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The Three Kingdoms Period II

The Emergence of the Three Kingdoms

Review

• Old Chosŏn Around 4th century BCE– The walled-town state– Bronze implements– Political and religious functions in a single personage

• Wiman Chosŏn (195 BCE – 108 BCE)– Wiman defected to Old Chosŏn from Han China– Wiman became a king, but kept the political system and the name of

the state– Fell in 108 BCE: Han China invaded

• Han Commanderies

– After Han China defeated Wiman Chosŏn, established 4 commanderies to govern the Old Chosŏn area

– 4 commanderies: Lelang, Xuantu, Lintun and Chenfan– Lelang: the core area where Chinese policy carried out in Korea

• Lasted for 400 years (even after Han China’s fall)• Direct contact with the advanced civilization of China• Center of the trade that incorporated the peoples of Manchuria,

northeast of Korea, and tribes in southern peninsular• Main policy: ‘peace and kinship’ (heqin)

• States around Lelang– Puyŏ in Manchuria, Koguryŏ in northeast

– In southern peninsular• Mahan: west • Chinhan: east • Pyŏnhan: south

– Tribal leaders were required to come to the Xuantu or Lelang capital to “pay tribute.”

Founders of the Three Kingdoms (+1)

Koguryŏ (37 BCE-668 CE): Chumong

Paekche (18 BCE-660 CE): King Koi (r. 234-286)

Silla (57 BCE-935 CE): Pak Hyŏkkŏse

Kaya (42-562 CE): King Suro

Three Kingdoms (+1)

Koguryŏ (37 BCE? – 668)

– Founded by Chumong and his followers from Puyŏ– Single royal house– Centralized government– Strengthening the kingly authority– Religious and political leadership gradually diverged– Agriculture was the principal food source– Strong military force: conquered Puyŏ, Lelang and tribes in

Manchuria and Northeast Korea

Paekche (18 BCE ? – 660)– Founded by Onjo: After Chumong set his son, Yuri as his

successor, Onjo left Koguryŏ and came down to south and established Paekche where Mahan was located.

– Centralized government: kingship – Single royal house – Agriculture: principal food source – Separation of religious and political leadership

Silla (57 BCE? – 927)

– Founded by Pak Hyŏkkŏse: born from the egg– Three royal houses: Pak, Sŏk and Kim– In the area where Chinhan was located– Centralized government– Main food source: agriculture– Kept good relationship with Koguryŏ, but competed with

Paekche

Kaya (? – 562)– Not fully developed into the centralized government state– Famous for pottery making, and kayagŭm (Korean zither)– Horse rider theory• Around 300 BCE, large numbers of peoples migrated

from Korea to Japan introducing riding culture, bronze and iron working => transmission of Korean culture to Japan• Evidence found in the tombs of 4th – 5th century in

Japan: weapons, armors and ornaments for horses

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The Three Kingdoms Period II

The Emergence of the Three Kingdoms &

Unified Silla

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Fourth and Fifth Century Northeast Asia and Korea

• China in Disunity (316 - 588)– Economic and military decline– Nomadic invaders– Collapse of the Chinese imperial authority– Accepted Buddhism from India: salvation

• 4th – mid 5th century Korea– Accepted Chinese cultural forms and learning– Adopted Buddhism & Confucianism

Buddhism in Three Kingdoms

• Koguryŏ in 372 • Paekche in 384• Silla in 534

Buddhism • What is Buddhism?

Buddhism It has its origins about 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gotama, known as the Buddha, was himself awakened (enlightened) at the age of 35.

• Teachings include: -> Life is suffering (pain, getting old, disease, and death). -> The suffering is caused by craving and aversion. -> lf we give up useless craving and learn to live each day at a time, then we can become happy and free (Nirvana).

