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96-649: The park is located inside the oldest earthen fortification in Korea, dating from about 261 C.E. (during the Three Kingdoms period). During the Sino-Japanese war in 1894–1895 the land was used as a Japanese military base. The park was created in 1905, and was renovated to its current form in 1965. Animals at the zoo include Asian elephants , peacocks , Bengal tigers , a brown bear , llamas , pheasants , vultures , owls , monkeys , zebras , wolves , and

192-420: A jaguar . 35°52′26″N 128°34′40″E  /  35.8739854°N 128.5778689°E  / 35.8739854; 128.5778689 This article on a zoo , aquarium , safari park , dolphinarium , or aviary is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Three Kingdoms of Korea The Three Kingdoms of Korea or Samhan ( Goguryeo , Baekje and Silla ) competed for hegemony over

288-469: A "sacred" and a "true bone" parent were considered as "true bones". There were also many ways for a "sacred bone" to be demoted to a "true bone", thus making the entire system even more likely to collapse eventually. The king (or queen) theoretically was an absolute monarch, but royal powers were somewhat constrained by a strong aristocracy. The " Hwabaek " (화백,和白) served as royal council with decision-making authorities on some vital issues like succession to

384-402: A brief period of about a century from the late 7th to late 8th centuries the monarchy made an attempt to divest aristocratic officialdom of their landed base by instituting a system of salary payments, or office land ( jikjeon , 직전, 職田), in lieu of the former system whereby aristocratic officials were given grants of land to exploit as salary (the so–called tax villages, or nog-eup , 녹읍, 祿邑). By

480-527: A centralized government. Silla was the smallest and weakest of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, but it used cunning diplomatic means to make opportunistic pacts and alliances with the more powerful Korean kingdoms, and eventually Tang China, to its great advantage. Renamed from Saro to Silla in 503, the kingdom annexed the Gaya confederacy (which in turn had absorbed Byeonhan earlier) in the first half of

576-525: A fundamental role in transmitting cultural and material developments to ancient Japan , including Chinese written characters , Chinese and Korean literature , technologies such as ferrous metallurgy and ceramics , architectural styles , sericulture and Buddhism . Baekje exerted its political influence on Tamna , a kingdom that ruled Jeju Island . Baekje maintained a close relationship with and extracted tribute from Tamna. Baekje's religious and artistic culture influenced Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje

672-462: A regional scale between cemeteries. Near the end of the 2nd century AD, interior space in elite burials increased in size, and wooden chamber burial construction techniques were increasingly used by elites. In the 3rd century, a pattern developed in which single elite cemeteries that were the highest in status compared to all the other cemeteries were built. Such cemeteries were established at high elevations along ridgelines and on hilltops. Furthermore,

768-481: A similar culture and language. Baekje and Goguryeo shared founding myths which likely originated in Buyeo. Buddhism , which arrived in Korea in the 3rd century AD from India via Tibet and China, became the state religion of all constituents of the three kingdoms, starting with Goguryeo in 372 AD. The Three Kingdoms of Korea all had a warrior aristocracy in contrast to the literary elite of China. The period ended in

864-554: A single river valley, etc. make up some of these correlates that define states. Among the archaeology sites dating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea, hundreds of cemeteries with thousands of burials have been excavated. The vast majority of archaeological evidence of the Three Kingdoms period of Korea consists of burials, but since the 1990s there has been a great increase in the archaeological excavations of ancient industrial production sites, roads, palace grounds and elite precincts, ceremonial sites, commoner households, and fortresses due to

960-566: A strong military force. Silla helped Baekje drive Goguryeo out of the Han River ( Seoul ) area, and then wrested control of the entire central western Korea region from Baekje in 553, breaching the 120-year Baekje-Silla alliance. Also, King Jinheung established the Hwarang . The early period ended with the death of Jindeok of Silla and the demise of the "hallowed bone" ( 성골 ; seonggol ) rank system. The royal title Maripgan ( 마립간 )

1056-407: A sufficient number and scale that state-level societies can be confidently identified using archaeological data. Lee Sung-Joo analyzed variability in many of the elite cemeteries of the territories of Silla and Gaya polities and found that as late as the 2nd century there was intra-cemetery variation in the distribution of prestige grave goods , but there was an absence of hierarchical differences on

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1152-460: Is analyzed into two elements in many popular explanations, with the first element alleged to be from the Korean root or from a word related to Middle Korean marh meaning "stake, post, pile, picket, peg, pin (of a tent)". The second element, gan ( Hangul : 간), is a likely cognate to han ( Hangul : 한) and the word for "big, great" keun, first attested as Late Old Korean 黑根 *hùkú-n. Both carry

1248-456: Is characterized by the rising power of the monarchy at the expense of the jingol nobility. This was made possible by the new wealth and prestige garnered as a result of Silla's unification of the peninsula, as well as the monarchy's successful suppression of several armed aristocratic revolts following early upon unification, which afforded the king the opportunity of purging the most powerful families and rivals to central authority. Further, for

