Korea Three Kingdoms

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KoreaThree Kingdoms
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Pre-history

• Ancient Chosun
• The mythological unified Korean nation ruled by
  Tangun from 2333 BC
• Han tribes earliest pre-history

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Three Kingdoms About 50 BCE 668 CE

• Koguryo Northern Korea 37 BC 668 AD
• Baekche Southwestern Korea 18 BC 663 AD
• Silla (Pronounced Sheila) Southeastern Korea 57
  AD 668 AD (Victory)

• Kaya (minor and short lived, usually ignored)

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Three Kingdoms

• Koguryo North, was the largest and strongest
• Included much of Manchuria
• Battled and resisted China several times

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Three Kingdoms Baekche -- Southwest

• Adopted Buddhism 384
• Sent scholars, craftsmen and monks to Japan
• First destroyed by Silla-Tang alliance

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Three KingdomsSilla -- Southeast

• Later developer
• Builds alliance with Tang China to overthrow both
  Paekche and Koguryo by 668 CE
• Unites Korea into Unified Silla Dynasty

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Three Kingdoms division replayed?

• Current division lines similar to 3-Kingdoms
• South Korea also divided into East/West regions
  for domestic politics
• Coincidence or resurgence???

Three Kingdoms Map
Contemporary Korean Map
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Unified Silla Dynasty668 CE 918 CE

• Silla dynasty unifies Korean Peninsula
• Northern kingdom of Parhae is also Korean
  speaking but usually placed into Manchurian
  history

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Parhae KingdomOndol Heat

• The worlds first centralized heating system
• Developed 600-700 CE

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Unified Silla

• Sadae Principle
• Sadae Serve the great
• Silla allied with Tang China to solve its problem
  with Koguryo
• First works with Tang to destroy Baekche and
  unify southern Peninsula
• Next works with Tang to destroy Koguryo and unify
  more of Peninsula
• Silla Korea recognized Chinas greatness
• Alliance with China provides protector

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Unified Silla

• Sadae Principle
• Tributary status with China provides
• Guidance
• Protection
• Access to Chinese economy
• Peace
• Help with domestic disturbances if necessary
• How does a small nation survive? Sadae
• Watch for this repeating theme

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Unified Silla

• Hwarang
• Elite military academy
• Teaches art, poetry, history, horsemanship, and
  weaponry

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Unified Silla

• Religion and State in Silla
• Unified Silla glorified Buddhism as official
  state religion
• Builds massive Buddhist Nation Temple
• Pulkuksa

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Pulguksa
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Pulguksa
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Pulguksa
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Sokkuram
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Unified Silla

• Kyongju as Capital Art, Architecture
• Burial practices

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Royal Tombs
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Unified SillaChomsongdae Observatory
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Buddhist temple ceiling
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Guard at Buddhist Temple Gate
Eaves from Korean Buddhist Temple
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Unified Silla Period Buddhist Art
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Unified Silla

• Hereditary Government
• True Bone lineages
• Strict intermarriage among nobles
• Yangban class leadership

• Silla period court music
• Confucian forms of ministries
• Structure looks Confucian
• No Meritocracy Exams dont mean anything

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Unified Silla

• Strict Primogeniture inheritance

• Competition among Siblings
• Shakespearian style intrigue and tragedy among
  royal families
• Patricide, Fratricide, etc. You name it
• Royal politics was a blood sport

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Unified SillaClosing Scenes

• Factionalism and corruption weaken Silla Dynasty
• Restoration movements in both Paekche and Koguryo
• Both gain independence
• Later Paekche emerges but a splits internally
  between father and son
• Alliance between part of Later Paekche and Later
  Koguryo
• 935 CE Koryo overthrows Silla to unify Korea
  again
• Takes on the new dynastic name Koryo -- hence
  Korea