Silla’s Decline

• Decline after King Kyŏngdŏk (r. 742-765)

• Problems with Bone Rank System

• Increased trade between Silla and T’ang China

• Rise of local warlords weaken central aristocracy, throne

The Later Three Kingdoms

Koryŏ : Wang Kŏn (King T’aejo, r. 918-943)

[“the good”]

Later Paekche: Yi Kyŏnhwŏn (r. 892-936)

[“the bad”]

Later Koguryŏ: Kim Kungye (r. 901- 918)

[“the ugly”]

Later Three Kingdoms

Kim Kungye [“the ugly”]

- Silla prince foretold to bring harm to Silla

- Abandoned as infant

- Became monk then soldier

- Founded Later Koguryŏ in 901

- Ruled with act of terror

- Driven from his throne by his own generals and killed by his own people

Site of Kungye’s Palace

Yi Kyŏnhwŏn [“the bad”]

- Had been poor peasant and foot soldier in Silla

- Est. Later Paekche in 892

- Attacked Silla capital of Kyŏngju

and killed king

- Later overthrown by eldest son

Wang Kŏn [“the good”]

– succeed Kungye in 918 became a king of Koryŏ

– From a gentry family in the Kaesŏng (capital of Koryŏ)

– Defeated Kyŏnwŏn and unified Korean peninsular in 935

– When Parhae perished, Koguryŏdescendents joined Koryŏ

Artist’s Recreation of Kaegyong

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

• Characterizations

• Who write history?

Koryŏ

The Hereditary Aristocratic Society

Wang Kŏn (King T’aejo, r. 918-943)

Silla’s Victories

defeated Kaya 532, 562defeated Paekche in

660 defeated Koguryŏ in 668

expelled T’ang in 676

“Later” or “Unified” Silla

Wang Kŏn (King T’aejo, r. 918-943)

- 29 wives

Wang Kŏn (King T’aejo, r. 918-943)

- Ten Injunctions

Koryŏ

• Establishment– Established by Wang Kŏn– Named after Koguryŏ– Capital: Kaesŏng (mid-west of Korea)– Secondary capital: P’yŏngyang– To establish his authority, Wang Kŏn claimed the “Mandate

of Heaven”– To consolidate the power: alliance with powerful warlords

and prominent members of the old Silla aristocracy and Silla royal family by marriage => 29 wives

– Wang Kŏn left behind a testament known as the Ten Injunctions

Two capitals, Kaesŏng, P’yŏngyang

Ten Injunctions1) Ensure favor and protection of Buddha; caution that temples

do not fight amongst themselves

2) Be discriminating about where temples are built and stick to sites chosen by Tosŏn

3) Eldest legitimate royal issue to succeed to throne

4) Do not copy China unreasonably (especially Khitan Liao)

5) Make royal visits to Western Capital of P’yŏngyang

6) Observe Yŏndŭng and P’algwan festivals (Buddhism festivals)

7) Heed sincere criticism and banish those with slanderous tongue

8) Beware of territory south of Kongju (former Paekche area)

9) Do not change set salaries and allowances

10) Learn from the classics and history; guard against mistakes whether preserving a household or the state

Lantern Festival in Seoul celebrating Buddha’s Birthday

Lotus Lantern Festival

Ten Injunctions

• Philosophy of government• Promote Buddhism as a protective cult• Warn against appointment of people from

Paekche• China => a model to be looked, but not

imitate the Chinese customs => Korea has its own

Crown with pendant ornamentsPair of earrings

Necklace;Gold and Jade; National Museum of Korea, Treasure 456

Chestlace: symbols of the importance and authority of the deceased.

Buddha, probably Amitabha (Korean: Amita), Korea, SillaKingdom, ca. 706. From the pagoda at Hwangboksa Temple site. Gold, H. 4 3/4 in. (12.2 cm). National Museum of Korea, National Treasure 79

Imported Luxuries and Exotic Imagery

Dagger and sheath

Roman-style vessel

Social Structure of Koryŏ

– Royal family

– Aristocrats

– Commoners

• Peasants

• Artisans

• Merchants

– Low born: slaves: property => buy/sell, gift

• Public slaves: government & temples

• Private slaves: aristocrats

King Kwangjong (949-974)

• Slave Review Act (956)

: to restore free status to commoners enslaved during Later Three Kingdoms => weakened economic and military strength of local gentry

• Ŭm privilege

: higher-ranking officials’ sons received automatic appointment to office

Kwangjong (r. 949-975)

• Civil Service Examinations (958)• Shuang Ji ( from Later Zhou China): became a advisor

– Installment of civil service examination• Emphasis on Confucian ideal that the state

should be ruled by men of merit• Recruiting and appointing officials• Compositional Examination: literary skill• Classics Examination: understanding of Chinese

classics• Miscellaneous Examination: law, account,

geomancy, medicine

• Civil service examinations

• Royal Confucian College

• Private academies

• Royal library

• Confucian Classics

Buddhism

–National Religion

–Royal Preceptor/National Preceptor

–Two major schools

•Textual School (Kyo): text studying

•Contemplative school (Sŏn):

meditation

Koryŏ Buddhist Painting

Koryŏ CeladonCeladon

• Delicate jade-green color

• Made in various shapes

• Varied decorations of clouds, cranes, willows, grapes, chrysanthemums

• Considered by some as world’s finest ceramic art