Lecture 9: Korea and Japan Flashcards
Artifact: Bead from Cleveland Musuem
Glass largely produced in ancient Rome in 1st century CE reached Korean peninsula via Silk Road. Local product inspired by imported Roman glass products.
Sericulture
Production of silk. Entered from China and promoted by King Hyokkose and Queen Aryong in 37 BCE.
Korea = Cultural Land Bridge
- Korean merchants living in port cities of Southeast China. [Documented under Tang in Guangdong and Fuzhou]
–> access to products from traders on silk road, exported goods to china as tribute and trade goods
a. Exchanged before Silk Road:
- bronze objects w animal motifs found all across NE Asia
-ME: gold animal objects
-China: smelting techniques, iron tools by 500 BCE
- 400 BCE Scythian and Chinese methods were available to craftsmen in Korean peninsula
b. Scythian/Siberian influence
- metal relics
- indicates cultural elements transmitted from Scythian/Siberian culture that became part of indigenous society of Silla
–> rhyton Persian/Hellenistic horn cup
–> Parthians/Iranians made them from tusk/horn/silver
c. Siberian/Manchurian influence
- daggers
- Gogok - imported gems displayed on funerary crowns
- Sillian golden crowns included shamanistic symbols of trees/birds/deers influenced by nomadic culture of Siberia
A brief history of Korea
1st century: Korean peninsula
a. Goguryeo
b. Baekje
c. Silla . Always fighting.
–> UNIFIED SILLA KINGDOM (668CE-935CE)
- Silla sovereignty recognized by Tang 736
- Laid the foundations for historical development in Korea. Silk Road contributed to Silla Golden age in arts, admin, edu, sciences.
Economics in Golden Age of Silla
Early Silla Period: only focused on an agricultural economy.
Trade limited to China.
AFTER UNIFICATION:
- trade more goods with China
- reach to WEST– technological exchanges
–> bronze working (Scythian), ironworking (Chinese and Scythian), glassware (Mesopotamia)
Education and Sciences in Silla
- Confucianism reached Korea via China. Encouraged research –> development of book collecting/cataloging
- printing block system == stimulated written literature
- introduction of paper made easier exchange of info + start using Chinese writing system - State examination system: confucian tradition of formal edu based on classics
- Adoption of Chinese lunar calendar
- To decipher the will of the Heaven, oldest existing astronomical observatory
- Hwarang: class of noble, military, educated people
BEFORE 4th century - oral transmission of knowledge –> scholar class
China-Silla exchanges influenced the transformation of Silla’s political system
- Creation of civil service examination gave easier access to government positions for the literati
- Arrival of Confucianism led to a debate on the role of women and capacity to lead a country
- Buddhist ideas about ability for all souls to reach Nirvana encouraged positive attitude towards women having authority
Confucianism advocated a strictly ordered society based on gender.
Bones Rank
a. Holy Bone- Kings and Queens
b. True Bone- Royal family/Aristocrats
Head rank 6: gov officials
HR 5: big landowners, military, mid level officials
HR 4: local rulers
HR 3, 2, 1: not nobility
Gave the structure of society, everyone keeping their place and working for harmony of the whole. STRUCTURALISM
Buddhism
527CE Buddhism was adopted as State religion, under influence of Great Secretary/martyr Ichadon. – related to royal authority, reinforced King’s power
- Silla developed monasteries/temples: Bulguksa temple, Gyongju. 751 CE
–> Designed by PM Kim Daeseong “Buddhist utopia” – cave hermitage in the park hosting a monumental Buddha surrounded by depictions of Bodhisattvas
Muslim community in Korea
680, Guangzhou. Official reports refer to a community of 5000 Arab merchants from Persia.
11th century Arab merchants sailed to Korea = first exchange of goods, didn’t last more than a decade
Evidence of Muslim influence in Goryeo:
- Muslims developed technology of distillation to produce medicinal ingredients despite being unable to drink alcohol.
- Korea used that tech to make soju.
Hyecho
Pilgrim. Travelled to India and China to visit important places in Buddhist tradition.
- from Korea, educated in China, left for India in 723CE
- Memoirs for a pilgrimage to the 5 Indian Kingdoms == found in Dunhuang (impressions on local diet, climate, language, culture, politics)
Go Seonji
Born in Goguryeo. General in Tang imperial army, managed to conquer Kashmir.
Talas Battle for the control of Transoxiana region but lost to Abbasids.
- Fell victim to false accusations of corruption = executed
Queen Seondeok 632-647
- Hereditary tradition –> “generous, benevolent, wise, smart”
- Deepened relations with China, and enforced Buddhism so that women could rule. TRIED to prevent rise of confucianism
–> invovled in science and education, encouraged art, building pagodas
–> commissioned Chronicles of Korea to equal Chinese historiography
Gyeongju
Capital city of Silla Kingdom. Layout inspired from Chang’an
Tomb of Wonseong of Silla
- King sent tribute to China later introducing the Tang examination system. Insisted on using Chinese script.
- Stone guards around his tomb with Central Asian features: deep set eyes, headbands, high nose ridges (maybe Sogdians)
–> civil officers resemble Uighur people with square jaws, protruding noses, full beards
–> LION - buried with horses and horse trappings and cpurs – tracing back to Scythians = “go along with what you need in your afterlife”
