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(1) The Founding of Parhae and Its
Political System |
After the destruction of
Koguryo, the remaining people in Manchuria rose up in a
restoration movement. Tae Cho-yong, a former general of
Koguryo, led the remaining people of Koguryo and the
Mohe tribe to found a new state in the area of
Dongmiaoshan in Dunhuaxian, Jilin calling his country
Chin in 698. Later Chin was renamed Parhae.
Parhae
recovered almost all of the old Koguryo territory and
dominated Manchuria, the Maritime Provinces and northern
Korea to become a powerful nation. The ruling classes
were mostly composed of the people of Koguryo, and the
Mohe tribe formed the greater part of its
population.
Parhae, with a strong consciousness as
being the successor of Koguryo, stood in confrontation
with Tang and Shilla, and maintained friendly relations
with Japan and Tujue in the beginning stages. From the
mid-8th century on, under the reign of King Mun, Parhae
maintained peaceful relations with Tang and actively
exchanged culture and goods.
The official
institutions of Parhae were modelled after the Tang
system, consisting of three councils--Chongdangsong,
Sonjosong and Chungdaesong--each with six divisions.
This system resembled the Tang structure in form but in
terms of operation possessed unique characteristics.
Important state affairs were determined at aristocrats'
meetings in Chongdangsong.
For local administration,
the country was divided into five regional capitals, 15
provinces and 62 counties. Governors and magistrates
were stationed as local rulers in each province and
county. |
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| (2) The Height of
Prosperity and the Fall of Parhae |
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Parhae reached its zenith of
prosperity under the reign of King Son in the early 9th
century.
During that stage Parhae occupied a large
territory, reaching out from the Heilong River (Amur) to
the north, Yonghung in Hamgyong-namdo to the south, the
Maritime Provinces to the east, and Kaiyuan to the west.
Parhae imported civilized culture and goods from Tang,
and its culture developed so peculiarly that it was
referred to as Haedong songguk (a sage country in the
east).
However, after King Son, an internal dispute
arose among the ruling class, and harmony between the
governing Koguryo people and the governed Mohe was
broken. Parhae's power was weakened. During the same
time, the Qidans growing in the west of Parhae gained
more power with each day. Parhae was destroyed by the
Qidans in 926. Ever since, Manchuria, which had been the
center stage for Korea's national activities, has been
estranged from Korea's history. |
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| (3) The Culture of
Parhae |
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Stone
lantern dating
back to Palhae |
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Stone lion
statue dating
back to
Palhae
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Parhae imported the Tang
culture over the groundwork laid by traditional Koguryo
culture to achieve a relatively developed culture. In
Sanggyong, the long standing capital of Parhae, an
aristocratic culture developed, and it became the center
of culture in Manchuria.
Parhae had a Chujagam to
instruct Confucianism and Chinese literature, and many
sons of aristocracy studied abroad in Tang. Thus,
Confucianism and Chinese literature were believed to
have been considerably developed. On the epitaphs of
Princess Chonghyo excavated in 1980 and of Princess
Chonghye unearthed earlier, beautiful poems carved in a
pairing style can be found.
As poets of Parhae, Yang
T'ae-sa, Wang Hyo-ryom, Injong and Chongso are
especially well-known. They sailed to Japan where they
wrote poems which are still read today. Among many
others, "In the Frosty Sky the Moon Shines and the Milky
Way is So Much Cleaner," written by Yang T'ae-sa, was
highly appreciated for its brilliant style.
Buddhism
prospered in Parhae and many temples were erected, but
today only the building sites remain. As monks rose in
social status they performed important roles not only in
the field of religion but also in foreign diplomacy.
Injong and Chongso were dispatched to Japan as members
of the diplomatic corps.
Parhae arts possess an
overflowing ambitious spirit which is a character
prevalent in the works of Koguryo, and in addition they
possess a soft refined quality. The Buddhist images and
lotus flower designed tiles unearthed in Sanggyong
display the peculiarities of Koguryo art. Moreover, the
Ondols and many tombs in lateral stone chambers found in
Sanggyong prove that Parhae was the successor to the
Koguryo culture.
The two stone lions excavated from
the tomb of Princess Chong-hye are famous for their
refinement. The stone lantern in Sanggyong, which is six
meters high, is one of these masterpieces of the stone
art of Parhae.
Tae Kan-chi is also known to be one of
the famous painters. In the recently excavated tomb of
Princess Chonghyo a fresco of twelve personages, through
which the life of the people of ancient Parhae can be
seen, was found. | |
