Princess Gyeguk


Princess Supreme Gyeguk, also known as Princess of Han State and Grand Princess of Han State was a Yuan Dynasty Imperial family member as the great-granddaughter of Kublai Khan and became a Korean queen consort though her marriage with Chungseon of Goryeo. She was the second Mongol ethnic queen consort from Yuan dynasty to Goryeo after her mother-in-law, Princess Jeguk.
Her personal name was Budashiri, transcribed as 寶塔實憐, pronounced in Korean as. It is from the Sanskrit -wikt:श्री|. Those ladies who qualified as "princesses supremes" were aunts of an emperor. She was the aunt of two emperors: Buyantu Khan and Külüg Khan.

Biography

Early life and relative

The future Princess Gyeguk was born in Yuan dynasty as the daughter of Gammala and Buyan Kelmish Khatun with the name of Budashiri. She had:
  • Sünshan
  • Yesun Temür
  • Delgerbukha
  • Radnabala
  • Shouning –

    Marriage and later life

In 1296, she married Crown Prince Wang Won and became his Primary Consort, then stayed in Sunggyeong Mansion, Junghwa Palace while went to Goryeo in the following year and became a Queen consort following her husband's first ascension to the throne. Like her mother-in-law who was initially her grandaunt, Budashiri also had her own attendant when came to Goryeo.
However, she and her husband were said to had a bad relationship from the time they were newlywed and when he favoured a Goryeo woman he met before married her, she was so jealous and reported it to Yuan. As the result, the King was forced to abdicated to his father and his favoured one, Lady Jo with her families were taken and detained in Yuan. By this, many historians believed that she raised her own influence which she can easily get the supports from her homeland and families, also contributed to her active personality. Due to this, they didn't have any issue.
Her father-in-law tried to drive her away three times, but all failed.
It was said that she had a close political relationship with Wang Go, which he later married her niece in 1316 and since both Wang Won and Wang Go were married with Yuan's princess, so they were fought for the Goryeo's throne. After her husband won through the support from Külüg Khan, she received her new title as Grand Princess of the Han State and returned to Goryeo again with him. However, there were only 50 carts followed them whom splendor outside but very miserable inside.
After left alone by Chungseon, she started live by visit some Buddhist Temple or attend her stepson, King Chungsuk's banquet prepared by the government, then came back to Yuan not long after that. She caused a lot of political trouble and then died in Yuan in 1315, which her death was problematic. Her body then transferred and buried in Goryeo. In 1343, she was given the Imperial name of Princess Supreme of the Gye State by her homeland.