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Consideration on Third Affair among <Three Affairs that Queen Seondeok had already known>

  • The Review of Korean History
  • 2008, (91), pp.49-92
  • Publisher : The Historical Society Of Korea
  • Research Area : Humanities > History

Jungseop Youm 1

1성균관대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Queen Seondeok was the first queen in Korean history, and has a very important position in closing the early age of Shilla after Queen Seondeok and Jindeok and opening the middle age of Jingol dynasty, that is, the Unified Shilla. Ilyeon's opinion on this Queen Seondeok is summarized at Already Known Three Affairs in his book <Samguk Yusa(Hidden History of Three Kingdoms)>. While the first and the second affairs are partially described in <Samguk Sagi(History of Three Kingdoms)>, the third one is mentioned only in Ilyeon's book. Therefore, it is meaningful in that we can understand the view point of <Samguk Yusa>. What the author wanted to tell through the third affair was that Queen Seondeok was the ideal monarch like Cakra-varti-rājan. It is verified through the fact that Queen Seondeok prophesied her death and designated Trāyastriṃśa as her burial place and built the 9 story-wooden pagoda of Hwangyongsa Temple in the Third Affair. The recognition of Queen Seondeok as Cakra-varti-rājan can be surely certified through the fact that the queen designated Trāyastriṃśa as her burial place, and the higher conformity is acquired through the facts related on the 9 story-wooden pagoda of Hwangyongsa Temple. Therefore, in the view point of <Samguk Yusa> on Queen Seondeok, the recognition that Queen Seondeok equals Cakra-varti-rājan already exited. Upon this recognition, the legitimacy of Middle Shilla Dynasty was being obtained from Queen Seondeok in relationship with the third affair. It gives an important meaning in determining the position of Queen Seondeok. Moreover, it should be noticed that it reflects the contemporary recognition on the female monarch in that this kind of legitimacy is obtained in spite of the fact that she was a female monarch. That is, the peculiarity of the third affair has no little significance in reflecting the Buddhism in the first and securing the legitimacy of Middle Dynasty in the second.

Citation status

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