''Samguk Sagi'' (, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') is a historical record 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 ...
:
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 most ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
. The ''Samguk Sagi'' is written in
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning
"literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning
"literar ...
, the written language of the literati of ancient Korea, and its compilation was ordered by King
Injong of Goryeo
Injong of Goryeo (29 October 1109 – 10 April 1146) (r. 1122–1146) was the 17th monarch of the Korean Goryeo dynasty. He was the eldest son of King Yejong and Queen Sundeok, the daughter of Yi Ja-gyeom. His reign saw two major internal crises ...
(r. 1122-1146) and undertaken by the government official and historian
Kim Busik
Kim Bu-sik, or Gim Busik (; 1075–1151) was a statesman, general, Confucian scholar and writer during Korea's Goryeo period. He was a scion of the Silla royalty and a member of the Gyeongju Kim clan. Later he was the supreme chancellor from 1136 ...
() and a team of junior scholars. Completed in 1145, it is well known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history. The document has been digitized by the
National Institute of Korean History
The National Institute of Korean History (NIKH) is a South Korean national organization in charge of researching, collecting, compiling, promoting the study of historical materials on Korean history. It was established as ''Guksagwan'' (국사관 ...
and is available online with
Modern Korean
Korean (South Korean: , ''hangugeo''; North Korean: , ''chosŏnmal'') is the native language for about 80 million people, mostly of Korean descent. It is the official and national language of both North Korea and South Korea (geographically Ko ...
translation in
Hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
and original text in
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning
"literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning
"literar ...
.
Background
In taking on the task of compiling the ''Samguk Sagi'' ("compiling" is more accurate than "writing" because much of the history is taken from earlier historical records), Kim Busik was consciously modeling his actions on
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
Imperial traditions, just as he modeled the history’s format after its Chinese forebears.
Specifically, he was harking back to the work of
Sima Qian
Sima Qian (; ; ) was a Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty (206AD220). He is considered the father of Chinese historiography for his ''Records of the Grand Historian'', a general history of China covering more than two thousand years b ...
, an official of the former
Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
(206 BCE-24 CE). Nowadays known as the
Records of the Grand Historian
''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...
, this work was released circa 100 BCE under the more modest title of Shǐjì 史記, i.e. ''Scribe's Records''. By allusion, Kim Busik called his own work 三國史記, i.e. Samguk Sagi, where Sagi (nowadays 사기) was the Korean reading of the Chinese Shǐjì.
Adopted as well from Chinese historiographical tradition was the classic four-part division of the standard dynastic history into Annals (''bongi'', 本紀), Tables (''pyo'', 表), Monographs (''ji'', 志), and Biographies (''yeoljeon'', 列傳).
There were various motivating factors behind the compilation of the ''Samguk Sagi'' in the 12th century. These may roughly be categorized as ideological and political. The ideological factors are made manifest in the work's preface, written by Kim Busik, where the historian states,
:''Of today’s scholars and high-ranking officials, there are those who are well-versed and can discuss in detail the
Five Classics
The Four Books and Five Classics () are the authoritative books of Confucianism, written in China before 300 BCE. The Four Books and the Five Classics are the most important classics of Chinese Confucianism.
Four Books
The Four Books () are C ...
and the other philosophical treatises... as well as the histories of
Qin Qin may refer to:
Dynasties and states
* Qin (state) (秦), a major state during the Zhou Dynasty of ancient China
* Qin dynasty (秦), founded by the Qin state in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC
* Daqin (大秦), ancient Chinese name for the Roman Emp ...
and
Han
Han may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group.
** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
, but as to the events of our country, they are utterly ignorant from beginning to end. This is truly lamentable.''
In this quote can be discerned two clear motives. One was to fill the vast gap in knowledge concerning Korea's Three Kingdom Era. Though each of the three kingdoms of
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 most ...