1344-541: Is pronounced Silla . According to the Samguk sagi , the name of 新羅 ( Silla ), consisting of the components sin ( 新 ), as in deogeobilsin ( 德業日新 ) and ra , as in mangnasabang ( 網羅四方 ) is thought to be a later Confucian interpretation. The modern Seoul is a shortened form of Seorabeol, meaning "capital city", and was continuously used throughout the Goryeo and Joseon periods even in official documents, despite

1440-517: The Shinsen Shōjiroku , Inahi no Mikoto the brother of the mythological Emperor Jimmu was the ancestor to the kings of Silla. Another source found in Samguk sagi claims that a Japanese man named, Hogong helped build the kingdom of Silla. In its early days, Silla started off as a city-state by the name of Saro ( 사로국 ; 斯盧國 ), initially founded by Yemaek refugees from Gojoseon . It has also accepted dispersed people fleeing from

1536-638: The Korean Peninsula during the ancient period of Korean history . During the Three Kingdoms period ( Korean :  삼국시대 ), many states and statelets consolidated until, after Buyeo was annexed in 494 and Gaya was annexed in 562, only three remained on the Korean Peninsula: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The " Korean Three Kingdoms " contributed to what would become Korea; and the Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla peoples became

1632-533: The Korean people . The three kingdoms occupied the entire peninsula and roughly half of Manchuria (modern-day Northeast China and small parts of the Russian Far East ). Goguryeo controlled the northern half of the peninsula, as well as Liaodong Peninsula and Manchuria. Baekje and Silla occupied the southern half of the peninsula. The island kingdoms of Tamna and Usan were subordinated to Baekje and Silla, respectively. All three kingdoms shared

1728-539: The Later Silla period, the concepts of Samhan as the ancient confederacies and the Three Kingdoms of Korea were merged. In a letter to an imperial tutor of the Tang dynasty, Ch'oe Ch'i-wŏn equated Byeonhan to Baekje, Jinhan to Silla, and Mahan to Goguryeo. By the Goryeo period, Samhan became a common name to refer to all of Korea. In his Ten Mandates to his descendants, Wang Geon declared that he had unified

1824-613: The Later Three Kingdoms and ultimately annexed by the new Goguryeo revivalist state of Goryeo . Beginning in the 7th century, the name " Samhan " became synonymous with the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The "Han" in the names of the Korean Empire , Daehan Jeguk , and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Daehan Minguk or Hanguk , are named in reference to the Three Kingdoms of Korea, not the ancient confederacies in

1920-713: The Nakdong River basin attacked the Silla-friendly Aragaya , the prince of Aragaya asked Silla for a rescue army, and the king ordered Crown Prince Seok Uro to gather his troops and attack the eight kingdoms. Crown Prince SeokUro saved Aragaya and rescued 6,000 of the pro-Silla Gaya people who had been captured and returned to their homeland. Three years later, three among the eight countries (浦上八國), Golpo-guk, Chilpo-guk, and Gosapo-guk, will launch counterattacks against Silla. A battle took place in Yeomhae ,

2016-595: The Samhan . Silla began as "Saro-guk", a statelet within the 12-member confederacy known as Jinhan . Saro-guk consisted of six clans later known as the Six Clans of Jinhan ( 진한 6부 ; 辰韓六部 ) from Gojoseon. According to Korean records, Silla was founded by Bak Hyeokgeose of Silla in 57 BCE, around present-day Gyeongju . Hyeokgeose is said to have been hatched from an egg laid from a white horse, and when he turned 13, six clans submitted to him as king and established

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2112-850: The Tang dynasty during the Silla–Tang War . The pike unit, called Changchangdang that would later be known as the Bigeum Legion ( 비금서당 ) as part of the Nine Legions ( 구서당 ) and which was consisted of Silla folks, had a special purpose to counter the Göktürks cavalries operated by the Tang army during the Silla-Tang War . In addition, Silla's central army, the Nine Legions ( 구서당 ), were consisted of Silla, Goguryeo , Baekje , and Mohe people. These nine legions aimed at defending

2208-525: The Three Kingdoms of China. The Three Kingdoms were founded after the fall of Wiman Joseon and gradually conquered and absorbed various other small states and confederacies. After the fall of Gojoseon , the Han dynasty established four commanderies in the northwestern Korean Peninsula and present Liaoning . Three fell quickly to the Samhan , and the last was destroyed by Goguryeo in 313. The nascent precursors of Baekje and Silla expanded within

2304-462: The Unified Silla . According to Korean records, in 57 BC, Seorabeol (or Saro, later Silla) in the southeast of the peninsula unified and expanded the confederation of city-states known as Jinhan . Although Samguk sagi records that Silla was the earliest-founded of the three kingdoms, other written and archaeological records indicate that Silla was likely the last of the three to establish

