Medieval States of Korea and Japan: Map & History

Some architectural structures built in the period still remain today. Wooden buildings at Hōryū-ji, built in the seventh century, show some influence from Chinese and west Asian countries. For instance, the pillars at Hōryū-ji are similar to the pillars of the Parthenon of ancient Greece, as seen in their entasis. The five-storied pagoda (五重の塔, go-jū no tō) is a transformation from the Indian mound-like reliquary structure called a stupa. In addition, mural paintings in the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora kofun dating from the fifth century show strong influence from Tang dynasty and Goguryeo wall painting.

From Wikipedia: Asuka period · Art and architecture: Asuka culture (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Taoism was also introduced during the Asuka period. The octagonal shape of monarchs' tombs of this age and the celestial maps drawn in the Kitora and Takamatsuzuka kofun reflect the Taoist cosmology.

From Wikipedia: Asuka period · Influence of Taoism (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Unified Silla carried on the maritime prowess of Baekje, which has been likened to the "Phoenicia of medieval East Asia", and during the 8th and 9th centuries dominated the seas of East Asia and the trade between China, Korea and Japan, most notably during the time of Chang Pogo; in addition, Silla people made overseas communities in China on the Shandong Peninsula and the mouth of the Yangtze River.

From Wikipedia: Unified Silla · Culture (CC BY-SA 4.0)

According to Old Book of Tang, after Goguryeo was defeated by the Tang, Tae Choyŏng (Da Zuorong) led his relatives to settle in Yingzhou (營州, modern-day Chaoyang) until they were disturbed by a Khitan rebellion in 696. The governor-general of Yingzhou, Zhao Wenhui, insulted the Khitan and Mohe chieftains by treating them like servants. Zhao refused to provide aid to their tribesmen when they suffered from famine. Li Jinzhong (Wushang Khan) of the Khitans along with his brother-in-law Sun Wanrong rebelled against Tang (Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty) hegemony, killed an abusive Tang commander, and attacked Hebei. Yingzhou was sacked and Zhao was killed by angry tribesmen. Li died soon after and Sun succeeded him, only to be defeated by the Second Turkic Khaganate.

From Wikipedia: Parhae · History: Origin (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Parhae adopted Chinese institutions to organize its central political system. The Three Departments and Six Ministries system, which was fully developed during the Tang dynasty, later became the standard model for government organization in many East Asian states, and Parhae also incorporated it. Parhae divided its administrative regions into 15 provinces (bu), which were further subdivided into 62 prefectures (ju).

From Wikipedia: Parhae · Government (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Under Parhae, the region's agriculture became much more widespread and well-developed than in previous centuries, especially in the north. Millet, barley, soy beans and rice were the main type of crops cultivated in Parhae. Some of its specialized regional produce, such as rice, fermented beans, plums and pears, were much sought after. Fishing and hunting also remained important among Parhae people. Parhae also produced fine iron and copper wares, silk and linen textiles, and ceramics, including Sancai pottery developed under the influence of that of the Tang. Whaling was also done, albeit this was mostly done as tribute to the Tang.

From Wikipedia: Parhae · Economy and trade (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Tae Choyŏng died in 719 and was succeeded by his son, Tae Muye (Da Wuyi, r. 719–737). While Muye accepted Tang gifts and title upon his succession, he showed his independence by giving his father a posthumous temple name, Kowang/Gaowang (high king). Muye adopted his own reign title in 720. In 721, the Tang asked Parhae for military support against the Khitans but they refused. To check Parhae's influence, the Tang appointed a chieftain of the Heishui Mohe (Heuksu Malgal) as prefect of Bozhou (in modern Khabarovsk) in 722. In 725, the Andong Protectorate suggested stationing an army in the region. In response, Tang officials dispatched an administration staffed by the leaders of smaller tribes under the command of the Youzhou governor-general. Muye was convinced that the Heishui Mohe and the Tang were plotting to attack him and that he needed a preemptive strike.

From Wikipedia: Parhae · History: War with the Tang dynasty (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Parhae's population was composed of former Goguryeo people and Tungusic Mohe people in Manchuria. Within sixty sites identified as Parhae settlements, many had dwellings with heating stoves, ceramic roof tiles, and vessels. Iron agricultural implements suggest that sophisticated agriculture was practiced in parts of Parhae. These finds indicate that much of the population even outside the capitals were sedentary.

From Wikipedia: Parhae · Culture (CC BY-SA 4.0)

In 907, Parhae came into conflict with the Khitan Liao dynasty because of the decision of the Khitans near modern Chifeng and Tongliao, who recognized the supremacy of Parhae, to become part of the Liao dynasty. The Liao ruler Abaoji took possession of the Liao River basin, which led to a long conflict. In 911, Silla allied with Parhae against the Khitans. In 924, Parhae attacked the Khitans. The next year, a Parhae general, Sindeok, surrendered to Goryeo. In 925, Silla allied with the Khitans and helped them in their war against Parhae. Afterwards, warriors from Silla were rewarded by the Khitan ruler. In 926, the Khitans laid siege to the Parhae capital Shangjing/Sanggyeong and forced their surrender.

