The Hwabaek () or Council of nobles, served as the chief royal council in

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

, it is composed of the nobles of higher rank( Jingol) and headed by the

Sangdaedeung {{Short description, Office of the Silla state in Korea Sangdaedeung (상대등, 上大等, the First of Daedeungs or Peers, Extraordinary Rank One) was an office of the Silla state. It was considered as the highest and most prestigious office that ...

. The Hwabaek council decided the most important state affairs, such as succession to the throne and declarations of war. Hwabaek Council(和白會議) are held only when the state has important events, attendees at the council are only nobles(群官, 百官). It was also a unanimous, not majority, system in which a single opponent would not pass the plan.Unlike Baekje was majority rule in Jeongsa Rock Council(政事巖會議) The venue for the Hwabaek Council was decided by taking turns to four sacred places in Silla. It is presumed that the king participated in the early days of the Silla. This is confirmed at the monument of

Jijeung of Silla Jijeung of Silla (437–514) (r. 500–514) was the List of monarchs of Korea, 22nd ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He is remembered for strengthening royal authority and building Silla into a centralized kingdom. Like many Silla kings, ...

and the Monument of

Beopheung of Silla Beopheung of Silla (r. 514–540 AD) was the 23rd monarch of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was preceded by King Jijeung (r. 500–514) and succeeded by King Jinheung. By the time of his reign, Buddhism had become fairly commo ...

. In 531 the head of the aristocracy,

was appointed as the presiding, from which time the king left the meeting and the new head of the aristocracy, Sangdaedeung presided over the council. The council made a decision to depose the

Jinji of Silla King Jinji of Silla (r. 576–579) was the 25th ruler of the Korean Kingdom of Silla. He was dethroned three years after his accession. Biography King Jinji's birth name was either Saryun (사륜, 舍輪) or Geumryun (금륜, 金輪), and ...

, who believed that there was a flaw in his performance as a king, and put it into practice. Later, from the era of

Munmu of Silla Munmu of Silla (626–681; reigned 661–681) was the 30th king of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He is usually considered to have been the first ruler of the Unified Silla period. Munmu was the son of King Muyeol and Munmyeong, who was the young ...

and

Sinmun of Silla Sinmun of Silla (r. 681–692) was the thirty-first king of Silla, a Korean state that originated in the southwestern Korean peninsula and went on to unify most of the peninsula under its rule in the mid 7th century. He was the eldest son of Sil ...

the royal authority became stronger and the status of Sangdaedeung and Hwabaek Council weakened. It will be revived briefly at the end of Silla, when the royal authority falls.

References

Political history of Korea Silla Historical legislatures {{Korea-hist-stub

See also

References