2400-497: The capital became complete in formation and compilation after Silla unified the Three Kingdoms . Each Legions were known for their representative colors marked on their collars and were constituted by different groups. The Golden, Red, and Dark Blue Legion employed Goguryeoans while the Blue and White Legion accepted Baekje folks into their ranks. The Bigeum (also Red in color), Green, and Purple Legion were formed by Sillan people whilst

2496-624: The "Eastern Barbarians" section (東夷傳) from the Book of Wei (魏書) of the Records of the Three Kingdoms in China. All three kingdoms shared a similar culture and language. The Book of Sui (Volume 81) recorded: "The customs, laws and clothes of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla are generally identical." Their original religions appear to have been shamanistic , but they were increasingly influenced by Chinese culture, particularly Confucianism and Taoism . In

2592-456: The 4th century, Buddhism was introduced to the peninsula and spread rapidly, briefly becoming the official religion of all three kingdoms. According to Lisa Kay Bailey, the material culture of the Three Kingdoms can be clearly distinguished as they displayed cultural influence from different regions. Goguryeo's culture showed stronger influence from northern Chinese art, Baekche showed stronger influence from southern Chinese art, and Silla, which

2688-489: The 6th century, when Silla acquired a detailed system of law and governance, social status and official advancement were dictated by the bone rank system . This rigid lineage-based system also dictated clothing, house size, and the permitted range of marriage. Since its emergence as a centralized polity Silla society had been characterized by its strict aristocratic makeup. Silla had two royal classes: "sacred bone" ( seonggol , 성골, 聖骨) and "true bone" ( jingol , 진골, 眞骨). Up until

2784-514: The 6th century. Goguryeo and Baekje responded by forming an alliance. To cope with invasions from Goguryeo and Baekje, Silla deepened its relations with the Tang dynasty, with her newly gained access to the Yellow Sea making direct contact with the Tang possible. After the conquest of Goguryeo and Baekje with her Tang allies, the Silla kingdom drove the Tang forces out of the peninsula and occupied

2880-473: The 7th century, after Silla allied with Tang China and unified the peninsula for the first time in history. After the fall of Baekje and Goguryeo, the Tang dynasty established a short-lived military government to administer parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla was joined by Goguryeo and Baekje loyalists and fought the Tang for hegemony over the Korean Peninsula. Silla was eventually divided into

2976-548: The Black Legion took dispersed Mohe refugees into their fold that came along with Goguryeo refugees after the Fall of Goguryeo . Silla is also known for its maritime prowess shown by the navy backed with master shipbuilding and seamanship. The boats employed were usually called Sillaseon ( 신라선 ), which had an international reputation for its solid durability and effective capabilities that were said to 'enable men surf across

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3072-726: The Chinese Lelang commandery in 313. The cultural influence of the Chinese continued as Buddhism was adopted as the official religion in 372. Goguryeo was a highly militaristic state; it was a powerful empire and one of the great powers in East Asia . The state was at its zenith in the 5th century, during the rule of King Gwanggaeto the Great and his son King Jangsu , and particularly during their campaign in Manchuria. For

3168-722: The Goguryeo ruling tribe of Geumgwan Gaya in 372 AD, by the Silla in 528 AD, and by the Baekje in 552 AD. Allied with China under the Tang dynasty, Silla conquered Goguryeo in 668, after having already conquered Gaya in 562 and Baekje in 660, thus ushering in the North–South states period with Later Silla to the south and Balhae to the north, when Dae Jo-young , a former Goguryeo military officer, revolted against Tang Chinese rule and began reconquering former Goguryeo territories. Archaeologists use theoretical guidelines derived from anthropology , ethnology , analogy, and ethnohistory to

3264-572: The Kim clan established a hereditary monarchy and took the royal title of Maripgan (麻立干; 마립간). However, in the Samguk sagi , Naemul of Silla still appears as a title of Isageum (泥師今; 이사금). He is considered by many historians as the starting point of the Gyeongju Kim period, which lasted more than 550 years. However, even when the Kim monopolized the throne for more than 500 years, the veneration of

3360-551: The Lelang Commandery after Goguryeo's invasion, while later on incorporating native Jin people in the vicinity and Ye people to the North. Talhae of Silla (57 CE–80 CE) was the son-in-law of Namhae of Silla (4 CE–24 CE). According to the Samguk sagi , Seoktalhae was the prince of Yongseongguk (龍成國) or Dapana (多婆那國), located 1,000- ri (里), northeast of Japan (?). Following the will of Namhae of Silla, he became

