Unified Silla (668 – 935

AD)

Korean
History and
Culture I
Unification
• King Munmu of Silla orded his armies to
attack Baekje. General Kim Yu-shin aided
by Tang forces conquered Baekje in 660.
• Attempt on Gogryeo in 661 was repelled
• With internal political struggles between
Gogryeo princes, Gogryeo grew weak
and was coquered by the combined
forces of the Tang and Silla in 667
• Lasted 267 years and fell to Goyeo in 935
during the reign of King Gyeongsun
• Had a total of 57 kings
Unification…Something
to note
• Relationship with Tang China was
both conflict and diplomatic
• Economic exchange
• Raw materials, handcrafts, luxury
fabrics
• Cultural borrowing
• Books, Buddhism and Confucian
Governance
• Authoritarian throne and aristocracy
• “Hallowed-bone” lineage ended in 17th century
by King Muyol from the “true-bone” lineage.
• Kings and queens came from Kim royal house
• Maintained the core structure that existed during
the “three kingdoms era”
• “Chipsabu” highest administrative organ
• “Chungsi” followed but with more power than the
“sangdaedung”
Governance
• Provincial and local government structures
• Chu- province; kun- prefecture; hyon-
county; and ch’on- village
• Chu- ch’onggwan (todok); kun- t’aesu;
hyon- yong; and ch’on- villages
• Power concentrated at capital; Gyeongju
• Renown scholars were invited to bring
professional personnel into government
Culture
Buddhism
Imported from China, exported to
Japan
Confucianism
Scholarly, technology and
mathematics
Astronomy, medicine and military
science
Hyangga
Economic life
• Overseas trading with China
• Raw materials, handcrafts, luxury
fabrics
• Land tax (sigup) –grain tax
(chikchon) - land tax
• Aristocrats owned large chunks of
land and slaves
Confucianism Cultur
e

Silla Crown
Dacheng Hall, the main hall of
the Temple of Confucius in 
Qufu
sculpture
Seokguram

Buddhism

Fine Arts Bulguksa Temple

 Hakamuni Pagod
Aerial view of Bulguksa

harahi sutra-woodblock printing

Bronze Bell

Sokkuram
 Three Queens of Silla: Queen Seondeok
First queen of Silla
Kingdom
Reigned between 632 – 647
before the period of
unification
Rune at a time of turmoil
between the other two
kingdoms of Gogryeo and
Baekjae
Buddhism and relations
Hangul 선덕 여왕 with Tang dynasty in China-
built Punhwang-sa and
English Seondeok Yongmyo-sa temples
Yeowang
Hwangnyong-sa

Cheomseongdae
Three Queens of Korea
Queen Chindok Queen Chinsong

• Reigned between 647-654 • Ruled at a time of Silla

• Was the last “hallowed-bone” decline, 887-897
ruler of the Silla dynasty
• Aristocratic revolt against her rule
• Spent a large part of
led by Kin Yusin her reign putting down
• Wrote a Chinese poem “The Song rebellions
of a Peaceful Reign” (T’aep’yong
song) • Last of the three
• Adopted Chinese calendar queens
• Encouraged educational
exchanges between China and • Was mostly known fr
Shilla her immoral acts and
corruption in the
palace
References
• Ki-baik Lee, A New History of Korea
• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/614543/Unified
• http://www.koreaaward.com/kor/culture/4547
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_art#Unified_Silla_art
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vbPaPO1iBA&feature=
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2QCD-95fGQ&feature=