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25-571: The Gukhak was established early in the Unified Silla period, in 682 (the second year of King Sinmun ). During the reign of King Gyeongdeok (r. 742-765) its name was changed briefly to Daehakgam (대학감, 大學監) but reverted to Gukhak during the following reign of King Hyegong (r. 765-780). Like its counterpart in Tang China, the Gukhak was established primarily to train local officials in

50-608: A census of all towns' size and population, as well as horses , cows and special products and recorded the data in Minjeongmunseo (민정문서). The reporting was done by the leader of each town. A national Confucian college was established in 682 and around 750 it was renamed the National Confucian University. The university was restricted to the elite aristocracy. However, in Silla society, because

75-424: A 'whole world (천하)'. More to this, Silla gave noble ranks to the nobles of Goguryeo and Baekje as a token of unification. So a historically more accurate term for this era would be Unified Silla. In 660, King Munmu ordered his armies to attack Baekje. General Kim Yu-sin , aided by Tang forces, defeated General Gyebaek and conquered Baekje. In 661, he moved on Goguryeo but was repelled. Silla then fought against

100-672: A Silla prince whose influence made Mount Jiuhua one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism. Unified Silla and the Tang maintained close ties. This was evidenced by the continual importation of Chinese culture . Many Korean monks went to China to learn about Buddhism . The monk Hyecho went to India to study Buddhism and wrote an account of his travels. Different new sects of Buddhism were introduced by these traveling monks who had studied abroad such as Seon and Pure Land Buddhism . Unified Silla conducted

125-572: A dominant position— Goryeo , itself named in homage to the earlier northern Goguryeo kingdom—and form a unified Korean state and a dynasty which would last almost 500 years. The Unified Silla Kingdom (668–935) had held sway over the Korean peninsula for three centuries, but by the 10th century the state had been in steady decline. During this time, local aristocrats developed greater independence, until they functionally became independent warlords. Peasants were regularly robbed. Kyŏn Hwŏn (867–936),

150-429: A new Goguryeo state in the north. After serving as one of Yang Kil 's commanders and generals, he betrayed Yang and killed him in 901. His capital was first at Songak ( Gaesong ) and then Cheorwon . He also twice changed the name of his kingdom, to Majin in 904 and Taebong in 911, although the state is best remembered by the name Later Goguryeo ( 후고구려 ). Kung Ye was seen as an eccentric tyrant by both farmers and

175-454: A partial revival of the old three kingdoms which had dominated the peninsula from the 1st century BC to the 7th century. After the Unified Silla kingdom had ruled Korea alone from 668, it slowly began to decline and the power vacuum this created led to several rebellious states rising up and taking on the old historical names of Korea's ancient kingdoms. A messy period of alliances and in-fighting followed, but one state would once again establish

200-425: A peasant leader and Silla army officer, took advantage of the political unrest in 892 and made himself military governor of the city of Muju . In 900, Kyŏn joined forces with the bandit ringleader Yang Kil , formed a revival of the old Baekje (Paekche) kingdom in the south-west portion of the peninsula. He chose what is now Jeonju as his capital. In 901, an aristocratic Buddhist monk leader, Kung Ye , declared

225-611: Is the name often applied to the historical period of the Korean kingdom of Silla after its conquest of Goguryeo in 668 AD, which marked the end of the Three Kingdoms period . In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alliance conquered Baekje in the Baekje–Tang War . Following the Goguryeo–Tang War and Silla–Tang War in the 7th century, Silla annexed the southern part of Goguryeo, unifying the central and southern regions of

250-515: The Korean peninsula . Unified Silla existed during the Northern and Southern States period at a time when Balhae controlled the north of the peninsula. Unified Silla lasted for 267 years until it fell to Goryeo in 935 during the reign of King Gyeongsun . North Korean historians criticize the term "Unified Silla" as traditionally "Unified Silla" is considered to be the first unified kingdom of

275-569: The bone-rank system was used for the election of officials rather than the imperial examination process that was used in Confucianism, the National Confucian University did not have great appeal to the nobility class of Silla. Silla was very scientifically and technologically advanced for the time. There was an emphasis put on astrology especially as it was closely tied to agriculture. This allowed them to accurately record events such as solar eclipses and lunar eclipses. Woodblock printing

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300-867: The 8th and 9th centuries dominated the seas of East Asia and the trade between China, Korea and Japan, most notably during the time of Jang Bogo ; in addition, Silla people made overseas communities in China on the Shandong Peninsula and the mouth of the Yangtze River . Unified Silla was a golden age of art and culture, as evidenced by the Hwangnyongsa , Seokguram , and Emille Bell . Buddhism flourished during this time, and many Korean Buddhists gained great fame among Chinese Buddhists and contributed to Chinese Buddhism, including: Woncheuk , Wonhyo , Uisang , Musang , and Kim Gyo-gak ,