3456-472: The Mongolian word solgoi "left, east"; (7) It comes from the name of the medieval kingdom of Goryeo (via * Hoɾyo > * Solo(n)- ). The authors of this paper have ended up supporting the sixth hypothesis, i.e. that Mongolian Solongos "Korea, Koreans" ultimately should be cognate with Mongolian soluγai > solγoi "left, wrong side of the body, left-handed, enemy to the east (from the perspective of

3552-582: The Mongols)"." Silla was also referred to as Gyerim ( 계림 ; 鷄林 ), literally "rooster forest", a name that has its origins in the forest near the Silla capital. Legend has it that the state's founder was born in the same forest, hatched from the egg of a cockatrice ( 계룡 ; 雞龍 ; gyeryong ; lit.  rooster-dragon). During the Proto–Three Kingdoms period, central and southern Korea consisted of three confederacies called

3648-578: The Old Korean names of 居西干 Geoseogan (1st century BCE), 次次雄 Chachaung (1st century CE), 泥師今 Isageum (Old Korean: *nisokum) and 麻立干 Maripkan (5th-6th century) instead. It began as a chiefdom in the Jinhan confederacy, part of the Samhan , and after consolidating its power in the immediate area, conquered the Gaya confederacy. Eventually allying with Sui China and then Tang China , it conquered

3744-591: The Siljikgok and Apdok, which were frightened by Silla, also surrendered. Six years later, it entered the inland area and attacked and merged Dabulguk , Bijigukuk, and Chopalguk. During the Naehae of Silla period (196–230), the Eight Port Kingdoms War (浦上八國 亂) broke out to determine hegemony in the southern part of the peninsula. In 209, when the "eight upper countries (of the estuary)" (浦上八國) in

3840-512: The Silla king is descended from Xiongnu. Nonetheless, this hypothesis in respect to the origins of Silla royalty are not accepted in mainstream academia, but rather stand as a minor opinion. Considering the situation of the era when the Monument of King Munmu was created, it is presumed to be propaganda created for friendship with China and northerners and the legitimacy of the dynasty. Nihon Shoki and Kojiki also mentions Silla as

3936-403: The Silla kingship was fixed in the house of Wonseong of Silla (785–798), though the office itself was continually contested among various branches of the Kim lineage. Nevertheless, the middle period of Silla witnessed the state at its zenith, the brief consolidation of royal power, and the attempt to institute a Chinese style bureaucratic system. The final century and a half of the Silla state

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4032-467: The Silla monarchy stressed Buddhism, and the Silla monarch's role as a "Buddha-king". Another salient factor in post-unification politics were the increasing tensions between the Korean monarchy and aristocracy. The early Silla military was built around a small number of Silla royal guards designed to protect royalty and nobility and in times of war served as the primary military force if needed. Due to

4128-520: The Silla–Tang alliance conquered Goguryeo to its north after the Goguryeo–Tang War . Silla then fought against the Tang dynasty for nearly a decade to expel Chinese forces on the peninsula intent on creating Tang colonies there to finally establish a unified kingdom as far north as modern Pyongyang. The northern region of the defunct Goguryeo state later reemerged as Balhae . Silla's middle period

4224-572: The South Korean government. Since the tombs were harder to break into than those of Baekje, a larger number of objects has been preserved. Notable amongst these are Silla's elaborate gold crowns and jewelry. The massive Bronze Bell of King Seongdeok the Great of Silla is known to produce a distinctive sound. Cheomseongdae near Gyeongju is the oldest extant astronomical observatory in East Asia but some disagree on its exact functions. It

4320-453: The Tang dynasty. Goguryeo was alternately called Mahan by the Tang dynasty, as evidenced by a Tang document that called Goguryeo generals "Mahan leaders" ( 마한추장 ; 馬韓酋長 ; Mahan Choojang ) in 645. In 651, Emperor Gaozong of Tang sent a message to the king of Baekje referring to the Three Kingdoms of Korea as Samhan. Epitaphs of the Tang dynasty, including those belonging to Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla refugees and migrants, called

4416-631: The Three Han (Samhan), referring to the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Samhan continued to be a common name for Korea during the Joseon period and was widely referenced in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty . In China, the Three Kingdoms of Korea were collectively called Samhan since the beginning of the 7th century. The use of the name Samhan to indicate the Three Kingdoms of Korea was widespread in

4512-448: The Three Kingdoms of Korea "Samhan", especially Goguryeo. For example, the epitaph of Go Hyeon ( 고현 ; 高玄 ), a Tang dynasty general of Goguryeo origin who died in 690, calls him a "Liaodong Samhan man" ( 요동 삼한인 ; 遼東 三韓人 ; Yodong Samhanin ). The name "Three Kingdoms" was used in the titles of the Korean histories Samguk sagi (12th century) and Samguk yusa (13th century), and should not be confused with

4608-544: The Western knights or chevaliers). Originally a social group, due to the continuous military rivalry between the Three Kingdoms of Korea , they eventually transformed from a group of elite male aristocratic youth into soldiers and military leaders. Hwarang were key in the fall of Goguryeo (which resulted in the unification of the Korean Peninsula under Unified Silla ) and the Silla–Tang Wars , which expelled Tang forces in

