Korea (4) The three kingdoms

 Around 400 BC different tribes came together in the north part of the peninsula and created the kingdom named “Choson”. Choson is a Chinese word that means “The land of the morning calm”

Around 200 years after this Choson was divided into three kingdoms.

It was Koguryo in the north, Silla in the southeast and Paeche in the southwest. China was influencing them all and because of this powerful influence it was hard to develop in its own way. Koguryo tried to break free from China and war broke out. They won against China in the year 313, but pretty soon China took over again. During these wars against Koguryo and China, Paeche had the possibility to strengthen just as Silla had.

Buddhism came from China to Koguryo in the year 372 and in the year 384 Buddhism came to Paeche. In order for Buddhism to reach the Kingdom of Silla it took almost 150 years more. In the year 528 Buddhism came to Silla and the three kingdoms now developed in to strong and powerful kingdoms. They competed about the space on this rather small peninsula and small conflicts were not rare between the kingdoms.

Silla was the kingdom that developed more rapidly, and big temples and pagodas were built all over the kingdom. Silla also developed good relations with China and with Chinese monks, while Koguryo more and more came in conflict with the Chinese Sui and Tang.

The Sui dynasty tried to destroy Koguryo at two different occasions, but the task was too difficult and Sui fell in the year of 618. Because Sui fell, the Tang dynasty got stronger in China but tang had the same interests in taking over Koguryo, Even Tang lost but was not totally erased and succeeded to established great contacts with Silla and they together attacked Paeche in order to from there invade Koguryo.. Paeche was no big deal for Tang and Silla and even Koguryu were forced to surrender. It all happened in the year 668. Tang wanted to alone take over the peninsula, but Silla realised that early on and could fight back. Tang last and had to go back to China. Now Silla was the only kingdom on the peninsula, and it flourished. The kingdom of silla lasted for almost 1000 year and the capital during this time was Kyonggju, located in the south parts of Korea and at this time had a population with around 1 million people. During this reign Silla also affected Japan. The Buddhism came from Korea to Japan and it was Korean monks that build the old capital in Japan named Nara. Nara means “ my kingdom” in Korean.

But as it often is with great kingdoms and superpowers Silla started to fall. Small new kingdoms like “new Koguryo and new Paeche” were established but in the year 935 the new big kingdom Koryo were proclaimed.

Koryos heyday did not last long and in the year 1170 internal strife flared up and officers from the army took over the power. This was unfortunately only the beginning of what would befall the area later, and around 1200 a storm drew all over the peninsula, and over all of Asia and even to Europe. The storm was the Mongol storm. A chieftain named Temudjin, better known as Genghis Kahn got an army of around 250 000 soldiers sweep across much of Asia, leaving destruction and death behind. The Mongols settled down in China and Manchuria and in 1231 they reached the city of Kaesong Koryo and as easily conquered. The Mongols allowed themselves to be bribed and moved strangely, back, and Koryo took the opportunity to move the capital to the island of Kanghwa, but the Mongols were not content, and attacked again in the year 1235. The Mongols were incredibly skilled warriors and horsemen, but they did not know about boats or navigation at sea so the city and the court that have moved to the island was on safe ground. The Mongols looted and destroyed the rest of the peninsula instead. Because of the Mongols inability to deal with the see, Japan survived without invasion of the Mongols, who, however, tried twice but went to the bottom of the sea in heavy storms, which in Japan was called "the divine winds", better known as "kami kaze".
The Mongols ruled the peninsula for almost a hundred years and hundreds of thousands of Koreans were killed, and city after city was looted and burned. The fine old cultural capital Kyonggju did not, unfortunately, entirely escape the Mongols rampage. In they ear 1270 they began gradually to discuss peace negotiations. But they still did not release the grip. The Crown Prince of Koryo was forced to marry a Mongolian princess and move to Beijing where the Mongols established a new empire. The Mongol power did not last forever, and in mid-1300 the Mongol empire started to stall. In the year 1382 a Chinese general in China established a new dynasty called Ming.

1388 China once again came into Koryo and consolidated some of the northernmost parts of the kingdom. Koryo was due to the Mongol occupation not strong enough to defend himself. While the Chinese were in the north, Japanese pirates took on the south. General Yi Song-gye could not attack the Chinese and went south with his entire army. It was probably wise made for Yi had not had a chance against the big strong Chinese army and now Yi could settle down and establish a good foothold in the south. Yi deposed king of Koryo, but did not take over the throne himself until the year 1392 when he founded the Yi dynasty, which would rule in Korea for over 500 years. Yi dynasty's heyday was from 1392-1494 and the greatest king of them all was King Sejong.
There have been wars on the Korean peninsula during the whole history and only a few very short periods, Korea has been a sovereign country. The peninsula has always been shared and it is even more these days. Strangely, the Korean culture and the soul always persisted, despite conquests, wars, occupations and more. There is a Chinese proverb that says "bamboo fold in the wind, it is depressed by rain and snow, but it always rise again." Perhaps the Korean people are as bamboo!

More 2 come