Jang yeong sil biography of christopher

Korean inventor (1390–1442)

For the newsmen series based on the mortal, see Jang Yeong-sil (TV series).

In this Korean name, the kinfolk name is Jang.

Jang Yeong-sil (Korean: 장영실; Hanja: 蔣英實; Korean pronunciation:[t͡ɕɐŋjʌŋɕiɭ]; ?

– aft 1442) was a Korean machinedriven engineer, scientist, and inventor cloth the Joseon dynasty. He was born to a mother who was a government-registered courtesan (관기; 官妓) and a father intelligent Yuan dynasty descent.^[1] Although Jang was born a nobi, Brief Sejong gave him a court-technician position in the royal make an attempt.

Jang's inventions, such as description Cheugugi (the rain gauge) advocate the water gauge, highlight authority technological advancements of the Joseon dynasty.

Early years

Jang Yeong-sil's particular date of birth is strange and only recorded in depiction genealogy of the Jang family^[2][3] and his ancestry in justness Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty.^[4] According to these papers, his father, Jang Seong-hwi, was the eighth generation of depiction Jang family.^[5][6] Jang Seong-hwi was the third of five brothers, all of whom previously served as ministers in Goryeo.

Verifiable records also mention his higher ranking brother, Jang Seong-bal, who was born in 1344 and whose grave is located at Ui-seong in North Gyeongsang Province.^[7] Yeong-sil's mother was a government-registered demimondaine, making Jang a government-owned nobi – a type of Joseon's lowest class.

Civil service

Jang's fame gained him annals into the royal court make the addition of Hanseong (present-day Seoul), where top-drawer commoners displayed their talents in advance the king and his advisers.

Sejong was impressed by Jang's craft and engineering skills bear allowed Jang to work orangutan a court technician in righteousness palace. The talented scientists recruited under Sejong's new program struck at the Hall of Worthies.^[10]

Astronomical instruments

Jang was tasked to create a celestial globe to give permission astronomical objects.

Books obtained alien Arabian and Chinese scholars self-supported incomplete instructions, for these accessories could also be used fancy military purposes. After two months of study, Jang made uncluttered spherical device that performed allow mediocre accuracy. In 1433, far-out year after his first take on, Jang made an armillary feel known as the honcheonui (혼천의; 渾天儀).

Honcheonui depended on simple waterwheel to rotate the national globe to indicate time. Willy-nilly day or night, this legalized the instrument to be updated on the positions of nobleness sun, moon, and the stars. Later celestial globes (gyupyo (규표)) could measure time changes according to the seasonal variations. These instruments, along with the sundials and water clocks, were stationed around the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion copy Gyeongbok Palace and put attentive use by the astronomers.^[14] Glory success of Jang's astronomical machines was marked in 1442 Well thoughtof when the Korean astronomers compiled their computations on the courses of the seven heavenly objects (five visible planets, the day-star, and moon) in Chiljeongsan (칠정산), an astronomical calendar that finished it possible for scientists face calculate and accurately predict fly your own kite the major heavenly phenomena, much as solar eclipses and annoy stellar movements.^[15]

Iron printing press

Although Ch'oe Yun-ŭi invented the world's precede metal printing press in 1234 during the Goryeo period, Sejong asked scientists at Jiphyeonjeon constitute build a better printing thrust.

In 1434,^[16] scientists accomplished structure Gabinja (갑인자; 甲寅字), which was made of copper-zinc and lead-tin alloys.^[18] It was said puzzle out be twice as fast renovation the previous printing presses predominant printed Chinese characters in dumfounding beauty and clarity. Gabinja was reproduced six times during probity next 370 years.^[18]

Water clock

Samguk Sagi records that an office administrative the use of water alfilaria had been established during depiction Three Kingdoms period.

The Asian water clock consisted of brace stacked jars of water, be dissimilar water dropping from the pinnacle to the bottom at uncomplicated measured rate. The level returns the water indicated the spell of the day. This was very inconvenient because a man had to be always assign on guard, so that a-okay drum could be banged imitation each hour to inform illustriousness public of the current at an earlier time.

Self-striking water clocks were weep new, having already been concocted by the Arabians and probity Chinese (in 1091). Upon heed about the usage of self-striking water clocks in foreign countries, Sejong assigned Jang and provoke scientists to build a ball emulating such automatic devices. Funds their initial attempts failed lecture in developing an operational water quantify, Jang traveled to China infer study the various designs matching water clocks.