Tales of Devotion:Ukmyon, the Slave Girl who Entered the Lotus Paradise

Ukmyon, the Slave Girl who Entered the Lotus Paradise

• During the reign of King Kyŏngdŏk (742-765), a group of devoted Buddhist in Kangju built a temple called Mita-sa in a grove of trees and began to worship Buddha for ten thousand days in order to enter the lotus paradise. Among the worshippers was a female slave belonging to the aristocratic family whose name was Ukmyon. She followed her noble master to the temple every evening and offered a prayer standing outside in the courtyard and bowing toward the august image in the main hall. Her unkind master did not like this. He gave her two large bags of rice to pound to pearly white each day, to keep her busy at home. But she worked so diligently that she was able to attend prayers before dawn and after sunset each day. Moreover, as a sign of her devotion, she gouged holes in her two hands and passed a straw rope through them, which was then tied to two pegs on opposite sides of the temple courtyard. One evening the assembled worshippers heard a voice from the sky, which said, “Ukmyon, my faithful maid, enter the main hall of the Buddha and offer your prayer.” They invited the poor girl to enter, and she approached the image of the merciful Buddha on her knees and murmured her prayer in a low voice, lifting her eyes in rapture to the half-closed eyes of Buddha. Ukmyon was lifted into the sky through a gaping hole in the ceiling and roof, higher and higher as she flew toward the western side of the temple. There her mortal body fell away and she became a Kwanum (Goddess of Mercy) seated on a lotus pedestal and flew to the lotus paradise while heavenly music continued from the sky and brilliant rays illuminated the rapturous spectators below.

• Ukmyon, a slave girl ,was a Buddhist worshipper

• Her unkind master did not like her offering prayers and gave her hard tasks.

• Not to not falling asleep in prayer, she gouged holes in her two hands and passed a straw rope through them, which was then tied to two pegs on opposite sides of the temple courtyard.

• She was lifted into the sky through a gaping hole in the ceiling and roof, higher and higher as she flew toward the western side of the temple.

Buddhism in Three Kingdoms• Adopted Buddhism for: 1) State unity Buddha became a god of the state protecting a kingdom

from outside with its heavenly power

2) Justifying the social stratification Karma & Reincarnation Karma: Good intent and good deed contribute to good karma and

future happiness, while bad intent and bad deed contribute to bad karma and future suffering.

Lotus Flower• As the flower of a lotus,

Arisen in water, blossoms,Pure-scented and pleasing the mind,Yet is not drenched by the water,In the same way, born in the world,The Buddha abides in the world;And like the lotus by water,He does not get drenched by the world.

[Andrew Olendzki translation]

Buddhism in Three Kingdoms• Imported from India and China– Dominant state religion– Doctrines of the various Buddhist sects• Hwaŏm school: studying of Buddhist sutra, embraced

the myriad of beings within the single Buddha mind =>centralized (aristocracy)• Pure Land Buddhism: Wŏnhyo (617-686) propaganda

it, no literacy is necessary, chanting “nammu amit’a pul” (mass)

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Introduction of Buddhism and ConfucianismIn Three Kingdoms

Koguryŏ King Sosurim (r. 371 – 384):

- Adopted Buddhism as a state religion - Adopted Confucianism for statecraft

Confucianism

• Goal: Social harmony• All human relationships involved a set of

defined roles and mutual obligations “There is government, when the prince is

prince, and the minister is minister; when the father is father, and the son is son.” (Analects XII, 11, trans. Legge)

Five Bonds

• Ruler to Ruled• Father to Son• Husband to Wife• Elder Brother to Younger Brother• Friend to Friend

Confucianism in Koguryo–King Sosurim (r. 371 – 384)

– For Public moral and social value

– The establishment of a National Confucian Academy

:Classical Chinese texts on rites, history and literature

–Civil service examination (788): selection of government officials, learning classical Chinese

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Introduction of Buddhism

Paekche

– Adopted Buddhism in 384– Introducing Buddhism to Japan in 6th century– Famous for artistic tradition

Introduction of Buddhism Silla

Silla in 534: Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple

Introduction of Buddhism in Silla

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The Changing Environment of the Late Sixth and Seventh Centuries