From Wikipedia: Parhae · History: Fall (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Before the Taihō Code was established, the capital was customarily moved after the death of an emperor because of the ancient belief that a place of death was polluted. Reforms and bureaucratization of government led to the establishment of a permanent imperial capital at Heijō-kyō, or Nara, in AD 710.

From Wikipedia: Nara period · Economic, livelihood, and administrative developments (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Concerted efforts by the imperial court to record its history produced the first works of Japanese literature during the Nara period. Works such as the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki were political, used to record and therefore justify and establish the supremacy of the rule of the emperors within Japan.

From Wikipedia: Nara period · Literature (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Under the early courts, when military conscription had been centrally controlled, military affairs had been taken out of the hands of the provincial aristocracy. But as the system broke down after 792, local power holders again became the primary source of military strength. The re-establishment of an efficient military system was made gradually through a process of trial-and-error. At that time the imperial court did not possess an army but rather relied on an organization of professional warriors composed mainly of oryoshi, which were appointed to an individual province and tsuibushi, which were appointed over imperial circuits or for specific tasks. This gave rise to the Japanese military class. Nonetheless, final authority rested with the imperial court.

From Wikipedia: Heian period · History: Rise of the military class (CC BY-SA 4.0)

While the Heian period was an unusually long period of peace, it can also be argued that the period weakened Japan economically and led to poverty for all but a tiny few of its inhabitants. The control of rice fields provided a key source of income for families such as the Fujiwara and was a fundamental base of their power. The aristocratic beneficiaries of Heian culture, the Ryōmin (良民 "Good People") numbered about 5,000 in a land of perhaps five million. One reason the samurai were able to take power was that the ruling nobility proved incompetent at managing Japan and its provinces. By the year 1000, the government no longer knew how to issue currency and money was gradually disappearing. Instead of a fully realized system of money circulation, rice was the primary unit of exchange. The lack of a solid medium of economic exchange is implicitly illustrated in novels of the time.

From Wikipedia: Heian period · Economics (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Although written Chinese (kanbun) remained the official language of the Heian period imperial court, the introduction and widespread use of kana saw a boom in Japanese literature. Despite the establishment of several new literary genres such as the novel and narrative monogatari (物語) and essays, literacy was only common among the court and Buddhist clergy.

From Wikipedia: Heian period · Culture: Literature (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The In-no-chō filled the void left by the decline of Fujiwara power. Rather than being banished, the Fujiwara were mostly retained in their old positions of civil dictator and minister of the center while being bypassed in decision making. In time, many of the Fujiwara were replaced, mostly by members of the rising Minamoto clan. While the Fujiwara fell into disputes among themselves and formed northern and southern factions, the insei system allowed the paternal line of the imperial family to gain influence over the throne. The period from 1086 to 1156 was the age of supremacy of the In-no-chō and of the rise of the military class throughout the country. Military might rather than civil authority dominated the government.

From Wikipedia: Heian period · History: Decline of the Fujiwara (CC BY-SA 4.0)

With Silla defeating the Tang Dynasty during the Silla-Tang Wars and finalizing the unification of the Three Kingdoms, an opportunity was provided for the culture of the three kingdoms to converge and for the residents to be integrated. When it came to Paekche, the vast majority of its populace including the ruling class was admitted to the polities of Silla onwards. However, Later Silla adhered to its Bone-Rank System that was highly exclusive towards the Goguryeo and Paekche refugees. In the case for those that came from Paekche, the discriminatory treatment was more severe. This was due to the fact that Paekche people resisted against Silla during its revival movement from 660 to 663.

From Wikipedia: Later Paekche · Background: Paekche refugees of Later Silla (CC BY-SA 4.0)

For much of its existence, Later Paekche was troubled by Wang Kŏn's naval raids in Naju region. These worked to disrupt trade and diplomatic ties with Southern Chinese kingdoms.

From Wikipedia: Later Paekche · Military affairs (CC BY-SA 4.0)

After the Unification of the Three Kingdoms, Later Silla reigned as an powerhouse in the Eastern World, enjoying its heyday of more than 220 years. However, as it proceeded to decline, the local gentries across the country known as hojok began to have a desire to revolt, feeling that the central government's control over the provinces it held gradually weakened due to the endless struggle for the throne amongst the True Bone-class nobility.