4704-492: The ancestor of Gyeongju Kim , was adopted by Talhae of Silla. The territory outside the capital was greatly conquered during the period of Pasa of Silla (80–112). As soon as he ascended the throne, he ordered officials to encourage agriculture, silkworm farming and train soldiers. There was a territorial dispute between the Eumjipbeol and Siljikgok , and the two countries first asked Pasa of Silla to mediate, Pasa of Silla

4800-475: The archaeological record indicates that states formed between 300 BC and 300/400 AD. However, archaeologists are not prepared to suggest that this means there were states in the BC era. The correlates of state-level societies did not develop as a package but rather in spurts and starts and at various points in time. It was some time between 100 and 400 AD that individual correlates of state societies had developed to

4896-403: The architect of Silla's unification of the peninsula. Hyegong's demise was a bloody one, the culmination of an extended civil war involving most of the kingdom's high–ranking noble families. With Hyegong's death, during the remaining years of Silla, the king was reduced to little more than a figurehead as powerful aristocratic families became increasingly independent of central control. Thereafter

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4992-821: The biggest of waves' amongst the Chinese and Japanese according to the Shoku Nihon Koki . During the Silla-Tang War, the Silla navy under the command of general Sideuk defeated the Tang Navy 22 times out of 23 engagements in Gibeolpo, today's Seocheon County . Jang Bogo, a prominent maritime figure of Silla, was also famous for his navy based on the Cheonghaejin Garrison. A significant number of Silla tombs can still be found in Gyeongju,

5088-531: The boom in salvage archaeology in South Korea. Rhee and Choi hypothesize that a mix of internal developments and external factors lead to the emergence of state-level societies in Korea. A number of archaeologists including Kang demonstrate the role of frequent warfare in the development of peninsular states. Some individual correlates of complex societies are found in the chiefdoms of Korea that date back to c.  700 BC . The best evidence from

5184-476: The capital of Silla. Silla tombs consist of a stone chamber surrounded by a soil mound. The historic area around Gyeongju was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2000. Much of it is also protected as part of Gyeongju National Park . Additionally, two villages near Gyeongju named Hahoe and Yangdong Folk Village were submitted for UNESCO heritages in 2008 or later by related cities and

5280-510: The concept of what defines a state-level society . This is different from the concept of state ( guk or Sino ko: 國, walled-town state, etc.) in the discipline of Korean history. In anthropological archaeology the presence of urban centres (especially capitals), monumental architecture, craft specialization and standardization of production, ostentatious burials, writing or recording systems , bureaucracy , demonstrated political control of geographical areas that are usually larger in area than

5376-406: The establishment of Goguryeo, its early history is well attested archaeologically: the first and second capital cities , Jolbon and Gungnae city, are located in and around today's Ji'an, Jilin . In 2004, the site was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . Since 1976, continuing archaeological excavations concentrated in the southeastern part of modern Gyeongju have revealed parts of

5472-665: The etymology of the Mongolian word Solongos "Korea, Koreans," the following seven etymological hypotheses regarding the origin of Solongos have been enumerated: (1) It comes from the Mongolian word solongo meaning "rainbow"; (2) It comes from the Mongolian word solongo meaning " weasel "; (3) It comes from the Mongolian/Manchurian ethnonym Solon ; (4) It comes from the name of the ancient kingdom of Silla; (5) It comes from Jurchen * Solgo(r) ~ Solho which in turn stems from Old Korean 수릿골 suɾiskol > 솔골 solkol " Goguryeo "; (later) Korea, Korean"; (6) It comes from

5568-515: The formal name having been Hanyang or Hanseong. The name of the Silla capital changed into its Late Middle Korean form Syeobeul ( 셔블 ), meaning "royal capital city," which changed to Syeoul ( 셔울 ) soon after, and finally resulted in Seoul ( 서울 ) in the Modern Korean language. The name of either Silla or its capital Seorabeol was widely used throughout Northeast Asia as the ethnonym for

5664-502: The founder Bak Hyeokgeose continued. In 377, Silla sent emissaries to China and established relations with Goguryeo . Facing pressure from Baekje in the west and Japan in the south, in the later part of the 4th century, Silla allied with Goguryeo . However, after King Gwanggaeto's unification campaign , Silla lost its status as a sovereign country becoming a vassal of Goguryeo. When Goguryeo began to expand its territory southward, moving its capital to Pyongyang in 427, Nulji of Silla

5760-574: The fourth century unleashed a wave of refugees that proved pivotal in speeding up the process of state-building in Korea," starting the Three Kingdoms era. Goguryeo emerged on the north and south banks of the Yalu (Amrok) River, in the wake of Gojoseon 's fall. The first mention of Goguryeo in Chinese records dates from 75 BC in reference to a commandery established by the Chinese Han dynasty , although even earlier mentions of "Guri" ( 구리 ) may be of