,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
had produced their own histories, these were largely lost in the continual wars, the fall of Goguryeo and Baekje, and the dispersal of their records. The other motive was to produce a history that would serve to educate native Korean literati in native history, and provide them with Korean exemplars of Confucian virtues. This was especially important in mid-Goryeo as that dynasty became increasingly Confucianized. ()
But there were other factors not so clearly discerned. In Chinese tradition, the compilation of a dynastic history also served political ends. The dynastic history was written by the succeeding dynasty and the very act of writing it served to illustrate that the succeeding dynasty had inherited the mandate to rule from its predecessor. In this context, it should be remembered that the compilation of the ''Samguk Sagi'' was an officially sponsored undertaking, commissioned by the Goryeo king, with the members of its compilation staff approved by the central bureaucracy. As stated earlier, one aspect of its purpose was to educate scholars and officials of the Confucianized bureaucracy in their native heritage, and native potential for attaining Confucian virtue.
However, the fact that "native heritage" is primarily interpreted by the ''Samguk Sagi'' to mean "
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...
heritage" brings us to the work’s ostensibly broader purpose, and that was to promote Three Kingdoms (in contrast to the competing neighbors like
Buyeo
Buyeo or Puyŏ ( Korean: 부여; Korean pronunciation: u.jʌ or 扶餘 ''Fúyú''), also rendered as Fuyu, was an ancient kingdom that was centered in northern Manchuria in modern-day northeast China. It is sometimes considered a Korea ...
,
Mahan, and
Gaya, which were absorbed into the Three Kingdoms) as the orthodox ruling kingdoms of Korea, and to thus solidify the legitimacy and prestige of the Goryeo state, as the Three Kingdoms’ rightful successor. In this way it helped to confer the idea of ''zhengtong'' 正統, or "orthodox line of succession", upon the new dynasty. Though this objective was not directly stated in the memorial Kim Busik submitted in 1145, the intent was clearly understood. It was with just such intent that Goryeo's King Injong tapped Kim Busik to compile the history of the Three Kingdoms. Goryeo’s quest, through the writing of the ''Samguk Sagi'', to secure its legitimacy and establish its continuation of the "mantle of authority" (or
Mandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven () is a Chinese political philosophy that was used in ancient and imperial China to legitimize the rule of the King or Emperor of China. According to this doctrine, heaven (天, ''Tian'') – which embodies the natural ...
) from the Three Kingdoms, meant as a necessary consequence that the compilers of the ''Samguk Sagi'', unlike those of the ''
Jewang Ungi'' or the ''Goryeo Dogyeong'' (高麗圖經), emphasized United
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 ...
, the last survivor among the Three Kingdoms, and ignored
Balhae
Balhae ( ko, 발해, zh, c=渤海, p=Bóhǎi, russian: Бохай, translit=Bokhay, ), also rendered as Bohai, was a multi-ethnic kingdom whose land extends to what is today Northeast China, the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Far East. It wa ...
.
Contents
The Samguk Sagi is divided into 50 Books. Originally, each of them was written on a scroll (권, 卷). They are reparted as follows:
Silla's Records
12 scrolls, Nagi/Silla bongi, 나기/신라 본기, 羅紀/新羅本紀.
:
Book 01. Geoseogan
Hyeokgeose, Chachaung
Namhae, Isageum
Yuri Yuri may refer to:
People and fictional characters
Given name
*Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc.
*Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...
,
Talhae,
Pasa,
Jima,
Ilseong
:
Book 02. Isageum
Adalla,
Beolhyu,
Naehae,
Jobun,
Cheomhae,
Michu
Miguel Pérez Cuesta (born 21 March 1986), known as Michu (), is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker or attacking midfielder.
He started playing for Real Oviedo, subsequently representing Celta and Rayo Vallecano, ...
,
Yurye,
Girim,
Heulhae
:
Book 03. Isageum
Naemul,
Silseong, Maripgan
Nulji,
Jabi
Jabbi Shareef ( ur, ), is one of the 51 Union Councils (administrative subdivisions) of Khushab District in the Punjab Province of Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a cou ...
,
Soji
:
Book 04. Maripgan
Jijeung, King
Beopheung,
Jinheung,
Jinji,
Jinpyeong
:
Book 05. Queen
Seondeok,
Jindeok, King
Taejong Muyeol
:
Book 06. King
Munmu
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 ...
