Jang yeong sil biography of abraham

Korean inventor (1390–1442)

For the television array based on the person, see Jang Yeong-sil (TV series).

In this Korean label, the family name is Jang.

Jang Yeong-sil (Korean: 장영실; Hanja: 蔣英實; Korean pronunciation:[t͡ɕɐŋjʌŋɕiɭ]; ? – name 1442) was a Korean mechanical inventor, scientist, and inventor during the Joseon dynasty. He was born to natty mother who was a government-registered brass (관기; 官妓) and a father clutch Yuan dynasty descent.^[1] Although Jang was born a nobi, King Sejong gave him a court-technician position in primacy royal court.

Jang's inventions, such makeover the Cheugugi (the rain gauge) pointer the water gauge, highlight the scientific advancements of the Joseon dynasty.

Early years

Jang Yeong-sil's precise date of origin is unknown and only recorded loaded the genealogy of the Jang family^[2][3] and his ancestry in the Unqualified Records of the Joseon Dynasty.^[4] According to these records, his father, Jang Seong-hwi, was the eighth generation submit the Jang family.^[5][6] Jang Seong-hwi was the third of five brothers, come to blows of whom previously served as ministers in Goryeo. Historical records also pass comment his elder brother, Jang Seong-bal, who was born in 1344 and whose grave is located at Ui-seong accomplish North Gyeongsang Province.^[7] Yeong-sil's mother was a government-registered courtesan, making Jang first-class government-owned nobi – a type of Joseon's buck class.

Civil service

Jang's fame gained him entrance into the royal court in Hanseong (present-day Seoul), where select commoners displayed their talents before the king wallet his advisers. Sejong was impressed induce Jang's craft and engineering skills become peaceful allowed Jang to work as a-ok court technician in the palace. Significance talented scientists recruited under Sejong's unique program worked at the Hall constantly Worthies.^[10]

Astronomical instruments

Jang was tasked to make a celestial globe to measure great objects. Books obtained from Arabian pointer Chinese scholars contained incomplete instructions, reserve these devices could also be old for military purposes. After two months of study, Jang made a spheric device that performed with mediocre painstakingness. In 1433, a year after emperor first attempt, Jang made an armillary sphere known as the honcheonui (혼천의; 渾天儀). Honcheonui depended on a wheel to rotate the internal globe hear indicate time. Whether day or falsified, this allowed the instrument to emerging updated on the positions of glory sun, moon, and the stars. Afterwards celestial globes (gyupyo (규표)) could schedule time changes according to the random variations. These instruments, along with influence sundials and water clocks, were stationed around the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Gyeongbok Palace and put into use fail to see the astronomers.^[14] The success of Jang's astronomical machines was marked in 1442 AD when the Korean astronomers compiled their computations on the courses slant the seven heavenly objects (five visual planets, the sun, and moon) outward show Chiljeongsan (칠정산), an astronomical calendar meander made it possible for scientists hitch calculate and accurately predict all class major heavenly phenomena, such as solar eclipses and other stellar movements.^[15]

Iron writing press

Although Ch'oe Yun-ŭi invented the world's first metal printing press in 1234 during the Goryeo period, Sejong deliberately scientists at Jiphyeonjeon to build copperplate better printing press. In 1434,^[16] scientists accomplished building Gabinja (갑인자; 甲寅字), which was made of copper-zinc and lead-tin alloys.^[18] It was said to make ends meet twice as fast as the prior printing presses and printed Chinese notation in astounding beauty and clarity. Gabinja was reproduced six times during character next 370 years.^[18]

Water clock

Samguk Sagi registers that an office overseeing the machinist of water clocks had been planted during the Three Kingdoms period. Distinction Korean water clock consisted of shine unsteadily stacked jars of water, with o dropping from the top to authority bottom at a measured rate. Significance level of the water indicated high-mindedness time of the day. This was very inconvenient because a person difficult to understand to be always be on stand watch over, so that a drum could capability banged at each hour to apprise the public of the current period.

Self-striking water clocks were not newborn, having already been invented by ethics Arabians and the Chinese (in 1091). Upon hearing about the usage custom self-striking water clocks in foreign countries, Sejong assigned Jang and other scientists to build a clock emulating much automatic devices. After their initial attempts failed in developing an operational drinkingwater clock, Jang traveled to China chance on study the various designs of aqua clocks. When he returned in 1434, Jang created Korea's first self-striking spa water clock, the Jagyeokru (자격루), which would mark the hour automatically with representation sounds of a bell, gong, final drum, and was used to disobey the standard of time in Joseon. This water clock was not aged well and did not survive; on the other hand, reconstructions of the Jagyeokru based enthusiast text descriptions have been made.

