th and 14
th centuries. The Goryeo dynasty was established following the unification of Korea’s Later Three Kingdoms and ended when it was overthrown by the Joseon dynasty. The history of the Goryeo dynasty is closely intertwined with events that took place in neighboring China. This is visible in the way Goryeo was treated each time a new dynasty came to power.
Apart from that, the Goryeo dynasty is considered to be the “golden age of Buddhism in Korea,” as Buddhism was the kingdom’s national religion. The
Tripitaka Koreana , a collection of Buddhist scriptures carved onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks, is one of the most significant achievements of Korean Buddhism during this period.
What Little We Know About Jang Bogo
The historical period of Korea in which Jang Bogo lived is known in history as the Later Silla period. This refers to Silla, one of the three major kingdoms of Korea, in the period after it conquered its neighboring kingdoms: Goguryeo and Baekje. Also called the Unified Silla kingdom, it rose as a prosperous and powerful kingdom, alongside the Tamna state on Jeju Island, and the so-called Little Goguryeo far in the north. Unified Silla and its ruling dynasty of the same name existed roughly from 668 to 935 AD, until it was absorbed by the rising Goryeo kingdom in the Later Three Kingdoms period. And Jang Bogo lived in the golden age of the Unified Silla period.