Three Kingdoms of Korea

Template:Koreanname hanja The Three Kingdoms of Korea were Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE. The Three Kingdoms period in Korea is usually considered to run from the 1st century BCE (overlapping with the Samhan period in southern Korea) until Silla's triumph over Goguryeo in 668, which marked the beginning of the North and South States period (남북국시대 or 2국시대) of Unified Silla in the South and Balhae in the North.

Name

The name "Samguk", or "Three Kingdoms", was used in the Korean titles of the classics Samguk Sagi (12th century) and Silla's Samguk Yusa history (13th century), so the Three Kingdom's time period within Korean history is traditionally called "Samguksidae" in Korean. Many people prefer the term "Saguksidae" (4국시대, 사국시대 or "Four States period") to include the Gaya confederacy, as the time of only three states (Samguk) lasted less than a century, from Gaya's fall in 562 to Baekje's fall in 660.

Three Kingdoms

The three city-states were founded soon after the fall of Gojoseon, and became full-fledged kingdoms reflected in Chinese records by 300 CE, which some scholars consider the true beginning of this period. Prior to this time, Baekje and [[Silla] were expanding within the Samhan confederacies, and Goguryeo gradually conquered neighboring states in northern Korea and Manchuria, including Buyeo.

After the fall of Gojoseon, the Han dynasty established four commanderies in northern parts of the Korean peninsula (the exact locations are disputed). Three fell relatively quickly to the Samhan, and Lelang commandery was destroyed by Goguryeo in 313 CE. Thus the early Three Kingdoms period was marked by the removal of direct Chinese influence and a realignment of power relations in the peninsula.

All three kingdoms shared a similar culture and language. Their original religions appear to have been shamanistic, but they were increasingly influenced by Chinese culture, particularly Confucianism and Taoism. In the 4th century, Buddhism was introduced to the peninsula and spread rapidly, briefly becoming the official religion of all three kingdoms.

Goguryeo

Goguryeo emerged on the north and south banks of the Yalu River (Amrokkang in Korean), as a separate entity from Buyeo. The first reference to the name "Goguryeo" in Chinese records dates from 75 BCE when Goguryeo was an area inside Xuantu commandery. Evidence indicates Goguryeo was the most advanced, and likely the first established of the three kingdoms.

Goguryeo, the largest of three kingdoms, had several capitals in alternation: Two capitals in the upper Yalu area, and later Rangnang (樂浪: Lelang in Chinese, Rangnang in Korean) which is now part of Pyongyang. At the beginning, the state was located on the border with China; it gradually conquered vast territories of Manchuria and finally destroyed the Chinese Lelang commandery in 313 CE. The cultural influence of the Chinese remained until Buddhism was adopted as the official religion in 372 CE.

The kingdom was at its zenith in the fifth century when occupying the Liaodong Plains in Manchuria and today's Seoul area. The Goguryeo kings controlled not only Koreans but also Chinese and other Tungusic tribes in Manchuria and North Korea. After the establishment of the Sui Dynasty in China, the kingdom continued to suffer from Chinese attacks until conquered by the allied Silla-Tang forces in 668 CE.

Baekje

Two Goguryeo princes are traditionally said to have fled a throne succession conflict and to have established Baekje in the southwest of the peninsula in 18 BCE.

Baekje absorbed or conquered the existing confederation of Mahan. The capital was first located near today's Seoul, later further south at Ungjin (nowadays Gongju) and later still further south at Sabi (nowadays Buyeo).

In the 4th century Baekje was very prosperous and dominated the southern part of the peninsula. Baekje played a fundamental role in transmitting cultural developments, including Chinese characters and Buddhism, into ancient Japan. The kingdom of Baekje was conquered by the Silla-Tang forces in 660.

Silla

According to Korean records, in 57 BCE, the kingdom of Seorabeol (or Saro, later Silla) in the southeast of the peninsula unified and expanded the confederation of city-states known as Jinhan. Although the pro-Silla Samguk-sagi records that Silla was the earliest-founded of the three kingdoms, other written and archeological records indicate that Silla was likely the last of the three to establish a centralized government.

Renamed from Saro to Silla in 503, the kingdom of Silla absorbed the whole kingdom of Gaya (which in turn had absorbed Byeonhan earlier) in the first half of 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 the lands south of Pyongyang.

The capital of Silla was Seorabeol (now Gyeongju). 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 culture of Goguryeo and Baekje where Chinese influence was more pronounced.

Other Small Kingdoms

Other smaller kingdoms and tribal states existed in Korea before and during this period:

Gaya confederacy, until annexed by Silla
Dongye, Okjeo, and Buyeo, all three conquered by Goguryeo
Usan (Ulleung-do) and Tamna (Jeju-do), tributaries of Silla

Unification

Allied with China under the Tang dynasty, Silla conquered Goguryeo in 668, after having already conquered Baekje in 660, thus ushering in the period of Unified Silla to the south and Balhae to the north.

References

Best, J.W. (2003). Buddhism and polity in early sixth-century Paekche. Korean Studies 26(2), 165-215.
Lee, K. (1984). A new history of Korea. Tr. by E.W. Wagner & E.J. Schulz, based on 1979 rev. ed. Seoul: Ilchogak.
Na H.L. (2003). Ideology and religion in ancient Korea. Korea Journal 43(4), 10-29.[1]

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