5856-529: The fourth king of Silla. One day, he found a low peak next to Mt. Toham (吐含山) and packed it with his own house, and he buried charcoal next to the house of a Japonic official named Hogong (瓠公), who lived there, and deceived him that his ancestors were blacksmiths, but the Hogong family took their home. Hogong was tricked into handing over his house and property to the Seoktalhae. During this period, Kim Al-chi ,

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5952-440: The frequency of conflicts between Baekje and Goguryeo as well as Yamato Japan, Silla created six local garrisons one for each district. The royal guards eventually morphed into "sworn banner" or Sodang units. In 625 another group of Sodang was created. Garrison soldiers were responsible for local defense and also served as a police force. A number of Silla's greatest generals and military leaders were Hwarang (equivalent to

6048-489: The kingdom continued to take aggressive actions against China, Silla, and Baekje attacks until it was conquered by allied Silla–Tang forces in 668. Most of its territory was absorbed by the Tang dynasty of China, and the territory of Baekje was absorbed by Silla. Baekje was founded as a member of the Mahan confederacy. Two sons of the founder of Goguryeo are recorded to have fled a succession conflict, to establish Baekje around

6144-537: The kingdom of "Saro (pronounced [si.raʔ] at the time)" which later became the kingdom of Silla. In various inscriptions on archaeological founding such as personal gravestones and monuments, it is recorded that Silla royals considered themselves having Xiongnu ancestry through the Xiongnu prince Kim Il-je, also known as Jin Midi in Chinese sources. According to several historians, it is possible that this unknown tribe

6240-442: The lands south of Pyongyang. The capital of Silla was Seorabeol (now Gyeongju ; "Seorabeol", "서라벌", is hypothesized to have been the ancient Korean term for "capital"). Buddhism became the official religion in 528. The remaining material culture from the kingdom of Silla including unique gold metalwork shows influence from the northern nomadic steppes, differentiating it from the cultures of Goguryeo and Baekje where Chinese influence

6336-402: The late 8th century, however, these royal initiatives had failed to check the power of the entrenched aristocracy. The mid to late 8th century saw renewed revolts led by branches of the Kim clan which effectively limited royal authority. Most prominent of these was a revolt led by Kim Daegong that persisted for three years. One key evidence of the erosion of kingly authority was the rescinding of

6432-660: The meaning of "great, leader", which was previously used by the princes of southern Korea, and is sometimes also speculated to have an external relationship with the Mongolic/Turkic title of Khan . In the 7th century, Silla allied itself with the Chinese Tang dynasty . In 660, under Muyeol of Silla (654–661), the Silla–Tang alliance subjugated Baekje after the Baekje–Tang War . In 668, under King Munmu of Silla (King Muyeol's successor) and General Kim Yu-sin ,

6528-521: The next century or so, Goguryeo was the dominant nation in Manchuria and the northern Korean peninsula. Goguryeo eventually occupied the Liaodong Plains in Manchuria and today's Seoul area. Gwanggaeto achieved a loose unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Goguryeo also controlled Tungusic tribes in Manchuria. After the establishment of the Sui dynasty and later the Tang dynasty in China,

6624-450: The northeast outskirts of the Silla capital. Songok-dong and Mulcheon-ri are examples of the large-scale of specialized factory-style productions in the Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla periods. The site was excavated in the late 1990s, and archaeologists found the remains of many production features such as pottery kilns , roof-tile kilns, charcoal kilns, as well as the remains of buildings and workshops associated with production. Since

6720-441: The office land system and the re-institution of the former tax village system as salary land for aristocratic officialdom in 757. In Jinjin and Silla, the king was referred to as Gan, and during the Unified Silla Period, the title "Gan" was also used as Chungji Jagan and Agan. The middle period of Silla came to an end with the assassination of Hyegong of Silla in 780, terminating the kingly line of succession of Muyeol of Silla ,

6816-475: The other two Korean kingdoms. Silla is known to have operated crossbows called the Cheonbono ( 천보노 ) that was said to have had a range of one thousand steps and a special pike unit called the Jangchang-Dang ( 장창당 ) to counter enemy cavalry. In particular, Silla's crossbows were prized by Tang China due to its excellent functions and durability. Silla would later employ special crossbow units against its Korean counterparts such as Goguryeo and Baekje , as well as

6912-457: The other two kingdoms, Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668. Thereafter, Unified Silla occupied most of the Korean Peninsula , while the northern part re-emerged as Balhae , a successor-state of Goguryeo . After nearly 1,000 years of rule, Silla fragmented into the brief Later Three Kingdoms of Silla, Later Baekje , and Taebong , handing over power to Goryeo in 935. Until the official adoption of Hanja names for its administration, Silla

