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Korea's oldest extant historical source is the Samguk sagi, which was compiled by Kim Pusik (1075-1151) and others during Injong's reign (1122-1146) in the Koryo kingdom. This history and its compilers have been at the center of controversy as critics have challenged the work's accuracy and its omissions. Despite its failings, this history is a reaffirmation of Koryo's identity, which had been seriously challenged by events of the early twelfth century and is an excellent expression of that society's values and historical understanding.
The Samguk sagl (The History of the Three Kingdoms), one of Korea's oldest extant historical sources, was compiled in the twelfth century.1 A treasury of knowledge on early Korea, it is especially rich in information on the Silla kingdom (trad. 58 B.C.E.-935 C.E.).
As the first unifier of the Korean peninsula, Silla's traditions shaped Korean heritage in many ways. Silla's heroes are acclaimed as some of Korea's greatest heroes, and Silla's art and other cultural contributions largely defined the basic patterns of Korean art. Silla also had a direct impact on China and Japan. Through cooperation with Tang China, Silla was able to unite Korea, but Silla also ultimately convinced Tang to withdraw its forces from the peninsula and give new shape to the East Asian world order. Events on the Korean peninsula also had an immediate impact on Japan's growth, and even after the Korean unification, Silla and Japan maintained a delicate relationship.
To understand the complexities of this period, diverse disciplinary perspectives need to be applied. This collection of essays brings together the work of scholars from varied disciplines to focus on three themes: the Silla state from its earliest times to its collapse; Silla and its neighbors; and the Samguk sagi and historiography on Silla. Working together, they have produced a clearer picture of Silla's past and this pivotal period in East Asian history. To understand the context in which the Samguk sagi was written, a short glimpse into the twelfth century and the world of its leading compiler, Kim Pusik, is necessary.
The Twelfth Century and Kim Pusik
The twelfth century was a dramatic epoch in traditional Korea. It was an age that witnessed fierce battles, the fall of neighboring states, internal rebellion as well as towering...