Shilla or Silla
the Hwarangdo or Flower Youth Corps of Shilla
Silla grew out of the walled-town state of Saro (Kyongju) in the southwestern corner of the peninsula. The last of the three great kingdoms to develop, it was less influenced by the Chinese, accepting Confucianism and Buddhism only in the early 500s. Although Silla was initially the least militaristic of the kingdoms, troubles with marauding Japanese and constant pressure from the Paekje and Koguryo kingdoms led it to develop an effective army. One aspect of this rising military strength was the hwarang, elite soldiers with a chivalric code of leadership, unquestioned service to the country, and religious and ethical zeal-one of the primary forces in Silla's bid for control of the peninsula. The acceptance of Buddhism as the state religion gave new impetus to cultural development. By 562, Silla had absorbed the neighboring Kaya states and was gobbling up northern Paekje and eastern Koguryo territory.
pottery vessel from a Shilla tomb
UNITED SILLA
A United Kingdom
The newly formed Chinese Tang Dynasty also had an eye on additional territory. Wanting to rule all of the Korean Peninsula, Tang allied with Silla, intending to walk right in after the defeat of the other two nations and take power from its ally. With combined armies, Silla and Tang easily overran Paekje in 660. The Silla! Tang forces then tumed toward Koguryo, which they defeated in 668. Tang then claimed the territories and set up military commands to maintain control. Silla too wanted control of the entire Korean territory, and by encouraging popular uprisings against this foreign domination, drove its former ally far to the north by 676. While Silla did not gain control of the entire Koguryo territory, it did succeed in unifying the peninsula south of a line roughly from P'yongyang to Wonsan Bay, thereby establishing the first united Korean kingdom. This unification was spearheaded by King Muyol and completed under King Munmu, with the indispensable leadership of the great general Kim Yu-shin. Only in 735 did Tang formally acknowledge Silla's control over this territory. In the following centuries much contact and exchange took place between these two countries, Korea benefitting greatly from its more advanced patron. In fact, the United Silla Dynasty (668-935) corresponds closely with the highly developed Tang Dynasty (618-906).
Establishing Authority
: With Silla in control, the country's administration was reorganized on the Chinese modeldeveloping a complex bureaucratic system. The king's authority increased to a point where opposition was all but eliminated. The bureaucracy, run by members of the ruling class, was based on birth, not ability. Secondary capitals, numerous border garrisons, and a national army all helped solidify the king's control. In return for Korean autonomy, Silla kings sent periodic tribute to the Chinese emperor and recognized his authority in Asian affairs. Silla also received traders from China, Japan, and possibly as far away as the Middle East.
With unification, the cultural differences of Korea's various peoples blurred, leading to a more homogeneous culture throughout the land. Domestic tranquility reigned in the 700s, and the Silla Dynasty reached its cultural apex: a highly developed artistry and high-quality craftsmanship in metal, stone, and pottery, some of which can still be seen in and around Kyongju. Buddhism gained a strong hold on all classes, and greatly influenced religious and governmental affairs. The spread of Confucianism, including the foundation of a Confucian university, gave rise to important rites. This was a time of great social and spiritual energy, when Silla grew as an intenational culture, reshaping what It received from China and funneling much of that to Japan.
Seokguram 1938
Seokguram restored
The Seokguram Grotto is a hermitage and part of the Bulguksa temple complex. It lies four kilometers east of the temple on Mt. Tohamsan, in Gyeongju, South Korea. The grotto overlooks the Sea of Japan (East Sea) and rests 750 meters above sea level. In 1962, it was designated the 24th national treasure of Korea. In 1995, Seokguram was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Bulguksa Temple. It exemplifies some of the best Buddhist sculptures in the world. [1]
It is said to have been built by Gim Daeseong and originally called Seokbulsa (석불사, Stone Buddha Temple). Construction began in 742 when Gim Daeseong resigned his position in the king's court or in 751, the 10th year of the reign of King Gyeongdeok of Silla. This time period was the cultural peak of Unified Silla. The grotto was completed by the Silla court in 774, shortly after Gim's death. An old legend stated that Gim was reincarnated for his filial acts in his previous life. The legend relates that the Bulguksa Temple was dedicated to Gim’s parents in his present life while the Seokguram Grotto was dedicated to Gim's parents from a previous life.
Decline
By the mid-800s, however, Silla started to fall apart, due in part to corruption and factionalism. Increasingly weak and immoral rulers led to instability and the abuse of power by aristocrats. This situation gradually deteriorated into semi-anarchy in which private merchants controlled trade with China and Japan, and rebels and bandits took control of rural districts. In the 890s, peasant revolts led to the emergence of leaders who created rival states. One such leader, KyOn Hwon, established the Later Paekje Kingdom in the Cholla-Do area; another was Kungye, who created the state of Later Koguryo in the Kangwon-Do region. Both installed governments backed by strong armies that seriously challenged the Silla Dynasty, which shrank to a size not much larger than it was some 600 years earlier. In 918, Wang Kon ousted his superior, Kungye, and Later Koguryo was renamed Koryo. After establishing control over the middle of the peninsula, Koryo took over Silla in 935 in an amicable transfer of power, and conquered Later Paekje in 936 after numerous hard-fought battles.
Parhae
When Tang conquered Koguryo, many of its people fled to north Manchuria. There, along with the Malgal tribes of that region, they formed the state of Parhae (698-926). After several decades, Parhae wrested control of much of the former Koguryo territory from the Chinese, incorporating the area from P'yongyang to central Manchuria. While maintaining an adl,!ersarial relation with Silla, it established friendly ties with Tang China, with the nomadic tribes of Mongolia and Manchuria, and with Japan. Development peaked during the 800s, shortly after Silla's golden age, but lost its vitality by 900. When it fell to Khitan tribes in 926, many of Its people moved south to join the new Koryo Kingdom.