Emperor Seongjo of Zhenia

Emperor Seongjo of Zhenia (Seomun: 聖祖, Jinmun: 대동진제국 성조황제), alternately referred to as Emperor Seongjo of Shindan or his personal name Li Zichuan (Seomun: 李自淸, Jinmun: 이자청), was the founder and first emperor of the Empire of Zhenia that reigned from 1848 to 1853, as well as the 28th and last emperor of Shindan, reigning from 1803 to his death in 1853. His rule saw the unification of Zhenia through the Wars of Zhenian Unification and the rapid transformation of Shindan from a decadent colonial nation to an industrialized power, as well as the transformation of Zhenia from a decentralized, divided state into an industrialized world power. He is also the first Zhenian emperor in history not to receive a temple name of either Taejo or Gojo, which are normally given to emperors that began the dynasty.

Due to the profound changes in the course of Zhenia's history under his rule, Emperor Seongjo is widely regarded as one of the greatest rulers in Zhenian history. Under his leadership, Shindan took shape as the leading agent of Zhenian unification by spearheading several international efforts to bring together the Golden Arc region and the mainland. He also led several expeditions into the mainland against Zhang loyalists and surviving states in western and southern Zhenia during the Wars of Zhenian Unification, ultimately unifying Zhenia under a single flag for the first time since the Zhen dynasty. Having spearheaded the creation of the Gwangseong Treaty Organization as well as the Shinzhen Doctrine, he made significant marks that would dictate the direction of Zhenia's foreign policies several decades after his death. Due to the authoritarian but modern nature of his rule, he is widely regarded as the "father of modern Zhenia" as well as the "last pre-modern leader of pre-modern Zhenia".

Early Life
Emperor Seongjo was born with the name Li Zichuan on June 4, 1787, as an illegitimate second son of King Jeongjo, in the port city of Jeonju, Anam Province. Having spent his early years near the port, Li Zichuan made contact with the Auroran and Southeast Tarsic missionaries and traders, from whom he gained insight into what had been going on outside the Danguk peninsula. At age 7, he became one of the first 20 students to have enrolled in the Jeonju Shinhak Academy, one of the first primary and secondary institutions in the nation to have been established by Azoran missionaries. It is estimated that he gained access to several advanced fields of science and academia from the west in this period, sparking an interest in western academia that would last well through his life.

With the early death of his brother and the deposition of Emperor Jeongjo's only legitimate son in 1801, Li Zichuan was selected as the of Shindan, with no other candidates among the direct descendants of the King. After the selection as crown prince of Shindan, he was relocated to Sanggyeong, where he received formal education in the Jinhyeongwan Academy, the faculty of which included several high members of government as well as those included in the Western Inspectors in the 1370s and 1380s AC. His interest in western fields of science and advanced studies were continued in Sanggyeong, spending several hours of discussion with Azoran diplomats and scholars visiting the Royal Court. Amid such circumstances, his was held on April 15, 1803, shortly after the death of Emperor Jeongjo a few days beforehand.

Daeseong Reforms
One of the first actions undertaken by Emperor Seongjo was a set of reforms that proliferated several of the practices already in Shindan and its territories in the Golden Arc to the remainder of the empire. This included a nationwide prohibition of topknots, the complete abolishment of the social caste system, standardization of measurement, and several policies associated with industrialization and modernization. Many of the policies already in work within Shindan were expanded to the mainland, promoting further development in the mainland where modernization was relatively slower than in the Golden Arc region.

Legacy
Emperor Seongjo is regarded as the "father of modern Zhenia" alongside Amasar Ren, for his accomplishments of the reunification of Zhenia and the modernization of both the Shindan dynasty and the Empire of Zhenia. He is also simultaneously considered the "last pre-modern ruler of Zhenia", due to the relatively authoritarian nature of his rule. He is considered as one of the "greatest Zhenians in history", as suggested by a 1600 AC report filed by the Zhenia Shinbo.

In Popular Culture
Given his historical reputation, Emperor Seongjo is one of the most commonly-portrayed figure in Zhenian popular culture, although most often in historical dramas with his era as the background. Many of the novels, poems and paintings depicting Emperor Seongjo during the Empire depicts him as a heroic figure, with some cases likening him to Shinmir and Gaonmir in Zhenian Wuism.

Recent portrayals of Emperor Seongjo in popular culture have given light to more controversial issues regarding his life and legacy, including the conspiracy of using surrogates during his rule. A key example is the controversial 2015 documentary film Shadow of Daeseong, which has described in detail the existence of Emperor Seongjo's surrogate.