Everything about Gaya Confederacy totally explained
Gaya was a confederacy of territorial polities in the
Nakdong River basin of southern
Korea, growing out of the
Byeonhan confederacy of the
Samhan period. The traditional period used by historians for Gaya chronology is
42 -
532 CE. According to archaeological evidence, however, in the third and fourth centuries some of the city-states of Byeonhan evolved into the Gaya confederacy, which was later annexed by
Silla, one of the
Three Kingdoms of Korea. The individual polities that made up the Gaya confederacy have been characterized as small city-states. . The material culture remains of Gaya culture mainly consist of burials and their contents of mortuary goods that have been excavated by archaeologists. Archaeologists interpret mounded burial cemeteries of the late third and early fourth centuries such as Daeseong-dong in Gimhae and Bokcheon-dong in Busan as the royal burial grounds of Gaya polities.
Names
Although most commonly referred to as Gaya (가야; 加耶, 伽耶, 伽倻), probably due to the imprecision of transcribing Korean words into
hanja, historical sources use a variety of names, including Kaya, Garak (가락; 駕洛, 迦落), Gara (가라; 加羅, 伽羅, 迦羅, 柯羅), Garyang (가량;加良), and Guya (구야; 狗耶).
History
According to a legend recorded in the
Samguk Yusa written in the 13th century, in the year
42 CE, six eggs descended from the heaven with a message that they'd be kings. Six boys were born, and within 12 days they grew mature. One of them, named
Suro, became the king of
Geumgwan Gaya, and the other five founded the remaining five Gayas, namely
Daegaya, Seongsan Gaya,
Ara Gaya,
Goryeong Gaya, and Sogaya.
The Gaya polities evolved out of the chiefly political structures of the twelve tribes of the ancient
Byeonhan, one of the
Samhan confederacies. The loosely organized chiefdoms resolved into six Gaya groups, centered around Geumgwan Gaya. On the basis of archaeological sources as well as limited written records, scholars such as Sin have identified the late
3rd century as a period of transition from Byeonhan to Gaya, with increasing military activity and changing funerary customs. Sin further argues that this was associated with the replacement of the previous elite in some principalities (including Daegaya) by elements from
Buyeo, who brought a more militaristic ideology and style of rule.
h
The Gaya Confederacy disintegrated under pressure from Goguryeo between 391 and 412 AD, although the last Gaya polities remained independent until they were conquered by
Silla in 532 AD, as punishment for assisting
Baekje in a war against Silla. (see Daegaya).
Economy
Polities were situated in the alluvial flats of tributary river valleys and the mouth of the Nakdong. In particular, the mouth of the Nakdong has fertile plains, direct access to the sea, and rich iron deposits. Gaya polities had economies that were based on agriculture, fishing, foraging, and long-distance trade. They were particularly known for its iron-working, as Byeonhan had been before it. Gaya polities exported abundant quantities of iron ore, iron armor, and other weaponry to
Baekje and the
Kingdom of Wa in
Yamato period Japan. In contrast to the largely commercial and non-political ties of Byeonhan, Gaya polities seem to have attempted to maintain strong political ties with those kingdoms as well.
Politics
Several ancient historical records list a number of polities of Gaya. For example,
Goryeo Saryak (고려사략; 高麗史略) lists five:
Geumgwan Gaya,
Goryeong Gaya,
Bihwa Gaya,
Ara Gaya, and
Seongsan Gaya.
The various Gaya polities formed a confederacy in the 2nd and 3rd centuries that was centered around the heartland of
Geumgwan Gaya in modern
Gimhae. After a period of decline, the confederacy was revived around the turn of the 5th and 6th centuries, this time it was centred around
Daegaya of modern
Goryeong. However, it was unable to defend itself against the incursions and attacks of the neighboring kingdom of
Silla.
Political and trade relations with Japan are a matter of controversy.
Wa may have been a colony or tributary of Baekje with archaeological evidence suggesting that Gaya polities were the main exporter of technology and culture to Kyushu at that time. Some Japanese scholars point to the controversial
Nihonshoki, which claims that Gaya (named "Mimana" also "Kara" in Japanese) was a
colony or
tributary of Japan. However, this theory is widely rejected even in Japan as there was no Japanese dynasty at the time which had a strong enough military power to conquer Gaya or any other part of Korea. The technology of Gaya was much more advanced than the Japanese dynasties.
Gallery
Image:Pressapochista15.jpg|Horn-shaped cup from Gaya that may illustrate connection of Persian culture through the Silk Road to Korea.
Image:Pressapochista13.jpg|Gaya pottery at the National Museum of Korea.
Image:Pressapochista5.jpg|Shield ornaments excavated from the Daeseong-dong cemetery site in Gimhae.
Image:Pressapochista8.jpg|This iron helmet illustrates the skill of iron-working and importance of iron from the Nakdong River valley.
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