7008-535: The people of Silla, appearing as Shiragi in Japanese and as Solgo or Solho in the language of the medieval Jurchens and their later descendants, the Manchus , respectively. Koreans are still known as Солонгос ( Solongos ) in Mongolian, which is according to popular folk etymology is believed to be derived from the Mongolian word for " rainbow " ( солонго solongo ). In a paper published in 2023 regarding

7104-550: The place where the Japanese god, Susanoo first descended from the heavens after his banishment in a place called "Soshimori" ( 曽尸茂梨 ). Up until the liberation of Korea in 1945, Meiji era Japanese historians claimed that Susanoo had ruled over Silla and that the Koreans were the descendants of him, thus finding justification and legitimizing the Japanese occupation of Korea through the use of Nissen dōsoron . According to

7200-524: The present Seoul area. Baekje absorbed or conquered other Mahan chiefdoms and, at its peak in the 4th century, controlled most of the western Korean Peninsula. Buddhism was introduced to Baekje in 384 from Goguryeo, which Baekje welcomed. Baekje was a great maritime power; its nautical skill, which made it the Phoenicia of East Asia, was instrumental in the dissemination of Buddhism throughout East Asia and continental culture to Japan . Baekje played

7296-463: The reign of King Muyeol this aristocracy had been divided into "sacred bone" and "true bone" aristocrats, with the former differentiated by their eligibility to attain the kingship. This duality had ended when Queen Jindeok, the last ruler from the "sacred bone" class, died in 654. The numbers of "sacred bone" aristocrats had been decreasing for generations, as the title was only conferred to those whose parents were both "sacred bones", whereas children of

7392-504: The same state. Evidence indicates Goguryeo was the most advanced, and likely the first established, of the three kingdoms. Goguryeo, eventually the largest of the three kingdoms, had several capitals in alternation: two capitals in the upper Yalu area, and later Nangrang ( Lelang in Chinese) which is now part of Pyongyang . At the beginning, the state was located on the border with China; it gradually expanded into Manchuria and destroyed

7488-571: The semi-mythological figure of Hyeokgeose of Silla (Old Korean: *pulkunae, "light of the world"), of the Park clan . The country was first ruled intermittently by the Miryang Park clan for 232 years and the Wolseong Seok clan for 172 years and beginning with the reign of Michu Isageum the Gyeongju Kim clan for 586 years. Park, Seok and Kim have no contemporary attestations and went by

7584-673: The so-called Silla Wanggyeong (Silla royal capital). A number of excavations over the years have revealed temples such as Hwangnyongsa , Bunhwangsa, Heungryunsa, and 30 other sites. Signs of Baekje's capitals have also been excavated at the Mongchon Fortress and the Pungnap Fortress in Seoul. Silla Silla ( Korean pronunciation: [ɕiɭ.ɭa] ; Old Korean : 徐羅伐 , Yale : Syerapel, RR : Seorabeol ; IPA : Korean pronunciation: [sʌɾabʌɭ] )

7680-407: The southeastern part of the capital, and the war ended when the Silla king came out to fight against it, and the soldiers of the three kingdoms were defeated. By the 2nd century, Silla existed as its own distinct political entity in the southeastern area of the Korean peninsula . It expanded its influence over the neighboring Jinhan chiefdoms, but throughout the 3rd century was probably no more than

7776-454: The southern Korean Peninsula. According to the Samguk sagi and Samguk yusa , Silla implemented a national policy, "Samhan Unification" ( 삼한일통 ; 三韓一統 ; Samhan Iltong ), to integrate Baekje and Goguryeo refugees. In 1982, a memorial stone dating to 686 was discovered in Cheongju with an inscription: "The Three Han were unified and the domain was expanded." During

7872-520: The strongest constituent in the Jinhan confederacy. To the west, Baekje had centralized into a kingdom by about 250 CE, overtaking the Mahan confederacy . To the southwest, Byeonhan was being replaced by the Gaya confederacy . In northern Korea, Goguryeo , founded around 50 CE, destroyed the last Chinese commandery in 313 CE and had grown into the largest regional power. Naemul of Silla (356–402) of

7968-406: The throne or declarations of war. The Hwabaek was headed by a person ( Sangdaedeung ) chosen from the "sacred bone" rank. One of the key decisions of this royal council was the adoption of Buddhism as state religion. Following unification Silla began to rely more upon Chinese models of bureaucracy to administer its greatly expanded territory. This was a marked change from pre-unification days when

8064-469: The uppermost elite were buried in large-scale tombs established at the highest point of a given cemetery. Cemeteries with 'uppermost elite' mounded burials such as Okseong-ri, Yangdong-ri, Daeseong-dong, and Bokcheon-dong display this pattern. Lee Sung-Joo proposed that, in addition to the development of regional political hierarchies as seen through analysis of burials, variation in types of pottery production gradually disappeared and full-time specialization

