Rise of Regional Strongmen and the Yukdupum Class in Late Silla
During the reign of Queen Jinseong, successive peasant uprisings shattered the central government's authority. In the provinces, local strongmen (hojok) built independent power bases, while the six-head-rank (yukdupum) scholars, blocked by the bone-rank system, sought a new social order.
Key developments
- 골품제 모순Deepening Contradictions of the Bone-Rank System
As Jingol aristocrats monopolized power, resentment among the 6th-rank nobles and lower classes began to destabilize the Silla order.
- 농민 봉기Nationwide Spread of Peasant Uprisings
During Queen Jinseong's reign, peasant uprisings against excessive exploitation spread nationwide, collapsing Silla's control over the provinces.
- 호족 대두Rise of Regional Warlords
Local strongmen who controlled regional military forces built independent administrative and economic bases, breaking away from the central government.
- 6두품 활동6th-Rank Nobles Seeking a New Order
Blocked by the bone-rank system, 6th-rank nobles allied with rising powers or advocated reform through Confucian ideology.
- 후삼국 전야Eve of the Later Three Kingdoms
Amid the chaos of late Silla, leaders of warlord origin such as Gyeon Hwon and Gung Ye emerged, foreshadowing the division into the Later Three Kingdoms.