Byeonhan confederacy

Byeonhan confederacy
The Korean peninsula in the 1st century, Byeonhan shaded in red.
Korean name
Hangul	변한 or 변진
Hanja	弁韓 or 弁辰
Revised Romanization	Byeonhan or Byeonjin
McCune–Reischauer	Pyŏnhan or Pyŏnjin

Byeonhan (Korean: 변한; Hanja: 弁韓; RR: Byeonhan, Korean pronunciation: [pjʌn.ɦan]), also known as Byeonjin,^[1] (Korean: 변진; Hanja: 弁辰; RR: Byeonjin, Korean pronunciation: [pjʌn.dʑin]) was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from around the beginning of the Common Era to the 4th century in the southern Korean peninsula. Byeonhan was one of the Samhan (or "Three Hans"), along with Mahan and Jinhan.^[2]

History[]

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History of Korea
Prehistoric period
Jeulmun Mumun
Ancient period
Gojoseon 2333 BC (?)–108 BC * Dangun * Gija * Wiman Jin 4th–2rd century BC
Proto–Three Kingdoms period
Buyeo Goguryeo Okjeo Dongye Samhan Ma Byeon Jin) Four Commanderies of Han
Three Kingdoms period
Goguryeo 37 BC–668 AD Baekje 18 BC–660 AD Silla 57 BC–935 AD Gaya confederacy 42–562
Northern and Southern States period
United Silla (Unified Silla) 668–935 Balhae 698–926
Later Three Kingdoms period
Later Baekje 892–936 Taebong (Later Goguryeo) 901–918 Unified Silla (Later Silla) 668–935
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Goryeo 918–1392 Joseon 1392–1897 Korean Empire 1897–1910
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This early part of the Three Kingdoms period is sometimes called the Proto–Three Kingdoms period. Byeonhan, like the other Samhan confederacies, appears descended from the Jin state of southern Korea.

Archaeological evidence indicates an increase in military activity and weapons production among the Byeonhan in the 3rd century, especially an increase in iron arrowheads and cuirasses (Barnes 2000).^[2] This may be associated with the decline of Byeonhan and the rise of the more centralized Gaya Confederacy, which most Byeonhan states joined. Gaya was subsequently annexed by Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

Byeonhan was a country created by combining immigrants called Byeon (弁), existing Jin (辰) people and Han (韓) people. Among them, it is not clear which ethnic group Byeon (弁) means.

There are three hypotheses about the Byeon(弁) ethnic group.

1. Before the unification of the Qin Dynasty, the mysterious maritime Wa people (倭) present in the Yangtze River and Shandong Peninsula.^[3]
2. The maritime people in Heo Hwang-ok legend at least claimed to be from India, Ayuta Kingdom(Korean: 아유타국, Hanja: 阿踰陁國)^{[4][5][6][7][8]}
3. Any ethnic who traveled through ancient southern trade routes seen through the distribution of dolmens culture. According to recent studies that excavated Kofuns in South Jeolla Province, analysis of the components of glass beads there suggests that the raw material production area is Thailand^[9]

Culture and trade[]

Skeletal remains from the Byeonhan confederacy period that was discovered in Gimhae, South Korea through archaeology. Burial traditions can be seen.

The Chinese Records of Three Kingdoms states that the language and culture of Byeonhan was essentially the same as Jinhan, and archaeological artifacts show little difference. Byeonhan may have simply referred to the chiefdoms in the south and west of the Nakdong River valley^[10] which were not formal members of the Jinhan confederacy.

However, there are a few cultural aspects that were unique to Byeonhan. One notable tradition was full-body tattooing, which was done by both men and women.^[11] Another tradition was the burying of feathers and pottery^[12] in graves alongside the dead body as it was believed that the feathers helped the afterlife souls fly into the sky.^[11]

According to the 3rd-century Chinese chronicle Records of Three Kingdoms, Byeonhan was known for the production of iron;^[13] it exported iron to the commanderies of the Han dynasty to the north, Yamato Japan,^[13][14] and the rest of the Korean peninsula.^[15][16] It was also a center of stoneware manufacture.

Member statelets[]

According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Byeonhan consisted of 12 statelets:

• Mirimidong (미리미동국/彌離彌凍國), present-day Miryang.
• Jeopdo (접도국/接塗國), present-day Haman.
• Gojamidong (고자미동국/古資彌凍國), present-day Goseong.
• Gosunsi (고순시국/古淳是國), present-day Jinju, Sacheon or Goseong.
• Ballo (반로국/半路國), present-day Seongju.
• Nangno (낙노국/樂奴國), present-day Hadong or Namhae.
• Gunmi (군미국/軍彌國), present-day Sacheon.
• Mioyama (미오야마국/彌烏邪馬國), present-day Goryeong.
• Gamno (감로국/甘路國), present-day Gimcheon.
• Guya (구야국/狗邪國), present-day Gimhae.
• Jujoma (주조마국/走漕馬國), present-day Gimcheon.
• Anya (안야국/安邪國), present-day Haman.
• Dongno (독로국/瀆盧國), present-day Dongnae.

See also[]

References[]

• Barnes, G.L. (2000). Archeological armor in Korea and Japan: Styles, technology and social setting. Journal of East Asian Archeology 2 (3–4), 61–96. (Electronic Version).