325-621: The Confucian classics and the composition skills requisite for the governance of an enlarged Silla state. The establishment of such an institution was increasingly critical by the 7th century with the maturation of Silla's bureaucratic system modeled upon that of Tang China. The Gukhak was superseded by the Gukjagam , which was established in Gaegyeong in 992 during the Goryeo dynasty. In

350-460: The Gukhak, people who have less than an ambassador or who can have a degree even if they do not. Students were able to enter Gukhak from 15 to 30 years old. When they graduated from the Gukhak, they were given the title of Nama or 'Daema'. It is estimated that most of the students were six-dupum. This Korean history -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Unified Silla Unified Silla , or Late Silla ,

375-706: The Korean people as a whole. North Korea recognises Goryeo as the first country that unified the Korean people. The people of Silla considered themselves to be a kingdom of unified Koreans and called it "삼한일통" which means unifying three kingdoms. As he lay on his death bed, one of the main generals "Kim Yu-sin", wrote this term "삼한일통" in a letter to King Munmu. From this, the Kings of Silla continued to hold this perception and it may be seen in King Sinmun's instalment of "9 counties (9주)" and "9 서당 (9 Legions)". In ancient Asia, number 9 refers to great things, and 9 counties means

400-482: The Korean people. According to the North Korean perspective, Goryeo was the first state to unify the Korean people as Silla failed to conquer the most part of Goguryeo and Balhae still existed after the establishment of "Unified Silla"; Balhae also occupied territory north of the Korean peninsula. North Korean historians use the term "Late Silla (후기신라)" as using the word "late" suggests that Silla never unified

425-514: The Later Baekje capital. Kyŏn Hwŏn then lost a battle at Geochang to a force led by Wang. Back at the Baekje capital, Kyŏn Hwŏn faced a rebellion led by his son Kyŏn Sin-gŏm , who, displeased that his father had favoured his younger brother as next in line for the throne, imprisoned Kyŏn Hwŏn. Wang was now in possession of most of Silla's territory. His position as de facto ruler of Korea

450-489: The Tang dynasty for nearly a decade. During its heyday, the country contested with Balhae , a Goguryeo–Mohe kingdom, to the north for supremacy in the region. Throughout its existence, Unified Silla was plagued by intrigue and political turmoil in its newly conquered northern territory, caused by the rebel groups and factions in Baekje and Goguryeo, which eventually led to the Later Three Kingdoms period in

475-414: The late 9th century. Gyeongju remained the capital of Silla throughout the whole existence of the dynasty, which demonstrates the power of the governmental system employed in Silla. By using the “Bone Clan Class” system , a small group of powerful people (the 'bone clan') was able to rule over a large number of subjects. To maintain this rule over a large number of people for an extensive period of time, it

500-430: The peninsula. Kyŏn Hwŏn attacked Gyeongju , the Silla capital, in 927. Later Baekje attacked the Silla kingdom in 920 and 924. Silla responded by calling on Later Goguryeo for assistance. When Baekje attacked and sacked the Silla capital of Gyeongju in 927, the Silla king Gyeongae of Silla (r. 924–927) was forced to commit suicide and a puppet ruler, Kim Pu installed in his place. Wang responded by attacking

525-469: The principal philosophical ideologies of the elite as well as the mainstays of the period's architecture and fine arts. Its last king, Gyeongsun , ruled over the state in name only and submitted to Wang Geon of the emerging Goryeo in 935, bringing the Silla dynasty to an end. Unified Silla carried on the maritime prowess of Baekje , which acted like the Phoenicia of medieval East Asia , and during

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550-487: The upper classes. He reportedly believed himself to be the Maitreya Buddha , claimed he had mind reading powers, and reportedly had 200 monks chanting mantras following him during his excursions. In 918, a coup was launched against him. Kung was replaced by his general Wang Kŏn (also called Wang Geon), who restored the name Goryeo to the kingdom. There then followed a protracted power struggle for control of

575-476: Was important for the government to keep the unity of the bone-rank system and hold the governed subjects in a low social status. Despite its political instability, Unified Silla was a prosperous country, and its metropolitan capital of Seorabeol (present-day Gyeongju) was the fourth-largest city in the world at the time. Through close ties maintained with the Tang dynasty , Buddhism and Confucianism became

600-468: Was recognised by the Tang dynasty of China in 932. In 934, after Wang's overwhelming victory over Baekje at Unju ( Hongseong ), refugees from the northern Manchurian state of Balhae (Parhae) felt the situation stable enough to return to Korea. Gyeongsun of Silla surrendered and named Wang as his successor in 935. In that same year, Kyŏn, who had escaped to Later Goguryeo territory, appealed to his old enemy Wang for help to remove Kyŏn Sin-gŏm. Kyŏn led

625-406: Was used to disseminate Buddhist sutras and Confucian works. During a refurbishment of the " Pagoda That Casts No Shadows ", an ancient print of a Buddhist sutra was discovered. The print is dated to 751 CE and is one of the oldest discovered printed material in the world. Later Three Kingdoms The Later Three Kingdoms period ( Korean :  후삼국시대 ; 889–936 AD ) of ancient Korea saw

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