Unified Silla

Unified Silla (668–935) is the name often applied to the kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668, when it conquered Baekje and Goguryeo to unify most of the Korean peninsula. Its last king, ruling over a state in name only, submitted to the emerging Goryeo in 935, bringing the dynasty to an end.

The country is referenced in the Arab geographer Ibn Khurdadhbih's works.

Name

The name "Unified Silla" is a term that likely dates from after the division of Korea in 1945, and to some degree reflects modern-day political longings. Because of this, some historians suggest the term North-South States Period (nambukguk sidae = 남북국 시대 = 南北國時代) to better reflect the fact that Silla did not unify the Three Kingdoms' entire territory. Large parts of former Goguryeo territory remained outside Silla's realm and were part of the newly emerged Balhae state.

Unification

Main article: Silla

In 660, King Munmu of Silla ordered his armies to attack Baekje. General Kim Yusin, aided by Tang forces, defeated General Gyebaek and conquered Baekje. In 661, he moved on Goguryeo but was repelled. King Munmu ordered General Kim to launch another campaign in 667 and, in 668, Goguryeo fell. King Munmu was the first ruler ever to look upon most of the Korean Peninsula as a single political entity. 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 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 of accounts. Different new sects of Buddhism were introduced by these traveling monks who had studied abroad such as Son and Pure Land Buddhism [http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&vid=ISBN0395652375&id=MziRd4ddZz4C&pg=PA156&lpg=PA156&dq=unified+silla&sig=PtHzeMj5shwKqi4tWeHY7aIPbZE.

Confucianism: A national confucian college was established in 682 and around 750 it was renamed the National Confucian Univesity ^*. 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. ^*.

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Name

Unification

Culture

See also