Gaya was a confederacy of chiefdoms that existed in the Nakdong River valley of Korea during the Three Kingdoms era. Hangul (한글) is the native alphabet used to write the Korean language, as opposed to the Hanja system borrowed from China. ... Hanja (lit. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... The Nakdong River (Rakdong when referred from North Korea) is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan. ... Jump to: navigation, search Korea (Hangul: 한국, Hanguk, used by South Korea; 조선, Joseon, used by North Korea) refers to South Korea (Republic of Korea) and North Korea (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea) together, which were a unified country until 1945. ... The Three Kingdoms of Korea were Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE. The Three Kingdoms period in Korea is usually considered to run from the 4th century CE until Sillas triumph over Goguryeo in 668. ...

Names

Although most commonly referred to as Gaya or Kaya (가야; 加耶, 伽耶, 伽倻), historical sources refer to the confederacy by a variety of names. These include Garak or Karak (가락; 駕洛, 迦落), Gara or Kara (가라; 加羅, 伽羅, 迦羅, 柯羅), Garyang or Karyang (가량,加良), and Guya or Kuya (구야, 狗耶).

History

Foundation

Gaya probably arose from a more ancient confederacy called Byeonhan. The nature of the transition is not clear from historical sources. On the basis of archeological sources as well as limited historical indications, scholars such as Cheol (2000) have identified the late third century AD as a period of transition from Byeonhan to Gaya. At this time records show increasing military activity and changed funerary customs. This would also coincide in part with the decline of the Chinese commanderies on the peninsula. Cheol (2000) further argues that this was associated with the replacement of the previous elite in some principalities (including Daegaya) by elements from the Manchurian kingdom of Buyeo, who brought a more militaristic style of rule. Byeonhan also known as Byeonjin (변진]]/弁辰]]) was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from the 1st century BC to the 4th century CE in the southern Korean peninsula. ... (2nd century - 3rd century - 4th century - other centuries) Events The Sassanid dynasty of Persia launches a war to reconquer lost lands in the Roman east. ... Commandry (British English), or commandery (American English), was the smallest division of the European landed estate or manor under the control of a commendator, or commander, of an order of knights. ... Fuyu (Buyeo) was an ancient ethnic group and its kingdom in northern Manchuria. ...

The foundation myths of Gaya, of course, told a rather different story. According to a legend recorded in the Samguk Yusa, in the year 42, 6 eggs descended from the heaven with message that they would be kings. 6 eggs hatched and 6 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 other five Gayas, namely Daegaya, Seongsan Gaya, Ara Gaya, Goryeong Gaya, and Sogaya. Samguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period. ... Events Romans take control of Ceuta. ... King Suro of Gaya (r. ... Geumgwan Gaya, also known as Bongaya (본가야, 本伽倻) (meaning the original Gaya) was a major chiefdom of the Gaya confederacy. ... Daegaya was a major chiefdom of the Gaya confederacy during the Korean Three Kingdoms period. ... Ara Gaya, also known as Asiryangguk (아시량국, 阿尸良國), Ana Gaya (아나가야, 阿羅伽倻), and Alla (안라, 安羅) was a kingdom of the Gaya confederacy, in modern day South Korea. ... Goryeong Gaya was one of the lesser chiefdoms of the Gaya confederation during the Korean Three Kingdoms period. ...

Economy

Situated around the mouth of the Nakdong River, an area with fertile plains, access to the sea, and rich iron deposits, Gaya had an economy based on agriculture and fishing as well as trade. It was particularly known for its ironworking, as Byeonhan had been before it. Gaya exported abundant quantities of iron armor and 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 seems to have attempted to maintain strong political ties with these kingdoms as well. The Nakdong River (Rakdong when referred from North Korea) is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan. ... Baekje (meaning One Hundred Vassals) was a kingdom that existed in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. In Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla, it is known as one of the Three Kingdoms. ... History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Yamato period (大和) (better known as the Kofun...

Politics

Different records list different chiefdoms of Gaya. Goryeo Saryak (고려사략; 高麗史略) lists five; Geumgwan Gaya, Goryeong Gaya, Bihwa Gaya, Ara Gaya and Seongsan Gaya. Geumgwan Gaya, also known as Bongaya (본가야, 本伽倻) (meaning the original Gaya) was a major chiefdom of the Gaya confederacy. ... Goryeong Gaya was one of the lesser chiefdoms of the Gaya confederation during the Korean Three Kingdoms period. ... Bihwa Gaya, also known as Bijabal, was one of the kingdoms of the Gaya confederacy. ... Ara Gaya, also known as Asiryangguk (아시량국, 阿尸良國), Ana Gaya (아나가야, 阿羅伽倻), and Alla (안라, 安羅) was a kingdom of the Gaya confederacy, in modern day South Korea. ...

The various Gaya mini-states formed a confederacy in the 2nd and 3rd centuries centred around 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 centred around Daegaya of modern Goryeong, but it was unable to defend itself for long against Silla and Baekje. Daegaya was the last to fall, conquered by Silla in 562. Geumgwan Gaya, also known as Bongaya (본가야, 本伽倻) (meaning the original Gaya) was a major chiefdom of the Gaya confederacy. ... Gimhae, also commonly referred to as Kimhae, is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. ... Daegaya was a major chiefdom of the Gaya confederacy during the Korean Three Kingdoms period. ... Goryeong County (Goryeong-gun) is a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. ... Silla (also denoted as Shilla) was one of the three kingdoms of ancient Korea. ... Daegaya was a major chiefdom of the Gaya confederacy during the Korean Three Kingdoms period. ... Events Nan Xiao Ming Di succeeds Nan Liang Xuan Di as ruler of the Chinese Nan Liang Dynasty. ...

The nature of the relationship between the Japanese kingdom of Wa and the Gaya states has been a matter of extensive controversy. Japanese scholars traditionally have argued, on the basis of various sources including the Nihonshoki, that Gaya was a colony or tributary of Wa. Korean scholars have rejected this, on the basis of Korean sources which make no mention of Japanese suzerainty. Today, most scholars regardless of nationality concede that the relationship between Gaya and Wa was close, but not colonial. Nihonshoki (日本書紀) is the second oldest history book about the ancient history of Japan. ... Evan is so hot, sexy, and cool! Remember that. ... A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ...

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• History of Korea

This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ... This article is about the history of Korea. ...

References

Cheol, S.K. (2000). Relations between Kaya and Wa in the third to fourth centuries AD. Journal of East Asian Archeology 2(3-4), 112-122.