27 Facts About Silla

Thereafter, Later Silla occupied most of the Korean Peninsula, while the northern part re-emerged as Balhae, a successor-state of Goguryeo.

Until its founding as a full-fledged kingdom, Silla was recorded using several hanja combinations to phonetically approximate its native Korean name, including ??, ??, ??, ??, ??, and ?? .

Silla was referred to as Gyerim, literally "chicken forest, " a name that has its origins in the forest near the Silla capital.

Silla began as Saro-guk, a statelet within the 12-member confederacy known as Jinhan.

In various inscriptions on archaeological foundings such as personal gravestones and monuments, it is recorded that Silla royals considered themselves having Xiongnu ancestry through the Xiongnu prince Kim Il-je, known as Jin Midi in Chinese sources.

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Nonetheless, this hypothesis in respect to the origins of Silla royalty are not accepted in mainstream academia, but rather stand as a minor opinion.

Silla is considered by many historians as the starting point of the Gyeongju Gim dynasty, which lasted more than 550 years.

In 377, Silla sent emissaries to China and established relations with Goguryeo.

Silla absorbed the Gaya confederacy during the Gaya–Silla Wars, annexing Geumgwan Gaya in 532 and conquering Daegaya in 562, thereby expanding its borders to the Nakdong River basin.

Silla helped Baekje drive Goguryeo out of the Han River area, and then wrested control of the entire strategic region from Baekje in 553, breaching the 120-year Baekje-Silla alliance.

Silla then fought for nearly a decade to expel Chinese forces on the peninsula intent on creating Tang colonies there to finally establish a unified kingdom as far north as modern Pyongyang.

Thereafter the Silla kingship was fixed in the house of Wonseong of Silla, though the office itself was continually contested among various branches of the Gim lineage.

Nevertheless, the middle period of Silla witnessed the state at its zenith, the brief consolidation of royal power, and the attempt to institute a Chinese style bureaucratic system.

From at least the 6th century, when Silla acquired a detailed system of law and governance, social status and official advancement were dictated by the bone rank system.

Since its emergence as a centralized polity Silla society had been characterized by its strict aristocratic makeup.

Early Silla military was built around a small number of Silla royal guards designed to protect royalty and nobility and in times of war served as the primary military force if needed.

Silla is known to have operated crossbows called the Cheonbono that was said to have had a range of one thousand steps and a special pike unit called the Jangchang-Dang to counter enemy cavalry.

In particular, Silla's crossbows were prized by Tang China due to its excellent functions and durability.

The pike unit, called Changchangdang that would later be known as the Bigeum Legion as part of the Nine Legions and which was consisted of Silla folks, had a special purpose to counter the Gokturks cavalries operated by the Tang army during the Silla-Tang War.

Silla is known for its maritime prowess shown by the navy backed with master shipbuilding and seamanship.

Jang Bogo, a prominent maritime figure of Silla, was famous for his navy based on the Cheonghaejin Garrison.

Silla tombs consist of a stone chamber surrounded by a soil mound.

Silla had been exposed to the religion for over a century during which the faith had certainly made inroads into the native populace.

From King Beopheung and for the following six reigns Silla kings adopted Buddhist names and came to portray themselves as Buddhist–kings.

The main assessment is that relics and temple ruins related to Silla found today were ahead of their time and surpassed those of Goryeo and Joseon in terms of size and extravagancy.

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Silla was a place of interest by the Japanese as the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki both claim that the Japanese god, Susanoo first emerged from the kingdom of Silla after being banished from the heavens, but soon left the peninsula for the Japanese archipelago after being dissastisfied with the land.

Silla was used as a means of spreading propaganda through Nissen dosoron that Susanoo once reigned over Silla and that the modern Koreans are his descendants, ultimately using him to justify the Japanese occupation of Korea.