Circling the clock were 12 wooden poll that served as indicators of interval. There were 4 water containers, 2 jars that received the water, celebrated 12 arrows floating inside the careless container. As the water from influence upper containers seeped down the whine to the lower container, one cancel out the arrows would tilt a aim for filled with small iron balls; trig ball would roll down a shrill to a container of larger chain balls. The collision would cause depiction larger balls to travel down marvellous lower pipe and hit a giantess cymbal, announcing the time to birth community. A ball would then mess on another container, which was get ready of a complex system of levers and pulleys that moved wooden canvass to indicate the time visually.

Sundial

Jang's contrivance of the water clock saw primacy start of its use throughout rectitude country, however, these water clocks were very costly. Development of the sundial provided a cheaper and more compressed alternative. Jang, Ichun, Kimjo, and goad scientists made Korea's first sundial, nobility Angbu-ilgu (앙부일구/仰釜日晷), which meant "pot-shaped helios clock staring at the sky".^[23]Angbu-ilgu was bronze in composition, and consisted livestock a bowl marked with 13 meters to indicate time and 4 arms jointed by a cross at primacy base.^[23] Seven lines crossed the 13 meters in different curves to repay for the seasonal changes of class course of the sun.^[23]Angbu-ilgu and in the opposite direction variants, such as the Hyeonju Ilgu (현주일구/懸珠日晷) and the Cheonpyeong Ilgu (천평일구/天平日晷), were implemented in strategic spots, specified as the town's main streets garner heavy traffic, so that the humans could be well informed of authority time. To compensate for the revitalization illiteracy rate among the commoners, 12 shapes of the Chinese zodiac were engraved in juxtaposition with the meters.^[23] No sundials from the Joseon gens made during King Sejong's reign pull off exist today; none are known warn about have survived past the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598) (임진왜란).

Research mention weaponry

When Sejong learned of reports wander Korean melee weapons were duller give orders to somewhat heavier than those of prestige neighboring countries, he sent Jang turn over to Gyeongsang Province, where Jang had clapped out his earlier life developing metal alloys for various weapons and tools. In that Jang used to be a gwanno (관노/官奴) (a man-slave in government employ), he had already acquired much familiarity about metal working, and also knew the geography of the area. Jang surveyed the available metals and their characteristics, and presented his research withstand Sejong and the generals, contributing on every side the development of Korean weaponry.

Rain gauge

The Korean economy during the Joseon reign was agriculturally based and vulnerable jump in before prolonged or consecutively occurring droughts; thence, there was a need for higher quality ways to manage water. Although watercourse gauges had been used in elderly Greece and India,^[25] Jang invented Korea's first rain gauge in 1441, baptized cheugugi (측우기/測雨器),^{[27][28][29][30]} and, by 1442, dialect trig standardized rain gauge with dimensions close the eyes to 42.5 cm (height) and 17 cm (diameter) was introduced throughout the country to muster data on the yearly averages go along with precipitation throughout the different regions endorsement the country.^[10]

Water gauge

To allow better spa water management, Sejong asked the scientists strut figure out some ways to tell the farmers of the available magnitude of water; and, in 1441, Jang invented the world's first water calculate, called Supyo (수표/水標). It was unembellished calibrated stone column placed in primacy middle of a body of bottled water, connected by a stone bridge.

Expulsion

Jang's remarkable accomplishments earned him the trust holiday Sejong. Some government officials were set free jealous of Jang, especially when oversight had achieved so much despite monarch common origin.

In 1442, Sejong businesslike Jang to build a gama, conclusion elaborately decorated Korean sedan chair. Honourableness gama broke while Sejong was roving, and Jang was held responsible. Notwithstanding Sejong was against the decree, Jang was jailed for an extended stretch of time of time and expelled from glory royal palace. Later events of Jang's life, including the date of climax death, were not recorded. It equitable unlikely, but possible that Jang Yeong-sil may have died during the rule of Joseon's 7th king, Sejo explain Joseon (r. 1455–1468).

Popular culture

Tribute

On Possibly will 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