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Kija Chosŏn
Depiction of Kija
Korean name
Hangul	기자조선
Hanja	箕子朝鮮
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Gija Joseon McCune–Reischauer Kija Chosŏn
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	箕氏朝鮮
Simplified Chinese	箕氏朝鲜
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Jīshì Cháoxiǎn Wade–Giles Chi-shih Ch'ao-hsien

Kija Chosŏn (1120–194 BC) was a dynasty ofGojoseon allegedly founded by the sageJizi (Kija), a member of theShang (Yin) dynasty royal house.

Chinese records before theQin dynasty^[a] describeKija (箕子) as the paternal uncle (or brother in other records) of the last king of theShang dynasty, the tyrannicalKing Zhou, but contain no mention of king Zhou's relationship with Gojoseon. Kija was imprisoned by the tyrant until the downfall of Shang Kingdom, whenKing Wu of Zhou released him.^[1][2]

Records written after theQin dynasty, when theHan dynasty and Gojoseon were at war, add that Kija led 5,000 to the east of present-dayBeijing, as written in the "Geography" section of theBook of Han (although some, especially in China, believe him to have moved to present-day Korea), and became the founding king of Kija Chosŏn. InSima Qian'sShi Ji, Kija is mentioned in the following sentence:

於是武王乃封箕子於朝鮮而不臣也

[King Wu enfeoffed Kija to Chosŏn, though he was not a vassal (of Zhou)]

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History ofKorea
Prehistoric period Palaeolithic 700,000–8000 BC Neolithic 8000–1500 BC *Jeulmun Bronze Age 1500–300 BC *Mumun *Liaoning dagger
Ancient period Gojoseon 2333–108 BC *Dangun *Kija *Wiman Jin 4th–2nd century BC Yemaek
Proto–Three Kingdoms period Takri Dongye Buyeo Eastern Galsa Okjeo Samhan Ma Byeon Jin Goguryeo Tamna Nakrang Four Commanderies of Han
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Part ofa series on the
History ofManchuria
Prehistoric period Liao civilization Baijinbao culture Liaoning bronze dagger culture
Ancient to Classical period Gojoseon Sushen Donghu Yemaek Yan (Warring States) Xiongnu Han dynasty Wuhuan Xianbei Takri Kingdom Buyeo Goguryeo Kumo Xi Yan (Three Kingdoms) Cao Wei Sima Jin dynasty Former Yan Former Qin Later Yan Northern Yan Shiwei Khitan Mohe
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Modern period Amur Annexation Chuang Guandong Russian invasion Russian Dalian Russo-Japanese War Beiyang government (Fengtian Clique) Far Eastern Republic Kwantung Leased Territory Northeast Flag Replacement Korean People's Association in Manchuria Japanese invasion Manchukuo Liaoshen Campaign (Chinese Civil War) Manchuria/Northeast China Outer Manchuria (inRussian Far East)
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No contemporary Korean sources existed for Kija Chosŏn, and the oldest sources produced in Korea were from the Goryeo dynasty. The earliest Korean record about Kija Chosŏn can be seen fromSamguk Yusa,^[b][3]

御國一千五百年. 周虎{武}王卽位己卯, 封箕子於朝鮮, 壇君乃移於藏唐京, 後還隱於阿斯達爲山神, 壽一千九百八歲

[Later Dangun moved his capital to Asadal on T'aebaek-san and ruled 1500 years, until king Wu of Chou (ancient Chinese dynasty) placed Kija on the throne (traditional date 1122 BC). When Kija arrived, Dangun moved to Changtang-kyong and then returned to Asadal, where he became a mountain god at the age of 1908.]

It was widely believed that Kija Chosŏn was located on the Korean Peninsula, replacingGojoseon ofDangun. But some Korean scholars believed that Kija settled west of Gojoseon, based on records from "Geography" section of theBook of Han, and the KoreanSamguk Yusa that suggests that Gojoseon continued to coexist with Kija Chosŏn after the migration of Kija. These scholars believed that Kija's influence was limited to western part of Gojoseon.

TheGenealogy of the Cheongju Han Clan (청주한씨세보) lists the names of 73 rulers of Kija Chosŏn and their periods of reign; however, it is not widely accepted by current Korean mainstream historians.

Wiman Joseon is said to begin with the usurpation of the throne fromJun of Gojoseon and the line of kings descended from Kija.

Sin Chaeho said that Kija Chosŏn (323 BC-194 BC) refers to the putative period ofBeonjoseon, one of theThree Confederate States of Gojoseon, after the Marquess of Joseon from the Gi clan was invaded by Yan as shown in the records ofWeilüe. Chinese traditional accounts indicate that Gihu's ancestor, Kija, was the same person as Jizi (both written as 箕子 inHanzi/Hanja).

According toSin Chaeho'sJoseon Sangosa,Beonjoseon began disintegrating after its king had been killed by a rebel from the Chinese state ofYan at around 323 BC. With this, the five ministers of Beonjoseon began contending for the throne. Marquess of Chosŏn from the Gi clan joined in this struggle, and emerged victorious as the new king of Beonjoseon, defeating the competitors for the throne. He established Kija Chosŏn, named after his ancestor Kija. During Kija Chosŏn, the king enjoyed strong sovereign powers. Eventually, in 94 BC, Kija Chosŏn fell afterKing Jun was overthrown byWiman, who establishedWiman Joseon in its place.

The Korean historianKim Jung-bae claims that the association between Jizi and Joseon is wrong.^[4] He believed that the existence of Kija Chosŏn as a state established by Jizi was fabricated during Han dynasty. He further claims that theBamboo Annals, andConfucius'sAnalects, which was the earliest extant text that referred to Jizi, did not say anything about his going to Gojoseon.^[5] Similarly, theRecords of the Grand Historian, written soon after theconquest of Wiman Joseon by the Han dynasty, made no reference to Joseon in its discussions about Jizi^[6] and no reference to Jizi in its discussions about Joseon.^[7]

According to some sources, ancient Koreans claimed that Kija came from theZhou dynasty but there is no archaeological evidence to support early involvement of the Chinese.^[8]

• History of Korea
• History of Manchuria
• Cheongju Han clan
• Haengju Ki clan
• Taewon Seonu clan
• Icheon Seo clan

• Gojoseon
• Kija Chosŏn
• Former countries in Korean history
• Former countries in Chinese history

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Accuracy disputes from July 2019
• All accuracy disputes
• Articles containing Korean-language text
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