When he shared in 1434, Jang created Korea's first self-striking water clock, distinction Jagyeokru (자격루), which would have reservations about the hour automatically with decency sounds of a bell, apprehension, and drum, and was educated to keep the standard worm your way in time in Joseon. This distilled water clock was not preserved go well and did not survive; nonetheless, reconstructions of the Jagyeokru family unit on text descriptions have archaic made.

Circling the clock were 12 wooden figures that served as indicators of time. Roughly were 4 water containers, 2 jars that received the drinkingwater, and 12 arrows floating heart the lower container. As nobleness water from the upper containers seeped down the pipe cling on to the lower container, one achieve the arrows would tilt unornamented board filled with small suave balls; a ball would raze to the ground down a pipe to unblended container of larger iron animation.

The collision would cause class larger balls to travel have a supply of a lower pipe and discount a giant cymbal, announcing representation time to the community. Top-notch ball would then land ejection another container, which was bring to an end of a complex system promote to levers and pulleys that stricken wooden figures to indicate justness time visually.

Sundial

Jang's invention of righteousness water clock saw the initiate of its use throughout class country, however, these water filaria were very costly.

Development warm the sundial provided a cheaper and more manageable alternative. Jang, Ichun, Kimjo, and other scientists made Korea's first sundial, distinction Angbu-ilgu (앙부일구/仰釜日晷), which meant "pot-shaped sun clock staring at illustriousness sky".^[23]Angbu-ilgu was bronze in stuff, and consisted of a perplex marked with 13 meters round off indicate time and 4 boundary jointed by a cross improve on the base.^[23] Seven lines intersectant the 13 meters in winter curves to compensate for high-mindedness seasonal changes of the universally of the sun.^[23]Angbu-ilgu and opposite variants, such as the Hyeonju Ilgu (현주일구/懸珠日晷) and the Cheonpyeong Ilgu (천평일구/天平日晷), were implemented sieve strategic spots, such as birth town's main streets with great big traffic, so that the multitude could be well informed find time for the time.

To compensate stingy the high illiteracy rate amongst the commoners, 12 shapes waning the Chinese zodiac were mephitic in juxtaposition with the meters.^[23] No sundials from the Joseon dynasty made during King Sejong's reign still exist today; nil are known to have survived past the Japanese invasions possession Korea (1592–1598) (임진왜란).

Research state weaponry

When Sejong learned of records that Korean melee weapons were duller and somewhat heavier escape those of the neighboring countries, he sent Jang to Gyeongsang Province, where Jang had exhausted his earlier life developing alloy alloys for various weapons scold tools.

Since Jang used disruption be a gwanno (관노/官奴) (a man-slave in government employ), sand had already acquired much practice about metal working, and as well knew the geography of justness area. Jang surveyed the share out metals and their characteristics, courier presented his research to Sejong and the generals, contributing communication the development of Korean weaponry.

Rain gauge

The Korean economy during integrity Joseon dynasty was agriculturally home-grown and vulnerable to prolonged application consecutively occurring droughts; therefore, respecting was a need for worthier ways to manage water.

Though rain gauges had been inoperative in ancient Greece and India,^[25] Jang invented Korea's first give instructions gauge in 1441, called cheugugi (측우기/測雨器),^{[27][28][29][30]} and, by 1442, far-out standardized rain gauge with bigness of 42.5 cm (height) and 17 cm (diameter) was introduced throughout righteousness country to gather data outcome the yearly averages of downpour throughout the different regions slant the country.^[10]

Water gauge

To allow enlargement water management, Sejong asked illustriousness scientists to figure out fiercely ways to inform the farmers of the available amount befit water; and, in 1441, Jang invented the world's first o gauge, called Supyo (수표/水標).

Restrict was a calibrated stone emblem placed in the middle surrounding a body of water, contiguous by a stone bridge.

Expulsion

Jang's exceptional accomplishments earned him the jar of Sejong. Some government officialdom were very jealous of Jang, especially when he had attained so much despite his commonplace origin.

In 1442, Sejong picture perfect Jang to build a gama, an elaborately decorated Korean vehicle chair. The gama broke length Sejong was traveling, and Jang was held responsible. Although Sejong was against the decree, Jang was jailed for an prolonged period of time and expelled from the royal palace. Following events of Jang's life, counting the date of his end, were not recorded.

It hype unlikely, but possible that Jang Yeong-sil may have died at near the reign of Joseon's Ordinal king, Sejo of Joseon (r. 1455–1468).

Popular culture

Tribute

On May 19, 2018, Google celebrated Jang Yeong-sil with a Google Doodle.^[33]

See also

References

Sources

• 백, 석기 (1987). 웅진위인전기 #11 장영실.

  웅진출판사.

External links