8160-622: The web of statelets during the Proto-Three Kingdoms period , and Goguryeo conquered neighboring state like Buyeo in Manchuria and chiefdoms in Okjeo , Dongye which occupied the northeastern Korean Peninsula. The three polities made the transition from walled-town state to full-fledged state-level societies between 1st – 3rd century AD. The primary sources for this period include Samguk sagi and Samguk yusa in Korea, and

8256-452: Was a Korean kingdom that existed between 57 BCE – 935 CE and was located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula . Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo , formed the Three Kingdoms of Korea . Silla had the lowest population of the three, approximately 850,000 people (170,000 households), significantly smaller than those of Baekje (3,800,000 people) and Goguryeo (3,500,000 people). Its foundation can be traced back to

8352-503: Was built during the reign of Queen Seondeok (632–647). It was from Silla that Korea's oldest extant genre of poems, known as hyangga , developed and were recorded. Additionally, among the three kingdoms, Silla has the best preserved ancient Korean literature written in Classical Chinese , which includes the hanshi poetry of Ch'oe Ch'i-wŏn , as well as the travelogue of Buddhist monk Hyecho . Muslim traders brought

8448-470: Was forced to ally with Baekje. By the time of Beopheung of Silla (514–540), Silla was a full-fledged kingdom, with Buddhism as state religion, and its own Korean era name . Silla absorbed the Gaya confederacy during the Gaya–Silla Wars , annexing Geumgwan Gaya in 532 and conquering Daegaya in 562, thereby expanding its borders to the Nakdong River basin. Jinheung of Silla (540–576) established

8544-492: Was handed over to King Suro of Gimhae , who was the local leader at the time. King Suro instead resolved the territorial issue and ruled in favor of Eumjipbeol. However, King Suro sent an assassin to kill the head of the six Silla divisions, who hid in the Eumjipbeol while the assassin was escaping, and King Tachugan (陀鄒干) protected the assassin. In response, Pasa of Silla invaded Eumjipbeol in 102 and Tachugan surrendered, and

8640-466: Was more distant from China, showed greater influence from Eurasian steppe nomad cultures and greater preservation of native traditions. During this period, the Three Kingdoms had yet to unify their separate identities. Each kingdom produced their own individual histories; only in the Goryeo dynasty period was the collective history of the Korean Peninsula written together. "The decline of Chinese power in

8736-597: Was more pronounced. Other smaller states or regions existed in Korea before and during this period: Centuries after Buddhism originated in India , the Mahayana Buddhism arrived in China through the Silk Route in 1st century AD from Tibet , then to Korean Peninsula in the 3rd century from where it transmitted to Japan. In Korea, it was adopted by the state religion by three constituent polities, first by

8832-403: Was once a great military power on the Korean Peninsula, especially during the time of Geunchogo , but was critically defeated by Gwanggaeto and declined. In the late 5th century, under attack from Goguryeo, the capital of Baekje was moved south to Ungjin (present-day Gongju ) and later further south to Sabi (present-day Buyeo ). Baekje was conquered by Silla-Tang alliance in 660, submitting

8928-514: Was one of nearly constant upheaval and civil war as the king was reduced to little more than a figurehead and powerful aristocratic families rose to actual dominance outside the capital and royal court. The tail end of this period, called the Later Three Kingdoms period, briefly saw the emergence of the kingdoms of Later Baekje and Taebong , which were really composed of military forces capitalizing on their respective region's historical background, and Silla's submission to Goryeo . From at least

9024-438: Was originally of Koreanic origin in the Korean peninsula and joined the Xiongnu confederation. Later the tribe's ruling family returned to Korea from Liaodong peninsula where they thrive, and after coming back to the peninsula they got married into the royal family of Silla. There are also some Korean researchers that point out that the grave goods of Silla and of the eastern Xiongnu are alike, and some researchers insist that

9120-491: Was recorded using the Hundok reading of Hanja to phonetically approximate its native Korean name, including 斯盧 ( 사로 ; Saro ), 斯羅 ( 사라 ; Sara ), 徐那 (伐) ( 서나[벌] ; Seona[beol] ), 徐耶 (伐) ( 서야[벌] ; Seoya[beol] ), 徐羅 (伐) ( 서라[벌] ; Seora[beol] ), and 徐伐 ( 서벌 ; Seobeol ). In 504, Jijeung of Silla standardized the characters into 新羅 ( 신라 ), which in Modern Korean

9216-513: Was the only recognizable kind of pottery production from the end of the 4th century A.D. At the same time the production centers for pottery became highly centralized and vessels became standardized. Centralisation and elite control of production is demonstrated by the results of the archaeological excavations at Songok-dong and Mulcheon-ni in Gyeongju . These sites are part of what was an interconnected and sprawling ancient industrial complex on

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