From Wikipedia: Later Paekche · Background: Decline of Later Silla (CC BY-SA 4.0)

In the late 7th century, the kingdom of Silla unified the Three Kingdoms of Korea and entered a period known in historiography as "Unified Silla" or "Later Silla". Later Silla implemented a national policy of integrating Baekje and Goguryeo refugees called the "Unification of the Samhan", referring to the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Silla organized a new central army called the Ku-sŏdang (구서당; 九誓幢) that was divided into 3 units of Silla people, 3 units of Goguryeo people, 2 units of Baekje people, and 1 unit of Mohe people. However, the Baekje and Goguryeo refugees retained their respective collective consciousnesses and maintained a deep-seated resentment and hostility toward Silla.

From Wikipedia: Goryeo · History: Founding (CC BY-SA 4.0)

ntil 1270, when Koryŏ capitulated to the Mongols after thirty years of resistance, early Koryŏ rulers and most of its officials had held a "pluralist" (tawŏnjŏk) outlook that recognized greater and equal empires in China and in Manchuria, while positing Koryŏ as the center of a separate and bounded world ruled by the Koryŏ emperor, who claimed a ritual status reserved for the Son of Heaven.

From Wikipedia: Goryeo · Government (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Following the "Manbu Bridge Incident" of 942, Goryeo prepared itself for a conflict with the Khitan Empire: Jeongjong established a military reserve force of 300,000 soldiers called the "Resplendent Army" in 947, and Gwangjong built fortresses north of the Chongchon River, expanding toward the Yalu River. However an attempt to control the Yalu River basin in 984 failed due to conflict with the Jurchens. The Khitans considered Goryeo a potential threat and, with tensions rising, invaded in 993. The Jurchens warned Goryeo of the invasion twice. At first Goryeo did not believe the information but came around upon the second warning and took up a defensive strategy. The Koreans were defeated in their first encounter with the Khitans, but successfully halted their advance at Anyung-jin (in modern Anju, South Pyongan Province) at the Chongchon River.

From Wikipedia: Goryeo · History: Goryeo–Khitan War (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The official histories of early Korea such as the Samguk sagi and Samguk yusa, written in Classical Chinese, remain some of the most important historical works in Korean historiography.

From Wikipedia: Goryeo · Culture: Literature (CC BY-SA 4.0)

In 1388, King U (son of King Gongmin and a concubine) and general Ch'oe Yŏng planned a campaign to invade now Liaoning of China. King U put the general Yi Sŏnggye (later Taejo) in charge, but he stopped at the border and rebelled.

From Wikipedia: Goryeo · History: Fall (CC BY-SA 4.0)

]]. Later genealogical records, such as the 14th century Sonpi Bunmyaku, trace Kiyohira's paternal lineage to Fujiwara no Hidesato.

From Wikipedia: Northern Fujiwara · Origins (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Historically in Japan, the power of civilian government was primarily held by the ruling emperor of Japan and their regents, typically appointed from the ranks of the Imperial Court and the aristocratic clans that vied for influence there. Military affairs were handled under the auspices of the civil government.

From Wikipedia: Kamakura shogunate · History: Establishment (CC BY-SA 4.0)

In 1331, Emperor Go-Daigo took arms against Kamakura, but was defeated by Kamakura's Ashikaga Takauji and exiled to Oki Island, in today's Shimane Prefecture. A warlord then went to the exiled emperor's rescue, and in response the Hōjō sent forces again commanded by Takauji to attack Kyoto. Once there, however, Takauji decided to switch sides and support Go-Daigo. At the same time another warlord loyal to the emperor, Nitta Yoshisada, attacked Kamakura and took it. About 870 Hōjō clan members, including the last three regents, committed suicide at their family temple, Tōshō-ji, whose ruins were found in today's Ōmachi.

From Wikipedia: Kamakura shogunate · History: Decline and fall (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Emperor's role had been usurped by the Minamoto and Hōjō families ever since Minamoto no Yoritomo had obtained from the Emperor the title of shōgun in 1192, ruling thereafter from Kamakura.

From Wikipedia: Kenmu Restoration · Background (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Kyoto by then was aware that Takauji had assumed wide powers without imperial permission, for example nominating an Uesugi clan member to the post of Constable of Kōzuke, Nitta Yoshisada's native province. By late 1335 several thousand of the emperor's men were ready to go to Kamakura, while a great army at the command of Kō no Moroyasu was rushing there to help it resist the attack. On November 17, 1335, Tadayoshi issued a message in his brother's name asking all samurai to join the Ashikaga and destroy Nitta Yoshisada. The Court, meanwhile, had done the opposite, ordering samurai from all provinces to join Yoshisada and destroy the two Ashikaga. The war started with most samurai convinced that Takauji was the man they needed to have their grievances redressed, and most peasants were persuaded that they had been better off under the shogunate.

