Queen Seondeok of Silla, the First Female Ruler of Korea [History of Korea]

#korea #queens #koreanhistory #history #historyofkorea (episode 26)

Queen Seondeok 선덕여왕, also known as Princess Deokman 덕만공주, was the first reigning queen of the Silla dynasty 신라. She reigned for 15 years from 632 to 647. She was Silla’s 27th ruler. She is the first of three queens to rule Silla. She is described as wise and generous in the Record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea; the Samguksagi. She was the daughter of King Jinpyeong 진평왕 and Queen Maya of Silla 마야 부인. Her father, King Jinpyeong, had no son to pass the crown to. The King considered giving the throne to his son-in-law, Kim Yongsu 김용수, the husband of his other daughter Princess Cheonmyeong 천명공주. Hearing of this, Princess Deokman, later Seondeok, pleaded her father to give her a chance. Although women yielded power in Silla, having a female ruler on the throne wouldn’t sit well with most officials. It’s important to remember that during this time in Korea, Confucianism didn’t have a major impact on society so women weren’t in a subordinate position. In the end, King Jinpyeong designated Seondeok as crown princess. She became queen in the year 632.

During her reign, her kingdom was constantly under attack from Baekje and Goguryeo. She tried to ally with Taizong of Tang. It took her many tries but Taizong finally gave in after his empire was seriously threatened by Goguryeo.

During her reign many structures and temples were built and many are still standing nowadays. Cheomseongdae 첨성대 an astronomical observatory, was built during her reign. Many temples like Woljeongsa Temple 월정사 and Magoksa Temple 마곡사 were built with her support. Asking for support from an important monk, Jajang, she built Hwangnyeongsa Temple Pagoda (Imperial Dragon Temple) 황룡사. Sadly the temple was completely destroyed during the Mongol Invasions of Goryeo. It was the tallest building in East Asia at the time.

Her highest official, Bidam 비담, staged a rebellion against her. General Kim Yushin 김유신, her cousin, and Alcheon 알천, a famous Hwarang 화랑, quelled the rebellion.

I will talk about two legends surrounding Seondeok: The Peony Flowers and Painting and The Legend of Jigwi 지귀.

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*Other figures and topics explored in this video: Ichan Chilsuk 이찬 칠숙, Achan Seokpum 아찬 석품, King Uija 의자왕, Danghang Fortress 당항성, Jajang 자장 율사, King Muyeol 무열왕, Queen Jindeok 진덕왕,

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🎬 Recommended viewings:
The Great Queen Seondeok 선덕여왕 (2009) MBC, 62 episodes. Starring: Lee Yo-won, Go Hyun-jung, Park Ye-jin, Uhm Tae-woong, Kim Nam-gil

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Music credit:

Eastern Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
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Machinations by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
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