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The Silla–Tang War (670–676) occurred between the
Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...
kingdom of Korea (joined by
Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...
and
Baekje Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...
loyalists) and the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
of China. It began in the geopolitical context immediately following the conquest of Goguryeo and
Baekje Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...
by the joint forces of Silla and Tang. The conflict ended with a truce between Tang and Silla due to the internal political situation in both states, with the dividing territorial line at the
Taedong River The Taedong River () is a large river in North Korea. The river rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north where it then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o.Suh, Dae-Sook (1987) "North Korea in 1986: Strengthening the Soviet ...
basin.


Context

After the Goguryeo-Tang War ended in 668, the Korean kingdoms of
Baekje Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...
and
Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...
were occupied by the Silla–Tang alliance. A substantial number of people in the territories of the two former kingdoms were forcibly resettled by the Tang.
Emperor Gaozong of Tang Emperor Gaozong of Tang (21 July 628 – 27 December 683), personal name Li Zhi, was the third Emperor of China, emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty, ruling from 649 to 683; after January 665, he handed power over the empire to his second wife ...
created the office of Protectorate General to Pacify the East to administer the conquered territories. Goguryeo's territory was divided into 9 commanderies, 42 prefectures, and 100 counties. The protectorate was based in Pyongyang. King
Munmu of Silla Munmu of Silla (626–681), personal name Kim Pŏm-min, was a Korean monarch who served as 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 ...
assembled an incorporating not just Sillan people but also the remnants of the Baekje and Goguryeo military in a coalition against the Tang army. The Sillan army engaged Tang forces in combat to eject them from the Korean Peninsula (particularly the entirety of what was formerly Baekje and some of the southern portions of what was formerly Goguryeo) and prevent any Tang attempts to control Silla.


Course

Silla's efforts were aided by revolts/uprisings in the territories of the former Korean kingdoms, notably Goguryeo; the first revolt of the people of Goguryeo took place in 669. Revolts in the former territories of Goguryeo took place for several subsequent years, the last of which endured for four years. From 670 to 673 the rebels launched an uprising every year, the last of which lasted for four years. In 671, Silla drove Tang forces out of most of Baekje's former territory.
Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...
was angered by
Emperor Gaozong of Tang Emperor Gaozong of Tang (21 July 628 – 27 December 683), personal name Li Zhi, was the third Emperor of China, emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty, ruling from 649 to 683; after January 665, he handed power over the empire to his second wife ...
. Originally
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 fo ...
promised to exchange Baekje and the lands south of
Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...
in return for Silla's military cooperation. However Taizong died before the conquest of Goguryeo was completed, and his successor Gaozong reneged on the promise. In 675 the Tang attacked Silla and defeated them in
Gyeonggi Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...
. In response
Munmu of Silla Munmu of Silla (626–681), personal name Kim Pŏm-min, was a Korean monarch who served as 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 ...
dispatched a
tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
mission to Tang with apologies. Gaozong accepted Munmu's apologies and withdrew Tang troops to deal with the Tibetan threat in the west. Seeing the Tang's strategic weakness, Silla renewed the advance on Tang territory. In 676, Xue Rengui crossed the
Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. Names It is one of four ...
to fight against Silla, but was unsuccessful. Tang forces were defeated by a Sillan army at the Maeso fortress, in or near present-day Yeoncheon. Silla took all the territory south of the
Taedong River The Taedong River () is a large river in North Korea. The river rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north where it then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o.Suh, Dae-Sook (1987) "North Korea in 1986: Strengthening the Soviet ...
in a series of battles in 676. The Tang were forced to relocate the seat of the Protectorate General to Pacify the East to the more easily defensible city of Liaoyang.


Aftermath

The Tang government's relocation of the seat/capital of the Protectorate General to Pacify the East to Liaodong was effectively the end of Tang designs on Sillan territory. Although the Tang forces were expelled from territories south of Taedong River, Silla failed to regain the former Goguryeo territories north of the
Taedong River The Taedong River () is a large river in North Korea. The river rises in the Rangrim Mountains of the country's north where it then flows southwest into Korea Bay at Namp'o.Suh, Dae-Sook (1987) "North Korea in 1986: Strengthening the Soviet ...
, which were now under Tang dominion. The Tang empire took control of the
Liaodong Peninsula The Liaodong or Liaotung Peninsula ( zh, s=辽东半岛, t=遼東半島, p=Liáodōng Bàndǎo) is a peninsula in southern Liaoning province in Northeast China, and makes up the southwestern coastal half of the Liaodong region. It is located ...
while Silla controlled most of the Korean Peninsula. Later, most of the land north of the Taedong River went to Balhae. Relations between Tang and Silla ceased until the early 8th century, when King Seongdeok of Silla (702–737) and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (712–755) reestablished diplomatic ties and initiated a reconciliation between the states. A formal Tang recognition of Sillan sovereignty over the Korean Peninsula south of the Taedong River occurred in 736.


See also

* Baekje–Tang War * Goguryeo–Tang War * Battle of Maeso * Protectorate General to Pacify the East


References


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Silla-Tang War Wars involving Silla Wars involving the Tang dynasty Invasions of Korea China–South Korea relations