Unified Silla

Unified Silla
	Anapji pavilion
Korean name
Hangul	후신라
Hanja	後新羅
Revised Romanization	Hu-silla
McCune–Reischauer	Hu-silla

Silla
신라 (新羅)
Silla 신라 (新羅)
668–935
	Unified Silla (in blue) during North–South States Period
Capital	Gyeongju (Seorabeol)
Common languages	Old Korean
Religion	Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Korean shamanism
Government	Monarchy
King
• 661–681	Munmu
• 681–692	Sinmun
• 887–897	Jinseong
• 927–935	Gyeongsun (last)
Historical era	Ancient
• Establishment	668
• Silla–Tang War	670–676
• Political turmoil	Late 8th century
• Start of Later Three Kingdoms period	892–936
• Breakaway of Hubaekje	892
• Breakaway of Taebong	901
• Handover to the Goryeo Dynasty	935
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Silla
	Goguryeo
	Baekje
Goryeo Dynasty
Today part of	South Korea; North Korea

Later Silla (668–935, Korean: 후신라; Hanja: 後新羅; RR: Hushila, Korean pronunciation: [huːɕʰila]) or Unified Silla is the name often applied to the Korean kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern and middle portion of the Korean peninsula. Its last king, King Gyeongsun, ruled over a state in name only and submitted to the emerging Goryeo in 935, bringing the dynasty to an end. Throughout its existence, Later Silla was plagued by intrigue and political turmoil, mainly by the rebel groups in conquered Baekje and Goguryeo. During its heyday, the country contested with Balhae, a Goguryeo–Mohe kingdom, to the north for supremacy in the region.

Although traditionally considered the first unified Korean state, modern Korean historians argue that later Goryeo was in fact the first truly unified state of the Korean nation.

Name

Modern Korean historians began to criticize the traditional view of Unified Silla as the unification of Korea. According to this perspective, Goryeo is considered the first unification of Korea, since Balhae still existed after the establishment of "Unified Silla", despite occupying territory north of the Korean peninsula.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Unification

In 660, King Munmu of Silla ordered his armies to attack Baekje. General Kim Yu-shin, aided by Tang forces, defeated General Gyebaek and conquered Baekje. In 661, he moved on Goguryeo but was repelled. King Munmu was the first ruler ever to look upon the south of the Korean Peninsula as a single political entity after the fall of Gojoseon. As such, the post-668 Silla kingdom is often referred to as Unified Silla. Unified Silla lasted for 267 years until, under King Gyeongsun, it fell to Goryeo in 935.

Culture

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 Hyech'o went to India to study Buddhism and wrote an account of his travels.^[4] Different new sects of Buddhism were introduced by these traveling monks who had studied abroad such as Son and Pure Land Buddhism.^[4]

Confucianism

A national Confucian college was established in 682 and around 750 it was renamed the National Confucian University.^[4] The university was restricted to the elite aristocracy.

Woodblock printing

Woodblock printing 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 the oldest discovered printed material in the world.^[4]

Economy

At first, Silla decreased agriculture output tax to one-tenth before unification and assigned tributary payment per town with special products.

Unified Silla conducted 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.^[5]

References

^ Ch'oe, Yŏng-ho (1980), "An Outline History of Korean Historiography", Korean Studies, 4: 23–25, doi:10.1353/ks.1980.0003
^ Armstrong, Charles K. (1995), "Centering the Periphery: Manchurian Exile(s) and the North Korean State", Korean Studies, 19, University of Hawaii Press: 1–16, doi:10.1353/ks.1995.0017
^ Armstrong, Charles K. (1995), "Centering the Periphery: Manchurian Exile(s) and the North Korean State", Korean Studies, 19, University of Hawaii Press: 11–12, doi:10.1353/ks.1995.0017
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Stearns, Peter N., ed. (2001). The Encyclopedia of World History: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, Chronologically Arranged (6th ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 155–6. ISBN 0-395-65237-5. Retrieved August 22, 2010.
^ Korean history for high school p.141, issued by The National History Compilation Committee of the Republic of Korea.

[1] Ch'oe, Yŏng-ho (1980), "An Outline History of Korean Historiography", Korean Studies, 4: 23–25, doi:10.1353/ks.1980.0003

[2] Armstrong, Charles K. (1995), "Centering the Periphery: Manchurian Exile(s) and the North Korean State", Korean Studies, 19, University of Hawaii Press: 1–16, doi:10.1353/ks.1995.0017

[3] Armstrong, Charles K. (1995), "Centering the Periphery: Manchurian Exile(s) and the North Korean State", Korean Studies, 19, University of Hawaii Press: 11–12, doi:10.1353/ks.1995.0017

[encyclopedia-4] Stearns, Peter N., ed. (2001). The Encyclopedia of World History: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, Chronologically Arranged (6th ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. pp. 155–6. ISBN 0-395-65237-5. Retrieved August 22, 2010.

[5] Korean history for high school p.141, issued by The National History Compilation Committee of the Republic of Korea.

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