Silla

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Silla 新羅 (Hanja) 신라 (Hangul)
57 BCE – 935 CE
Silla in the 6th century, during the reign of King Jinheung.
Status	Kingdom
Capital	Seorabeol[a][b]
Common languages	Old Korean, Classical Chinese, (literary)[1]
Ethnic groups	Yemaek,[2] Samhan
Religion	Korean ethnic folk religion/Shamanism (Earlier state Religion: 57 BCE – 527 CE) Buddhism (State and official religion 527 CE – 935 CE)[3] Other religions: Confucianism Taoism Islam[4][5]
Government	Monarchy
King
• 57 BCE–4 CE	Hyeokgeose (first)
• 57–80	Talhae
• 356–402	Naemul
• 540–576	Jinheung
• 654–661	Muyeol
• 661–681	Munmu
• 927–935	Gyeongsun (last)
Legislature	Hwabaek
History
• Establishment	57 BCE
• Introduction of Buddhism	530
• Campaigns of King Jinheung	551–585
• Silla-Tang War	668–676
• Later Silla	668–935
• Handover to the Goryeo	935 CE
Population
• 200	250,000[6]
• 660	1,000,000[6]
• 676	4,500,000[7]
Preceded by Succeeded by Jinhan confederacy Gojoseon Unified Silla Goryeo
Today part of	North Korea South Korea

Part of a series on the
History of Korea
Prehistoric period Palaeolithic 700,000 BC-8000 BC Neolithic 8000 BC–1500 BC * Jeulmun Bronze Age 1500 BC–300 BC * Mumun * Liaoning dagger
Ancient period Gojoseon 2333 BC–108 BC * Dangun * Gija * Wiman Jin 4th–2nd century BC Yemaek
Proto–Three Kingdoms period Takri Dongye Buyeo Eastern Galsa Okjeo Samhan Ma Byeon Jin Goguryeo Tamna Nakrang Four Commanderies of Han
Three Kingdoms period Goguryeo 37 BC–668 AD Baekje 18 BC–660 AD Silla 57 BC–935 AD Gaya confederacy 42–562 Tamna (Tributary of Baekje) 498–660 Usan 512–930
Northern and Southern period United Silla (Unified Silla) 668–892 Balhae 698–926 Little Goguryeo 699–820 Tamna (Tributary of Silla) 662–925
Later Three Kingdoms period Later Baekje 892–936 Taebong (Later Goguryeo) 901–918 Unified Silla (Later Silla) 892–935 Later Sabeol 919–927 Dongdan Kingdom 926–936 Later Balhae 927–935 Jeongan 938–986
Dynastic period Goryeo 918–1392 Tamna (Vassal of Goryeo) 938–1105 Heungyo 1029–1030 Joseon 1392–1897 Korean Empire 1897–1910
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Silla (Korean pronunciation: [ɕiɭ.ɭa]; Old Korean: 徐羅伐, Yale: Syerapel,^[8] RR: Seorabeol; IPA: Korean pronunciation: [sʌɾabʌɭ]) was a Korean kingdom that existed between 57 BCE^[9] – 935 CE and was located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Silla had the lowest population of the three, approximately 850,000 people (170,000 households), significantly smaller than those of Baekje (3,800,000 people) and Goguryeo (3,500,000 people).^[10]

Its foundation can be traced back to the semi-mythological figure of Hyeokgeose of Silla (Old Korean: *pulkunae, "light of the world"), of the Park clan. The country was first ruled intermittently by the Miryang Park clan for 232 years and the Wolseong Seok clan for 172 years and beginning with the reign of Michu Isageum the Gyeongju Kim clan for 586 years. Park, Seok and Kim have no contemporary attestations and went by the Old Korean names of 居西干 Geoseogan (1st century BCE), 次次雄 Chachaung (1st century CE), 泥師今 Isageum (Old Korean: *nisokum)^[11] and 麻立干 Maripkan (5th-6th century)^[12] instead.

It began as a chiefdom in the Jinhan confederacy, part of the Samhan, and after consolidating its power in the immediate area, conquered the Gaya confederacy. Eventually allying with Sui China and then Tang China, it conquered the other two kingdoms, Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668. Thereafter, Unified Silla occupied most of the Korean Peninsula, while the northern part re-emerged as Balhae, a successor-state of Goguryeo. After nearly 1,000 years of rule, Silla fragmented into the brief Later Three Kingdoms of Silla, Later Baekje, and Taebong, handing over power to Goryeo in 935.^[13]

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