Silla: The Most Successful Of Three Korean Kingdoms

A. Sutherland  – AncientPages.com – Silla was one of the three kingdoms of Korea and the most successful one. In the 7th century, Silla conquered the other kingdoms: Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668.

Gold Crown from Silla, Korea. source

After the conquest, this important period in the country’s history that lasted from 668 to 935 is sometimes called by historians – the United Silla.

Time Before The United Silla Emerged

It was not until 57BC that the first Korean state was formed. From at least the 8th century BC, the Koreans had come under the cultural influence of their powerful neighbor, China. Rice cultivation, bronze tools, and weapons, both borrowed from the Chinese, pushed the Koreans toward urbanization and a state’s formation.

By the 4th century BC, small states had emerged throughout the Korean peninsula, each based on a walled town. Wars and alliances between the cities led to the development of loose confederations under the dominant cities’ rulers.

The Chinese considered these confederations as a threat, and from 109-106 BC, the Han dynasty that was very powerful conquered most of northern and central Korea.

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