- Part One
:
Book 07. King Munmu - Part Two
:
Book 08. King
Sinmun,
Hyoso,
Seongdeok
:
Book 09. King
Hyoseong,
Gyeongdeok,
Hyegong,
Seondeok
:
Book 10. King
Wonseong,
Soseong,
Aejang,
Heondeok,
Heungdeok,
Huigang,
Minae The Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE, es, Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía) is a ministry or department of the government of Costa Rica.
Agencies
*SINAC National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC, es, Sistema Nacional de Áreas de Co ...
,
Sinmu
:
Book 11. King
Munseong,
Heonan,
Gyeongmun,
Heongang,
Jeonggang, Queen
Jinseong
:
Book 12. King
Hyogong,
Sindeok,
Gyeongmyeong,
Gyeongae,
Gyeongsun
Goguryeo's Records
10 scrolls, Yeogi/Goguryeo bongi, 여기/고구려 본기, 麗紀/高句麗本紀.
:
Book 13. Sage King
Dongmyeong
Chumo (Hangul: 추모, Hanja: 鄒牟), posthumously Chumo the Holy (Hangul: 추모성왕, Hanja: 鄒牟聖王), was the founding monarch of the kingdom of Goguryeo, and was worshipped as a god-king by the people of Goguryeo and Goryeo. ''Chumo ...
, Bright King
Yuri Yuri may refer to:
People and fictional characters
Given name
*Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc.
*Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...
,
:
Book 14. King
Daemusin,
Minjung
Minjung is a Korean word that combines the two hanja characters ''min'' () and ''jung'' (). ''Min'' is from ''inmin'' (), which may be translated as "the people", and ''jung'' is from ''daejung'' (), which may be translated as "the public". Thu ...
,
Mobon,
:
Book 15. Great King
Taejo, King
Chadae
:
Book 16. King
Sindae,
Gogukcheon,
Sansang
:
Book 17. King
Dongcheon,
Jungcheon,
Seocheon
Seocheon County () is a county in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. It is famous for its seafood and location near the mouth of the Geum River.
Administrative divisions
Seocheon county has two major centers, Janghang-eup and Seocheon-eup. Seocheon- ...
,
Bongsang,
Micheon
:
Book 18. King
Gogukwon,
Sosurim,
Gogugyang,
Gwanggaeto,
Jangsu
Jangsu County (''Jangsu-gun'') is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is well known for Jangsu-Galbi.
Climate
Twin towns – sister cities
Jangsu is twinned with:
* Anyang, South Korea (1996)
* Hapcheon, South Korea (1999) ...
,
:
Book 19. Illustrious King
Munja, King
Anjang,
Anwon,
Yangwon,
Pyeongwon,
:
Book 20. King
Yeongyang,
Yeongnyu
:
Book 21. King
Bojang - Part One
:
Book 22. King
Bojang - Part Two
Baekje's Records
6 scrolls, Jegi/Baekje bongi, 제기/백제 본기, 濟紀/百濟本紀.
:
Book 23. King
Onjo
Onjo (?–28, r. 18 BC – AD 28) was the founding monarch of Baekje (백제, 百濟), one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. According to the ''Samguk Sagi'' (삼국사기, 三國史記), he founded the royal family of Baekje.
Background
There ...
(Dynastic Founder),
Daru
Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea and a former Catholic bishopric. Daru town falls under the jurisdiction of Daru Urban LLG.
The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is loc ...
,
Giru,
Gaeru,
Chogo
:
Book 24. King
Gusu,
Saban,
Goi,
Chaekgye,
Bunseo,
Biryu
Biryu (?-?) was the second son of Jumong and So Seo-no, and older brother of Onjo, the traditionally recognized founder of Baekje (18 BCE–660 CE), which was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. In an alternate legend, Biryu himsel ...
,
Gye,
Geunchogo,
Geungusu,
Chimnyu
:
Book 25. King
Jinsa,
Asin
Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononymously as Asin, is a former Indian actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. She has received three Filmfare Awards. She beg ...
,
Jeonji,
Guisin,
Biyu,
Gaero
:
Book 26. King
Munju,
Samgeun,
Dongseong,
Muryeong,
Seong
Seong, also spelled Song or Sung, is an uncommon Korean family name, a single-syllable Korean given name, as well as a common element in two-syllable Korean given names. The meaning differs based on the hanja used to write it.
Family name
The fa ...