• Tang China (618-907) vs Koguryŏ – Attack Koguryŏ, but defeated in 648– Taizong (Tang Emperor) attacked Koguryŏ in 655,

658-59: unsuccessful– Yon Kaesomun

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Rise of Silla

• King Pŏphŭng (514-540)– Promulgated a code of administrative law• Seventeen-grade office rank structure• Prescribed proper attire for the officialdom• Instituted the “bone-rank” system• Buddhism as the state religion

Presentation

• Silla, Bone-rank system

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Social institution of Silla:Bone-Rank System

– Sacred [hallowed] bone (sŏnggol): royal Kim clan– True bone (chingol): (highest level of the

aristocracy) cadet branches of the royal family, members of the Pak and Sŏk royal consort families, and royal house of Pon Kaya

– Head-ranks six: middle level offices– head-rank 6-1 (probably 3-1 were commoners)

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Silla Political Institutions:Hwabaek

• Hwabaek (Council of Notables)– True bone– Major political decision including succession to the

throne– Principle of unanimity

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• Hwarang (flower youth)– Military bands of aristocratic youth that served as

elite units – Selected for their beauty, but military and political

purpose– Honored “Five Secular Injunctions”

• 1. to serve the king with loyalty• 2. to serve one’s parents with filiality• 3. to practice fidelity in friendship• 4. to never retreat in battle• 5. to refrain from wanton killings

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Silla• King Chinhŭng (540-576)– (With Paekche) Silla drove out Koguryŏ from Han River

basin– (With Tang China) Silla drove out Paekche from lower

Han River region in 551– Control over the Han River: • additional human and material resources• Communicate with China across the Yellow Sea

• Destroyed Kaya in 562• In 668, P’yŏngyang, the capital of Koguryŏ was

captured• In 671, drove out Tang • In 676 Silla unified Korean peninsular under

the Taedong River

Silla’s Victories

defeated Kaya 532, 562 defeated Paekche in 660

defeated Koguryŏ in 668

expelled T’ang in 676

“Later” or “Unified” Silla

Silla’s Victories

defeated Kaya 532, 562 defeated Paekche in 660

defeated Koguryŏ in 668

expelled T’ang in 676

“Later” or “Unified” Silla

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Queens and Silla‒ Queen Sŏndŏk (r. 632-647)‒ Queen Chindŏk (r. 647-654)‒ Patronage of Buddhism, arts,

science, technology‒ Kim Ch’unch’u (r. 654-661):

First true-bone king• Became King Muyŏl• Ally with Tang China• General Kim Yusin (Brother-in-

law of Kim Ch’unch’u)• Destroyed Paekche in 660

Silla’s Victories

defeated Kaya 532, 562 defeated Paekche in 660 defeated Koguryŏ in 668

expelled T’ang in 676

“Later” or “Unified” Silla

SILLAKOREA’S GOLDEN KINGDOM

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Crown with pendant ornaments Pair of earrings

Necklace;Gold and Jade; National Museum of Korea, Treasure 456

Chestlace: symbols of the importance and authority of the deceased.

Bodhisattva in pensive pose, probably Maitreya (Korean: Mireuk), Korea, Silla kingdom, late 6th–early 7th century. Gilt bronze; H. 36 7/8 in. (93.5 cm). National Museum of Korea, National Treasure 83

Buddha, probably Amitabha (Korean: Amita), Korea, Silla Kingdom, ca. 706. From the pagoda at Hwangboksa Temple site. Gold, H. 4 3/4 in. (12.2 cm). National Museum of Korea, National Treasure 79

Imported Luxuries and Exotic Imagery

Dagger and sheath

Roman-style vessel

Silla Envoy to Tang, 8th C

Imported Luxuries and Exotic Imagery

Pair of shoe soles Zodiac figure of a boar

Ch'ŏmsŏngdae(star-gazing tower) Astronomical Observatory

The tower is 9.4 meters (30 ft) tall

9.4 meters (30 ft) tall