Balhae Kingdom
The Balhae Kingdom was established by a former Goguryeo Kingdom general named Dae Jo-yeong and around 8,000 refugees some 30 years after the kingdom’s defeat at the hands of a Silla/Tang Dynasty alliance in 668 CE. They were also joined by many of the Mohe peoples of Manchuria. The Balhae Kingdom dates from 698-926 CE. It was located in the territory of the Goguyreo Kingdom and expanded its borders to the east, later gaining further control in some parts of Manchuria. Historical sources show that the Balhae Kingdom was seen by people on the Korean Peninsula and overseas as the successor of Goguryeo, and many aspects of their cultures were similar although it was also influenced by the Tang. Records also show that kings of the Balhae Kingdom referred to themselves as kings of Goguryeo, not Balhae, whilst the kingdom's success led the Tang to refer to it as the ‘prosperous country in the east’. There was an organised central government system that was split into capitals, provinces and prefectures which helped to strengthen its power. It also had good diplomatic ties with many of its neighbours and strong trading links with its southern neighbour, the Unified Silla, Japan and the Tang. The Balhae Kingdom ended in 926 CE when it was defeated by the Khitan Liao, a northeast Asian nomadic group. Unfortunately, the Balhae did not keep a record of its own history, and any information relating to this period comes from other sources, particularly those of the Tang and Japan. Some archaeological work has been undertaken, but it is too fragmentary to give a clear picture of the history of the Balhae Kingdom. Visits to the national museum seem to highlight this unavoidable paucity of research and materials through their relatively small display collection of Balhae Kingdom artefacts, compared to many other historical periods.
References/Further Reading
Korea.net (n.d.) Northern and Southern States Period: Unified Silla and Balhae. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
National Atlas of Korea (2019) Territorial History of Korea. National Geography Information Institute.
National Museum of Korea (n.d.) Balhae Kingdom. National Museum of Korea.