Themes to Korea’s History Harrison and Ned
Geography
What are some themes? Not small Not new Many inventions Passion for Nature Confucian Not China Not a Hermit Cannot ignore
When does Korea’s history begin? Paleolithic/ Neolithic
Neolithic 5000-1000 BCE What is new? What is unique?
Bronze and Its Uses:1500-300BCE
When do the first Polities appear? Ancient Chosŏn Puyŏ Samhan
Does China influence? Nangnang/Lolang Chinese commandery Impact on peninsula Collapse Significance
What are the Three Kingdoms? Koguryŏ Paekche Silla (Kaya)
Koguryŏ Until 668 Cultural heritage Chinese claims Korean claims Another view
Paekche 18 BCE- 661 artistic
Silla 57 BCE–10th century Location Distance from China Southern location
Comparisons Koguryŏ Paekche Silla 34 BCE 18 BCE 57 BCE 50 BCE–50 CE 1st c 2nd c 150 CE 3rd c 4th c 4th c 4th c 6th c
What about Kaya? Naktong River Valley Trade Center Six “tribes” Mimana?
Three Kingdoms
Why does Silla Unify? Location Governmental structure Kolp’um Hwarang
Buddhism Unification Wŏngwang Wŏnhyo
Why Not Paekche?
What are some Highlights of Silla? Kolp’um order Aristocratic Buddhist
High Culture Artistic Literary Cult of beauty
What is Parhae? Buffer State Tension with Silla North/South
What explains the Fall of Silla? Confucian historiography How unified? Classic collapse?
Koryŏ (918–1392)
What are Koryo’s Three Periods?
What was Koryo like? Aristocratic Bureaucratic Silla legacy Education Institutions Bureaucratic
Were there internal challenges? Yi Chagyŏm Myoch’ŏng Military Coup
Foreign Contacts China Khitans Jurchen Mongols Japan
Koryŏ: More than a Vase Examinations Schools Governmental structure
Ceramics
Buddhism Son Beliefs
Paintings
Printing
Tripitaka Haeinsa Temple 81,000 woodblocks
Bells
Korea, the name
How many more dynasties?Choson 1392- 1910 Modern boundaries Capital, Seoul Last dynasty
Was it a Confucian State? Confucianism Harmony Filial Piety Loyalty Neo-Confucianism MetaphysiccalView Yangban society
What was the role of Women? Confucian Norms Loss of Rights inheritance
What was the Imjin War? Hideyoshi 1592-1598 Yi Sunsin Aftermath
And did the Manchus Invade also? 1627, 1636 Qing Dynasty 1644-1912
Did Korea survive? Sirhak (Practical Learning) 17th, 18th Centuries Good Government Peasant Livelihood Technology Study of Korea
What is the Cultural Heritage? Hangul Punch’ong Ware Genre Painting Architecture Verse Music, Dance
Nineteenth Century Child Kings Regencies Hereditary Families Maternal Families Hereditary Families
1850s East Asian Challenges Internal Unrest Coming of the West China Japan
James Palais Korea’s uniqueness?