:
Book 27. King
Wideok,
Hye,
Beop,
Mu
:
Book 28. King
Uija
Chronological Tables
3 scrolls, Yeonpyo, 연표, 年表.
:
Book 29.
:
Book 30.
:
Book 31.
Monographs
9 scrolls, Ji, 지, 志.
:
Book 32. Rites and music
:
Book 33. Vehicles, clothing, and dwellings
:
Book 34. Geography of Silla
:
Book 35. Geography of Goguryeo and new names assigned by
King Gyeongdeok
:
Book 36. Geography of Baekje and new names assigned by King Gyeongdeok
:
Book 37. Geography (this section is empty on https://web.archive.org/web/20160305201052/http://www.khaan.net/history/samkooksagi/samkooksagi.htm)
:
Book 38. Silla government offices.
:
Book 39. Silla government offices.
:
Book 40. Silla government offices.
Biographies
10 scrolls, Yeoljeon, 열전, 列傳.
:
Book 41.
Kim Yusin
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 ...
(1)
:
Book 42. Kim Yusin (2)
:
Book 43. Kim Yusin (3)
:
Book 44.
Eulji Mundeok
Eulji Mundeok (을지문덕) (Ulchi Mundok) was a military leader of early 7th century Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, who successfully defended Goguryeo against Sui China. He is often numbered among the greatest heroes in the m ...
을지문덕, Geochilbu
김거칠부 , Geodo
거도,
Yi Sabu
Isabu was a military general and politician of Silla during the 6th century. According to ''Samguk Sagi'', he is the fourth generation descendant of Naemul of Silla. He was also known as Taejong. He is best remembered today for his role in subjug ...
이사부,
Kim Immun
Gim Inmun (629–694) was a noted aristocrat, scholar, and official of the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the son of Muyeol and the younger brother of Munmu, the twenty-ninth and thirtieth kings respectively of Silla.
Biography
In 651 ...
김인문,
Kim Yang
Kim Yang (Jinyang District, 808–857) was part of the Silla royal family and its retainers. Said to be a descendant of the third son of Kim Chunchu.
In service of Silla
Served as Viceroy of Silla. Upon the death of Heungdeok of Silla in 836, a ...
김양,
Heukchi Sangji
Heukchi Sangji (黑齒常之, 630 – 689), courtesy name Hangwon(恒元), was a Korean-born Chinese military general of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He is remembered primarily as a leader of the Baekje Revival Movement to restore t ...
흑치상지,
Jang Bogo
Jang Bogo (787–841), childhood name: Gungbok, was a Sillan who rose to prominence in the Later Silla period of Korea as a powerful maritime figure who effectively controlled the Yellow Sea (West Sea), and dominated the trade between Silla, He ...
장보고, Jeong Nyeon 정년, Prince Sadaham 사다함공
:
Book 45.
Eulpaso 을파소, Kim Hujik
김후직,
og zhēn
Og ( he, עוֹג, ʿŌg ; ar, عوج, ʿŪj ; grc, Ωγ, Ōg) according to the Hebrew Bible and other sources, was an Amorites, Amorite king of Bashan who was slain along with his army by Moses and his men at the battle of Daraa, Edrei. In Ara ...
祿真, Milu
밀우, Nyuyu
유유 纽由,
Myeongnim Dap-bu
Myeongnim Dap-bu (67? – 179) (명림답부, 明臨答夫) was the first Guksang (국좌상, Prime Minister) of Goguryeo, and was known for his overthrowing of the tyrannical King Chadae, and his victory against the Han Dynasty at the Bat ...
명림답부, Seok Uro
석우로, Park Jesang
박제상, Gwisan
귀산,
Ondal 온달
:
Book 46. Scholars. Kangsu
강수,
Choe Chiwon
Choe Chiwon (; 857–10th century) was a Korean philosopher and poet of the late medieval Unified Silla period (668-935). He studied for many years in Tang China, passed the Tang imperial examination, and rose to the high office there before r ...
,
Seol Chong
Seol Chong (650 - 730 AD) was a leading scholar of the Unified Silla period from the Gyeongju Seol clan. He studied Confucian writings and the related Chinese classics. He is also known by the courtesy name Chongji and the pen name Bingwoldang.