From Wikipedia: Kenmu Restoration · Civil war (CC BY-SA 4.0)

From 1180 to 1185, the Genpei War was fought between the Taira and Minamoto clans, which had a longstanding violent rivalry for influence over the Emperor of Japan and his Imperial Court. The Genpei War ended with victory for the Minamoto under Minamoto no Yoritomo, establishing the Kamakura shogunate after being pronounced Shōgun and beginning the Kamakura period. The Hōjō clan rose to power and governed Japan from the city of Kamakura, while the Emperor and his Imperial Court remained in the official capital city of Heian-kyō as largely symbolic figures. The Hōjō monopoly of power, as well as the lack of a reward of lands after the defeat of the Mongol invasions, led to simmering resentment among Hōjō vassals.

From Wikipedia: Ashikaga shogunate · Background and early period (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Ashikaga shogunate was the weakest of the three Japanese military governments. Unlike its predecessor, the Kamakura shogunate, or its successor, the Tokugawa shogunate, when Ashikaga Takauji established his government he had little personal territory with which to support his rule. The Ashikaga shogunate was thus heavily reliant on the prestige and personal authority of its shōgun. The centralized master-vassal system used in the Kamakura system was replaced with the highly de-centralized daimyōs (local lord) system, and because of the lack of direct territories, the military power of the shōgun depended heavily on the loyalty of the daimyō.

From Wikipedia: Ashikaga shogunate · Government structure (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Ashikaga era was a melting pot for the development of culture and art. Zen Buddhism was a large contributor to the arts. The tea ceremony was transformed from a large open room to a small quiet setting. Tea became more of a meditation method and something to practice to relax and find elements of Zen. Floral arrangements also became a form of art. The arranging of flowers became something of spiritual value. Often used as offerings to Buddha and to show faith in the heavens. The Noh Theater was also created in this time period. The performances were enjoyed by nobles and elites, and were heavily protected. Helping to expand themes of shows and create poetry. During the times of the Onin war, the performing arts had suffered but were quickly resurrected when power had fully shifted.

From Wikipedia: Ashikaga shogunate · Culture and Arts (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Bloody succession crises amongst the warrior families led to a decline in the authority of the bakufu until it almost vanished by 1441 at the death of Ashikaga Yoshinori. The lack of government control was especially acute when the daimyō feuded among themselves in the pursuit of power during the Ōnin War (1467–1477), until it erupted into open warfare in the late Muromachi period, also known as the Sengoku period.

From Wikipedia: Ashikaga shogunate · Fall of the shogunate (CC BY-SA 4.0)

By the late 14th century, the nearly 500-year-old Goryeo established in 918 was tottering; its foundations were collapsing from years of war spilled over from the disintegrating Yuan dynasty. Following the emergence of the Ming dynasty, the royal court in Goryeo split into two conflicting factions, one favoring neutrality and the other wanting to retake the Liaodong peninsula, which many in Goryeo believed was theirs. Goryeo remained a neutral third-party observer in the conflict between the Yuan and the Ming and had friendly diplomatic relations with both. In 1388, a Ming messenger came to Goryeo to demand that territories of the former Ssangseong Prefecture be handed over to Ming China. The tract of land was taken by Mongol forces during the invasion of Korea, but had been reclaimed by Goryeo in 1356 as the Yuan dynasty weakened.

From Wikipedia: Joseon · History: Founding (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Three Offices, or Samsa, is a collective name for three offices that functioned as a major organ of the press and provided checks and balances on the king and the officials. While modeled after the Chinese system, they played much more prominent roles in the Joseon government than their Chinese counterparts. In their role as organ of press, they did not have actual authority to decide or implement policies, but had influential voice in the ensuing debate.

From Wikipedia: Joseon · Government: Three Offices (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Mid-Joseon period painting styles moved toward increased realism. A national painting style of landscapes called "true view" began – moving from the traditional Chinese style of idealized general landscapes to particular locations exactly rendered. While not photographic, the style was academic enough to become established and supported as a standardized style in Korean painting. At this time China ceased to have pre-eminent influence, Korean art took its own course, and became increasingly distinctive to the traditional Chinese painting.

From Wikipedia: Joseon · Culture: Art (CC BY-SA 4.0)

In 1863, King Gojong took the throne. His father, Heungseon Daewongun, ruled for him until Gojong reached adulthood. During the mid-1860s the regent was the main proponent of isolationism and the instrument of the persecution of native and foreign Catholics, a policy that led directly to the unsuccessful French Campaign against Korea in 1866. The early years of Gojong's rule also witnessed a large effort to restore the dilapidated Gyeongbokgung, the seat of royal authority. From 1862 to 1864, an insurgency movement driven by Donghak followers and religious leader Cho'e Cheu gathered a peasant army to take over southern parts of Korea until Cheu was executed in 1864.

From Wikipedia: Joseon · History: End of the dynasty (CC BY-SA 4.0)