was a state which occupied portions of the northeastern
Korean Peninsula from roughly 150 BCE to around 400 CE. It bordered
Goguryeo and
Okjeo to the north,
Jinhan to the south, and China's Lelang Commandery to the west. Today, this territory consists of the provinces of
South Hamgyŏng and
Kangwon in
North Korea , and
Gangwon in
South Korea .
Dongye first appears in history as a vassal state of
Gojoseon under
Wiman in the
Second Century BCE . After the fall of Gojoseon, it came under indirect Chinese control through the Lelang Commandery, but later became a vassal of the increasingly powerful
Goguryeo .
Around 400 CE, King
Gwanggaeto The Great Of Goguryeo annexed Dongye, leading to Goguryeo's domination of the entire northern portion of the Korean peninsula. A small part of Dongye in the south was absorbed into
Silla .
Dongye considered itself the same people as Goguryeo, and shared the language and ethnic origins of the people of Okjeo and Goguryeo. This may indicate that Dongye also shared a common origin with
Buyeo and
Gojoseon . The population was recorded to be 20,000 families.
Very little information about Dongye has survived. However, the custom of Mucheon (무천, 舞天), a festival of worshipping heaven through song and dance in the 10th month, is mentioned in some records. This appears to have been closely related to the Goguryeo festival of
Dongmaeng , held at the same time of year, which also incorporated martial displays. The people worshipped the tiger as a deity.
The economy of Dongye was based primarily on agriculture, including
Sericulture . The Mucheon festival was largely aimed at securing a good harvest in the coming year. Their agriculture appears to have been well-organized at the village level. Dongye law meted out stiff penalties for those who encroached on communal land.
History Of Korea