...
:
Book 47. Hwarangs. Haenon
해론, Sona
소나, Chwido 취도(驟徒), Nulchoi
눌최, Seol Gyedu
설계두, Kim Ryeong-yun 김영윤(金令胤), Gwanchang
관창, Kim Heum-un
김흠운, Yeolgi 열기(裂起), Binyeongja 비령자(丕寧子), Jukjuk
죽죽, Pilbu 필부(匹夫),
Gyebaek
Gyebaek, or Kyebaek (died 20 August 660In Lunar calendar, he died on 9 July 660.), was a general in the ancient Korean kingdom of Baekje during the early to mid-7th century. Little else is known of his personal life—including the year and locat ...
계백
:
Book 48. Meritorious. Hyangdeok (son), Seonggak (son), Silhye 실혜 (實兮) (poet), Mulgyeja 물계자 (soldier), Teacher Baekgyeol
백결 선생 (music), Prince Kim
검군, Kim Saeng
김생 (calligrapher) and Yo Gukil, Solgeo
솔거 (painter), Chiun (daughter), Seolssi (daughter), Domi (wife).
:
Book 49. Overthrows.
Chang Jori 창조리,
Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon GaesomunSome Chinese and Korean sources stated that his surname was Yeongae () and personal name was Somun (), but the majority of sources suggest a one-syllable surname and a three-syllable personal name. (594–666) was a powerful militar ...
연개소문
:
Book 50. Later Kings.
Gung Ye
Gung Ye ( – 24 July 918, r. July 901 – 24 July 918) was the king of the short-lived state of Taebong (901–918), one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Although he was a member of the Silla royal family, he became a victim of the power s ...
궁예,
Gyeon Hwon
Gyeon Hwon (; 867 – 27 September 936, r. 892 – March 934) was the king and founder of Later Baekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, and reigned from 892 to 935. Some records render his name as "Jin Hwon" (진훤). He was also the prog ...
견훤
Historical sources
The ''Samguk Sagi'' was written on the basis of the ''
Gu Samguksa GU, Gu, or gu may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* Gu (instrument), Chinese drums
** Bangu (drum) () or Gu (), a Chinese "flowerpot" drum
* ''Global Underground'', an electronic dance music compilation series
Other media
* GU Comics, an ...
'' (舊三國史, Old history of the Three Kingdoms), and other earlier historical records such as the ''
Hwarang Segi
Hwarang segi (lit. ''Annals of Hwarang'' or ''Generations of the Hwarang'') was a historical record of the Hwarang (lit. flower boys but referring to an elite warrior group of male youth) of the Silla kingdom in ancient Korea. It is said to have be ...
'' (花郞世記, Annals of Hwarang), most of which are no longer extant.
Concerning external sources, no references are made to the Japanese Chronicles, like the
Kojiki
The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...
古事記, "Records of Ancient Matters" or the
Nihon Shoki 日本書紀, Chronicles of Japan that were respectively released in 712 and 720. It is possible Kim Busik was ignorant of them, or scorned to quote a Japanese source. In contrast, he lifts generously from the Chinese dynastic chronicles and even unofficial Chinese records, most prominently the ''Wei shu'' (魏書,
Book of Wei
The ''Book of Wei'', also known by its Chinese name as the ''Wei Shu'', is a classic Chinese historical text compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and is an important text describing the history of the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 5 ...
), ''
Sanguo Zhi
The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...
'' (三國志), ''
Jin Shu
The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, with chancellor Fang Xu ...
'' (晉書), ''
Jiu Tangshu
The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
'' (舊唐書, Old history of Tang), ''
Xin Tangshu
The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
'' (新唐書, New history of Tang), and the ''
Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'' (資治通鑑, Comprehensive mirror for aid in government).
Criticism
Kim Busik was a patrician of Silla origin, and though he himself was a practicing Buddhist, he supported Confucianism over Buddhism as the guiding principle of governance and favored presenting tributes to the Chinese emperor to prevent a conflict with China and in deference to the lofty (
sadae
''Sadae'' (''lit.'' "serving-the-Great," Hangul: 사대 Hanja: ) is a Korean term which is used in pre-modern contexts.Armstrong, Charles K. (2007). ''Sadae'' is a Confucian concept, based on filial piety, that describes a reciprocal hierarchica ...
