Mahan confederacy
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Mahan was a loose confederacy of statelets that existed from around the 100BCE-300CE in the southern Korean peninsula in the Chungcheong Province. Arising out of the confluence of Gojoseon migration and the Jin federation, Mahan was one of the Samhan (or "Three Hans"), along with Byeonhan and Jinhan. Baekje began as a member statelet, but later overtook all of Mahan and became one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
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 History of Korea |
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Prehistory |
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Mahan probably developed from the existing bronze society of 3rd to 2nd centuries BCE, continuing to absorb migration from the north in subsequent centuries. King Jun of the kingdom of Gojoseon in northern Korea, having lost the throne to Wiman, fled to the state of Jin in southern Korea around 194BCE-180BCE. He and his followers are thought to have established a base within Jin territory, where he called himself the Han King. It is not certain whether Mahan conquered or arose out of this entity, but Mahan was certainly influenced by this influx of northern culture.
Further migration followed the fall of Gojoseon and establishment of the Chinese commanderies in the northern part of the Korean peninsula in 108 BC. It is described in the Chinese chronicle San Guo Zhi and the much later Korean chronicles Samguk Yusa and Samguk Sagi.
In the 1st century CE, the Mokji state, that formed and led Mahan confederacy, was defeated in struggles with Baekje, another member of Mahan, and consequently losing whole region of present-day Han River basin. Under continuous pressure from Baekje, only 20 statelets of Mahan confederacy survived until the late 3rd century. Baekje eventually absorbed or conquered all of Mahan by the 4th century, growing into one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Silla and Goguryeo.
Mahan kings occasionally called themselves "King of Jin," referring to the earlier Jin state and asserting nominal sovereignty over all of Samhan. A wealth of bronze artifacts and production facilities indicate that Mahan was probably the earliest developed of the three Hans. At its height, Mahan covered much of the Han River Basin and the modern-day provinces of Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Jeolla, although political unity was strongest in Chungcheong, led by Mokji (목지국, 目支國).
Goryeo historians identified Mahan with Goguryeo, which was supported by their works like Samguk Sagi, Samguk Yusa and Jewang Ungi. That historical view was previously given by Choe Chiwon, a noted Confucian scholar and Historian in the late of the Silla. Apart from the geographical location of Mahan, the Chinese historical record History of Song defines the ethnical origin of the Jeong-an kingdom, a successor state of Balhae, as Mahan.
In the late Joseon period, that historical notion came under criticism by an early Silhak scholar, Han Baek-gyeom who emphasized the linkage between Mahan and Baekje in terms of the geographical location.
According to the San Guo Zhi , Mahan consisted of 54 statelets of up to ten thousand families each:
- Gamhae (감해국, 感奚國)
- Gamhaebiri (감해비리국, 監奚卑離國)
- Geonma (건마국, 乾馬國)
- Gorap (고랍국, 古臘國)
- Gori (고리국, 古離國)
- Gobiri (고비리국, 古卑離國)
- Gowon (고원국, 古爰國)
- Gotanja (고탄자국, 古誕者國)
- Gopo (고포국, 古蒲國)
- Guro (구로국, 狗盧國)
- Gusaodan (구사오단국, 臼斯烏旦國)
- Guso (구소국, 狗素國)
- Guhae (구해국, 狗奚國)
- Naebiri (내비리국, 內卑離國)
- Noram (노람국, 怒藍國)
- Daeseoksak (대석삭국, 大石索國)
- Makro (막로국, 莫盧國)
- Manro (만로국, 萬盧國)
- Morobiri (모로비리국, 牟盧卑離國)
- Mosu (모수국, 牟水國)
- Mokji (목지국, 目支國)
- Baekje (백제국, 伯濟國)
- Byeokbiri (벽비리국, 辟卑離國)
- Bulmi (불미국, 不彌國)
- Bulsabunsa (불사분사국, 不斯濆邪國)
- Bulun (불운국, 不雲國)
- Biri (비리국, 卑離國)
- Bimi (비미국, 卑彌國)
- Saro (사로국, 駟盧國) Not to be confused with Saro in Jinhan confederacy; different Hanja)
- Sangoe (상외국, 桑外國)
- Soseoksak (소석삭국, 小石索國)
- Sowigeon (소위건국, 素謂乾國)
- Sokrobulsa (속로불사국, 速盧不斯國)
- Sinbulhwal (신분활국, 臣濆活國)
- Sinsodo (신소도국, 臣蘇塗國)
- Sinwunsin (신운신국, 臣雲新國)
- Sinheun (신흔국, 臣國)
- Arim (아림국, 兒林國)
- Yeoraebiri (여래비리국, 如來卑離國)
- Yeomro (염로국, 冉路國)
- Wuhyumotak (우휴모탁국, 優休牟涿國)
- Wonyang (원양국, 爰襄國)
- Wonji (원지국, 爰池國)
- Ilnan (일난국, 一難國)
- Ilri (일리국, 一離國)
- Ilhwa (일화국, 日華國)
- Imsoban (임소반국, 臨素半國)
- Jarimoro (자리모로국, 咨離牟盧國)
- Jiban (지반국, 支半國)
- Jichim (지침국, 支侵國)
- Cheopro (첩로국, 捷盧國)
- Chori (초리국, 楚離國)
- Chosandobiri (초산도비리국, 楚山塗卑離國)
- Chiriguk (치리국국, 致利鞠國)
