Early Korea Flashcards
Kojosŏn – the first Korean state?
*Myths of foundation – Tangun and Kija
*Wars with the kingdom of Yan during Chinese Warring States period
*Wiman seizes control between 194 and 180 BCE
First tradition state formed in k
Last state too = same name = old kojoson
12-13th - date of greationg, hang wan = legend = or chinese prince = dynastic history = brought culture in china = not supported by archeological evidence = bronze culture X = sage transmitted civilizzation = evidence of gojonson = chinese historical records = competition for border = yian? = munchuria?
Han = impact = new king of yian? = 195bce = revolted = with xiongnu = records to the grand historian = lieutenant = fled to k = 194-180 bce = aid previous refugees = got the power
Emperor wu = invade kj = greater control of frontiers = blocking trade to south (north and southern munchuria)
Relationship to modern koreans unclear = no direct evidence to ethnic group or culture = tribal federation = illiterate elite (no evidence of writing)
108 = han invade = grand son overthrown ?
Today = central in history
Han commanderies in Korea
*Commanderies created closer links between China and Korean peninsula, including trade and Chinese settlement
*Evidence of substantial diversity in Korean peninsula from Chinese histories – Puyŏ and Koguryŏ in north, three Han tribes (different from Chinese Han) in south, Japanese Wa on both sides of Korea Strait
Contact w chinese culture
4 commanderies (munchuria and korea) = boundary doesnt exist (sea too)
Integral part of territory = not diff to rulers of south china = foreign conquests but remain part of china = integrated in similar ways
Chinese military structure and chinese people migration (cultural spread, intermarriage) = 15% chinese in lelang
Producing goods, importing chinese things heiji policies
Era = recording of written things = distinct groups
No inherent ethnic unity = diverse place
220 ce = swallowed by () =
Discussion: Nelson, “The Politics of Ethnicity in Prehistoric Korea”
Single homogenous group since forever = standpoint = one unity that emigrated of siberia = ethnic coherency = before doenst matter
Japanese scholars = try and justify that korea was part of japan
Internal japanese history = transmistion of culture and technology china -> korea -> japan = nationalist fear and glorify history
Archeologist = looking for evidence linking the myth = ignore the rest = has to be incorporated in myth and support it = ignore existence of cultural groups, evidence of wa not being japanese state
Trying to create a national story = devlpment of history = has to be fit in modern category = rise of nationalism = make sure not to reflect today’s ideas
Rise of the Three Kingdoms (Samguk)
*Koguryŏ in north
*Paekche in southwest
*Silla in southeast
*Other groups (not powerful single states): Puyŏ in far north, Mahan and Kaya in far south, still substantial contact with Wa across Korea strait
4th and 7th century = three kingdoms = standart history = 1st M bce = no archeo evidence until later
Han commendaries = 200ce = capital kungnae = kpguryo
Diplomatic reltions with china southern dynasties = conflict with wei that invaded and destroyed capital = reemerged =
Paekche = 372 = chine jin dynasty
Silla = late 4th century
All = states based on china = features (confucian classics for moral eductaion = state academy in kgr = young schools have classical chinese
P = faculty of preceptors
Official histories = modal by bangu = based on official records
Writing adopted = changed to adpat to korean language = eidu? = represent korean sounds and feature = dinstinct from modern way it writes, related idea, distinct from actual chinese
Kings = reign names = periods internal to a dynasty in china = emperor will designate a certain name = no abolsute years =
Spread of buddhism by chinese missionaries and then promote in japan in 552
Local administration with prefectures and counties, capital and disti
Building states on the Chinese Model
*Confucian classics used in education
*Compilation of official histories
*Use of Chinese writing, but also adaptations to Korean (idu)
*Kings use of reign names
*Spread of Buddhism by Chinese missionaries
*Local administration on Chinese model (prefectures and counties – like junxian), systems of official rank
*Cultural elements: tombs, music, tea
Silla as latecomer
*Key Buddhist thinkers: Ŭisang and Wŏnhyo
*520 – administrative law code
Less contact, would go just as far, slower,
7th century = lots of monasteries for buddasm, pure land buddhism, rebirth in paradise, 520 = code of admnistrative law
Window in non-uniformity
5-6th century = crowns from chaman = uniaue = eurasian steppe influence = diff local culture
Three Kingdoms at War
King kgr = expendand in munchuria = 4th century
Expansion to south = capital
457 = capiture seoul paekche = solid with eople from munchuria = max end 5th
6th = recapture han river valley (seoul) = betray = small states disappeared
Reunification of china = challenge = sui attacks = wall building in west frontier = fail attacks in the north tong
Allies with silla = 650 = attacked and captures and took paekche leader = recover territories by japanese and paekche =
356 = peongyang falled
Tong = reling on silla for food =
676 = unified on 2thrid of korea
Why victory? = geography (only korean states, no competition with china)
Recap
*Pressure and influence from China helped lead to the rise of full-fledged Korean states in the early first millennium CE
*Chinese-style institutions/practices developed later in Silla than in Koguryŏ and Paekche, but eventually became just as important
*All three states had highly hierarchical warrior aristocracies leading them
*Silla’s location at further remove from Chinese empires may have helped it come out the victor in the struggles among the Three Kingdoms
