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...

Before the modern concept of the state took shape, what were the methods that enabled monarchies to survive for so long as stable systems of government? Perhaps the simplest method was that of force, as found in medieval Europe. Those with large armies were victorious in war and held onto their land, while the weak saw their land and peoples snatched away. But there was a kingdom that ruled by the pen rather than the sword. This was the Choson dynasty, which reigned over the Korean peninsula for over 500 years through a system of civil governance where policy was decided through discussion...