iconic stories from Go Uru’s life is about his birth. As the Samguk Sagi mentions, Go Uru had an exceptional birth. His father was a nobleman of Buyeo, and the events that led to his birth were said to be divine. According to the story, Go Uru's mother was part of a goddess cult, and the miracle-born child followed after his mother's dream where golden light entered her body. This offbeat tale gives Go Uru's story an almost mythic element and suggests that the founding of a kingdom is part of his divine destiny.

In yet another birth narrative, a dragon appears to his mother to let her know that her son will be a great ruler. This dragon could be interpreted as an emblem of confidence and ambition, thus making Go Uru a destined leader. The tales are substance to centuries of god-making that cast Go Uru as some kind of demigod intended to be a mighty king.

Once he was born, Go Uru was raised in Buyeo that has maintained its prosperity as a kingdom but is now being confronted by competing tribal groups and rising powers. Go Uru finally escaped the kingdom of Buyeo, which was torn by fight for princes, and settled down in Mahan area on the southern part of Korean Peninsula. This region was less politically cohesive and thus provided fertile soil for the emergent kingdom.

Go Uru set up a mini-state in the South with his base and went on to centralise power. The year 18 BCE, therefore, is regarded as the founding date of Baekje, a nation that would grow to become the most powerful and perhaps culturally richest state for much of Southern Korean Peninsula over many centuries.

Establishment of Baekje

Baekje was founded in 18 BCE, when its first king Go Uru (고구려) established the kingdom. Baekje overcame many challenges in its earliest years, including constant skirmishes with its formidable neighbors Goguryeo and Silla, but Go Uru was crucial for securing his fledgling kingdom. He set up a capital in Wiryeseong, modern-day Seoul, where it would stay the capital of Baekje for a big part of its early years as a kingdom.

Like the other kingdoms of his time, Go Uru's world was one of many tribes loosely confederated into a single entity. Nevertheless, his term as leader was the beginning of a more centralized political system, and he is considered the father of Baekje's later military and political institutions. A major achievement of his was fitting different tribal groups within the Mahan Confederacy into the new Baekje kingdom's framework. It was key to consolidating his reign and the longevity of the kingdom itself.

Baekje history The southern Korean Peninsula from Go Uru and the first years of Baekje

Despite his short reign (10 years according to some accounts), Go Uru was crucial in establishing Baekje as a national entity. His son King Chungcheong took over after him and continued the tradition of the founding of kingdom.

The Importance of Go Uru to the Political and Cultural Development of Baekje

The era of Go Uru also provided a foundation for Baekje’s future cultural and diplomatic growth. Although the specific details of his relation with other contemporary states seem not to have recorded, it is widely known that Baekje later established a close cultural and political connection with China & Japan (especially in Buddhism and arts).

Baekje was known for its art, pottery, and architecture unique to Baekje but influenced by Art & Architecture during the age through cultural exchange with China. Throughout Go Uru's reign and the remaining years after, Baekje would act as a channel for bringing Chinese culture and Buddhism to Japan — one of the most important aspects of Baekje later contribution.

Death and Legacy

Despite its brevity, Go Uru’s rule would create the basic workings of what the kingdom of Baekje would become. Baekje would struggle against foreign foes and domestic revolt in the wake of his death, but successor kings carried out many of the same policies as him when it came to expansion and political unification. His descendants led the kingdom to grow stronger, and King Gyeongyu extended Baekje's power over the entire Korean Peninsula.

Though his dynasty -- the Baekje kingdom -- would gradually decline before being conquered by forces from the Silla kingdom and its allies in the 7th century, Go Uru's legacy would remain an enduring one. He is a symbol of the early reunification of the Korean Peninsula and rise of Baekje as a regional powerhouse

In the Korean collective memory, Go Uru is regarded not only as the founder of Baekje but also a significant person in the initial shaping process of Koreanness. In Korean folklore he is remembered as a warrior king and founder, and modern Koreans still invoke his name when discussing the long-term implications of the Three Kingdoms era.

Less famed than other figures in Korean history, Buyeo Go Uru was an establishing father of what became one of Korea's three great ancient kingdoms: Baekje. With a mixture of political skill, military power and, arguably, mythological ascent to greater heights, Go Uru was involved in the formation of a kingdom that would long leave its mark on the cultural and political landscape of the Korean Peninsula. His legacy has been commemorated today as the first chapter of Baekje’s long history and ascent in creating both Korean and East Asia civilization.