). It thus appears that his background and tendencies would have been reflected in the ''Samguk Sagi''.
Formally, Kingdoms of Goguryeo and Baekje are equally treated with Former Silla. All three are referred with the term "aguk (아국, 我國)" and their forces with the term "abyeong (아병, 我兵)", meaning "our nation" and "our troops" respectively. For example, in book 21 (Bojang of Goguryeo), Kim Busik praised
Yang Manchun
Yang Manchun is the name given to the Goguryeo commander of Ansi Fortress in the 640s. Ansi Fortress was located on the Goguryeo–Tang border, probably present-day Haicheng. Yang is sometimes credited with saving the kingdom by his successful ...
, a commander of Goguryeo who defeated
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty ...
at the Siege of Ansi Fortress and called him a hero.
Nevertheless, in the Biographies portion, a majority of the subjects are from Silla (68%), while the Silla’s scrolls are filled with glorious examples of loyalty and bravery. In any case, it was easier to access documents from the victor state Silla than from the defeated other two Kingdoms whose archives were destroyed during the unification wars.
Some Korean historians, have criticized of the records provided in the ''Samguk Sagi'', citing this bias towards China and Former Silla. Among them,
Sin Chaeho
Sin Chaeho, or Shin Chae-ho (; November 7, 1880 – February 21, 1936), was a Korean independence activist, historian, anarchist, nationalist, and a founder of Korean nationalist historiography (민족 사학, ''minjok sahak''; sometimes shorte ...
. According to McBride, part of the theses of Sin Chaeho were that:
:* the real hero of the Three Kingdoms period was the Koguryo General Ulchi Mundék, who, in 612, lured the huge invasion force of Sui Emperor Yang-ti into a trap at Salsu (Cheongcheon) River, engineering a spectacular victory (but only deserves a page in Book 44).
:* on the contrary, Kim Yusin, the arch-hero who deserves Books 41 to 43, was not a famous general endowed with wisdom and bravery, but a politician who was wily and fierce as an eagle. The great merits of his life were not fought on the battlefield for he was a man who plagued his neighboring countries with secret machinations
:* moreover the compilers of the Samguk Sagi turned Kim’s losses into trifling victories while exaggerating his petty victories
:* All these distorsions found in the Samguk Sagi were motivated by a strict adherence to Confucianism and a loss of the martial spirit so apparent in the Three Kingdoms period. All things that were be responsible for Korea’s sinicization and for the loss of the old Manchurian domain of Goguryeo.
But concerning a possible
sadaejuui
''Sadaejuui'' (lit. "thing-big-ism", meaning: "serving-the-Great ideology"; Hangul: 사대주의, Hanja: 事大主義, ) is a largely pejorative Korean term which evolved in the mid-20th century from a more widely used historical concept.Armstr ...
towards China, one can note (with McBride)
:''The King said, ‘The Tang forces have destroyed our enemies for us; and yet, to the contrary, if we make war with them, will Heaven help us?’ ''
:''Yusin said, ‘A dog is scared of its master and yet if the master steps on its legs it will bite him. How is it that in encountering this difficulty we cannot extricate ourselves? I request thee, Great King, to permit it.’ '' (Book 42)
And about possible
sadaejuui
''Sadaejuui'' (lit. "thing-big-ism", meaning: "serving-the-Great ideology"; Hangul: 사대주의, Hanja: 事大主義, ) is a largely pejorative Korean term which evolved in the mid-20th century from a more widely used historical concept.Armstr ...
towards the Goryeo powerful people and class complicity, one can note (with Kim Kichung) that many biographies are two sided in their conclusions. For example, in the Jukjuk biography (Book 47), the focus is less about the valor and patriotism of the layman Jukjuk himself and more about the misbehaviour of Prince Kim Pumseok, i.e. of the top aristocracy, even in Silla.
In any case, it is clear that Kim Busik's Samguk Sagi is critical to the study of Korean history during the Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla periods. Not only because this work, and its Buddhist counterpart
Samguk yusa
''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, duri ...
