Queen Jindeok of Silla (?–654), reigned as

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

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 ...

, one of the

Three Kingdoms of Korea Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...

, from 647 to 654. She was the kingdom's

28th ruler 28th Ruler was an ''ajaw'' of the Maya city of Tikal Tikal () (''Tik’al'' in modern Mayan orthography) is the ruin of an ancient city, which was likely to have been called Yax Mutal, found in a rainforest in Guatemala. It is one of the lar ...

, and its second reigning queen following her predecessor

Queen Seondeok Queen Seondeok of Silla ( ko, 선덕여왕 ; 595~610 – 17 February 647/January 8, Lunar Calendar) reigned as Queen Regnant of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first re ...

. During her reign, Silla jockeyed with

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...

for favor in the Chinese

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...

court. She is also known for writing a poem of the

Emperor Gaozong of Tang Emperor Gaozong of Tang (21 July 628 – 27 December 683), personal name Li Zhi, was the third emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683; after January 665, he handed power over the empire to his second wife Empress Wu (the f ...

.Kim (1145), volume 5 Accroding to ''

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk Sagi'' (, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The ''Samguk Sagi'' is written in Classical Chinese, the written language of the literati of ancient Korea, ...

'', she was voluptuous, beautiful and tall.

Reign

Queen Jindeok (r. 647–654) ascended the throne and became the

's second

Queen regnant A queen regnant (plural: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank and title to a king, who reigns '' suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a "kingdom"; as opposed to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigni ...

after Queen Seondeok. The last monarch from the ranks of the Seonggol, the highest class in the

's unique caste system, her real name is Seungman. Her father was Kim Gukban, who was King Jinpyeong's youngest brother, and her mother was Lady Wolmyeong. During her seven-year reign Queen Jindeok's primary concern was foreign policy. With the help of general

Kim Yushin Gim Yu-sin (sometimes romanized Kim Yu-shin, Gim Yu-sin, or Gim Yu-shin) (595 – 18 August 673) was a Korean military general and politician in 7th-century Silla. He led the unification of the Korean Peninsula by Silla under the reign of King ...

she was able to strengthen Silla's defenses and greatly improve her kingdom's relations with Tang China. Those efforts laid the foundation for the unification of the three kingdoms (

, and

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...

). She also expanded the Pumju tax-collecting system. Her tomb is located on the hill in Gyeongju city. Although some historians have doubt that if it is really the tomb of Queen Jindeok. According to the

she was buried at Saryangbu, which is located in the opposite direction from the tomb.

Legacy

When King Jeonggang was dying in 887, he appointed his sister Jinseong as his heir, justifying the choice of a female monarch by pointing at Seondeok's and Jindeok's successful reigns.

The name of an era

Queen Jindeok used the era name, Inpyeong, from January to July in 647, when she was crowned, and changed the era name as Taehwa. From July 647 to June 650, she used the Taehwa era, but later she used Yeonghwi, the era that was used during the Tang Dynasty. Taehwa is the last name that Silla has used independently.

Dongguk Tonggam The Dongguk Tonggam (''Comprehensive Mirror of the eastern state'') is a chronicle of the early history of Korea compiled by Seo Geo-jeong (1420–1488) and other scholars in the 15th century. Originally commissioned by King Sejo in 1446, it ...

7th Records of the Three Kingdoms(東國通鑑卷7 三國紀)

Family

*Grandfather: Crown Prince Dongryun (동륜태자), son of

King Jinheung of Silla Kim Sammaekjong (526–576; reign 540–576) was the 24th monarch of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He followed King Beopheung (r. 514–540) and was followed by King Jinji (r. 576–579). Jinheung was the nephew / grandson of K ...

, 24th ruler of

, and Queen Sado of the Park clan (사도왕후 박씨) *Grandmother: Lady Manho of the Kim clan (만호부인 김씨) **Uncle:

Jinpyeong of Silla Jinpyeong of Silla (567? – 632, reign 579 – 632) was the 26th king of the Silla Dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. King Jinpyeong followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, King Jinji, by reorganizing the central ruling syste ...

, 26th ruler of

***Cousin:

Queen Seondeok of Silla Queen Seondeok of Silla ( ko, 선덕여왕 ; 595~610 – 17 February 647/January 8, Lunar Calendar) reigned as Queen Regnant of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first re ...

, 27th ruler of

***Cousin:

Princess Cheonmyeong of Silla Princess Cheonmyeong () was a princess of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. She is known as Queen Seondeok's sister and King Taejong Muyeol's mother. Princess Cheonmyeong was married to Kim Yongsu (son of King Jinji), with whom she ha ...

****Cousin-once-removed:

Muyeol of Silla King Taejong Muyeol (604–661), born Gim Chunchu, was the 29th ruler of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He is credited for leading the unification of Korea's Three Kingdoms. Background King Taejong Muyeol was born with the "sacred ...

, 29th ruler of

**Father: ''

Galmunwang {{Short description, Noble title Galmunwang (갈문왕, 葛文王; wang=king) was a title used in the early period of the Korean kingdom of Silla. Its precise meaning and function are not known. From Korean sources, namely the Samguk Sagi ''Samg ...

'' Gukban **Mother: Lady Wolmyeong of the Park clan

Ancestry

Popular culture

* Portrayed by

Son Yeo-eun Son Yeo-eun (born Byeon Na-yeon on August 4, 1983) is a South Korean actress. Son was nominated for Best New Actress for Television at the Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards ...

in the 2012–2013

KBS1 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, ...

TV series ''

The King's Dream ''Dream of the Emperor'' () is a South Korean television series that aired on KBS1 from September 8, 2012 to June 9, 2013 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 for 70 episodes. Plot Kim Chun-chu is the grandson of King Jinji, but when his grandfat ...

''. *Portrayed by Na Mi Hee in the 2017 KBS TV series '' Chronicles of Korea'' * She is a recruitable general in the mobile war game Evony: The King’s Return * Portrayed in the 2021 WEBNOVEL titled QUEEN JINDEOK by author TAIYANG DASHENG

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jindeok Of Silla Silla rulers Queens regnant 7th-century women writers 7th-century writers 7th-century women rulers Princesses of Silla 7th-century Korean monarchs 7th-century Korean women