Korean Dynasties

1. Korean Dynasties Standard 2.1 E.Q. What made Korea such a powerful threat?

2. Korean Dynasties • The first Korean state was founded by the hero Tan’gun whose father was a god and whose mother was a bear. • Another legend related that it was founded by a royal descendant of the Chinese Shang Dynasty.

3. Geography of Korea • Located on a peninsula that juts out from the Asian mainland towards Japan. • About the size of Utah. • Climate was hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. • Limited for farming because like Japan very mountainous.

4. Early History • Korea had different clans or tribes controled different parts of the country. • 108 B.C., the Han Empire conquered much of Korea and established a military base. • Learned ideas such as centralized government, Confucianism, Buddhism, and writing from the Chinese. • Various tribes, under the Han rule, gathered together into federations and developed into three kingdoms.

5. Early History • IN the 600’s one of the Kingdoms, Silla, defeated the other kingdoms, drove out the Chinese, and gained control of Korea. • Built Buddhist monasteries and produced elegant stone and bronze sculptures. • Developed writing system suitable for writing Korean phonetically through Chinese characters.

6. The Koryu Dynasty • Silla, ruled had weakened, by 935, a rebel officer named Wang Kon gained control of the county and became king. • Modeled its central government after China’s by establishing civil services • Koryu Dynasty faced a major threat in 1231, When the Mongols swept into Korea, until 1360’s. • 1392: group of scholar – officials overthrew the Koryu Dynasty and instituted land reforms.

7. Koryu Culture • Koryu Period produced great achievements in Korean culture. • Inspired Song Porcelain artists, Korean potters produced celadon pottery and other artwork dedicated to Buddhism.