, are the only remaining Korean sources for the period, but also because the Samguk Sagi contains a large amount of information and details. For example, the translation tables given in Books 35 and 36 have been used for a tentative reconstruction of the former Koguryeo language.
Bibliography
Raw text
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Translations in Western languages
The only full Western language translation of the ''Samguk Sagi'' to appear to date is a Russian edition translated by
Mikhail Nikolaevich Pak that appeared in two parts, 1959 and 2001.
However, portions of the work have appeared in various English language books and articles, notably:
Translation of the whole Silla bongi
*
Translation of the whole Goguryeo bongi
*
Translation of the whole Baekje bongji
*
Isolated translations
*
* Gardiner, Kenneth H.J. 1982. "Legends of Koguryǒ (I-II): Samguk Sagi, Annals of Koguryǒ." ''Korea Journal'', 22(1): 60-69 and 22(2): 31-48.
ranslation of book one of the Goguryeo bongi
* Jamieson, John Charles. 1969. "The Samguk Sagi and the Unification Wars." Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley.
ranslation of books 6 and 7 of the Silla bongi and eleven of the biographies, mostly of men of Silla
* Lee, Soyun, and Shin Jeongsoo. 2018. "Chapters 44 and 45 of the 'Samguk Sagi': An Annotated Translation of Biography
icof Eulji Mundeok and Others." ''The Review of Korean Studies'', 21(2): 165-145.
ranslations of books 44 and 45 of the biographies section
* Na, Sanghoon, You Jinsook, and Shin Jeongsoo. 2018. "Chapter 41, 42 and 43 of the ''Samguk Sagi'': An Annotated Translation of
icBiography of Kim Yusin." ''The Review of Korean Studies'', 21(1): 191-262.
Reference Books
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Public Domain Research Papers
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* .
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References to be completed
* Gardiner, K.H.J. "Samguk Sagi and its Sources." ''Papers on Far Eastern History'', 2 (September 1970): 1-41.
: rem East Asian History is available at http://www.eastasianhistory.org/archive
* Shim, Seungja. "Plants and Animals in the Place Names of Samguk Sagi." In ''Proceedings of the 9th Annual Conference, 10–15 April 1985, Association for Korean Studies in Europe''. Le Havre: Association for Korean Studies in Europe, 1985.
* Soloviov, Alexander V. "Kim Busik's Samguk Sagi: the 12th Century Man Viewpoint on Korean Culture". ''Major Issues in History of Korean Culture: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Korean Studies, Moscow, December 17–20, 1996''. Moscow: International Center for Korean Studies, 1997:71-74.
* Yi, Chong-hang. "On the True Nature of 'Wae' in Samguk Sagi." ''Korea Journal'', 17:11 (November 1977): 51-59.
See also
*
Samguk Yusa
''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, duri ...
*
Goryeo-sa
The ''Goryeosa'' (), or ''History of Goryeo'', is the main surviving historical record of Korea's Goryeo dynasty. It was composed nearly a century after the fall of Goryeo, during the reign of King Sejong, undergoing repeated revisions between ...
*
Annals of Joseon Dynasty
The ''Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty'' (also known as the ''Annals of the Joseon Dynasty'' or the ''True Record of the Joseon Dynasty''; ko, 조선왕조실록 and ) are the annual records of Joseon, the last royal house to rule K ...
*
Rulers of Korea
This is a list of monarchs of Korea, arranged by dynasty. Names are romanized according to the South Korean Revised Romanization of Korean. McCune–Reischauer romanizations may be found at the articles about the individual monarchs.
Gojoseon
...
*
Placename glosses in the Samguk Sagi
Chapter 37 of the ''Samguk sagi'' ('History of the Three Kingdoms', 1145) contains a list of place names and their meanings, from part of central Korea captured by Silla from the former state of Goguryeo (Koguryŏ).
Some of the vocabulary extracte ...
References
External Links
The official website showing the original text as well as the translation in Korean Hangul(
National Institute of Korean History
The National Institute of Korean History (NIKH) is a South Korean national organization in charge of researching, collecting, compiling, promoting the study of historical materials on Korean history. It was established as ''Guksagwan'' (국사관 ...
)
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12th-century history books
History books about Korea
Goryeo works