As with so much in ancient Korean history, the history of
Kaya – indeed the exact nature of what constituted “Kaya” – is far from
clear. It was apparently a
confederation of several states in the south central region of the peninsula,
which one by one fell prey to an expanding Silla. It is theorized that the royal house of Silla in fact has its
roots in Kaya. What seems clear is that
the various city-states of Kaya were not aggressive polities, perhaps more keen
on mercantilism than political power.
The last Kaya state – Great Kaya [Tae Kaya], fell to Silla in 562. Kaya was for a long time ignored, falling
between the cracks of the “Three Kingdom” centrism in ancient historiography of
the peninsula. The Japanese have a name
for Kaya: Mimana. Based upon accounts
given in the 8th century Japanese history Nihon shoki, Japan has long claimed a
hegemony over portions of the Kaya/Paekche region in the fourth century CE. Besides the fiercely debated inscription of
the Kwanggaet’o stele and the short inscription on the “7 branched sword”, however, there
is no physical evidence of such a “Japanese” colony.
Ch'on,
Kwan-u. “A new interpretation of the problems of Mimana.” [2 parts] Korea
Journal 14:2 (February 1974); 9:4 (April 1974): 31-44.
Grayson,
James H. "Excavations of Late Kaya Period Tumuli in Koryong, Korea:
Chisan-dong Tombs 32-35 and Associated Burials." Bulletin of the
Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association 5 (1984): 64-73.
Grayson,
James H. "Mimana, A Problem in Korean Historiography." Korea
Journal 17:8 (August 1977): 65-69.
Kim,
Won-yong. "Recent Discoveries in the Archaeology of Silla and Kaya."
In Sang-bok Han and
Kwang-ok
Kim, eds. Traditional Cultures of the Pacific Societies: Continuity and
Change. Seoul: Seoul National University Press, 1990.
Kwon,
Hack-soo. "Evolution of Social Complexity in Kaya, Korea." Hanguk sanggosa hakpo 10 (1992:8): 255-293.
Kwon,
Haksoo. "Unveiling the Past of Kaya: A Review of Recent Archaeological
Investigations on Kaya Kingdoms of Ancient Korea." Korean and Korean
American Studies Bulletin 8:1/2 (Spring/Summer 1997): 24-30.
Li,
Ogg. “Karak Kukki.” Annuaire de l’École Pratique des Hautes Études-Ve
section (Paris), 80(1971-1972) and 81(1972-1973).
Nishitani,
Tadashi. "The Kaya Tumuli: Window on the Past." The Japan
Foundation Newsletter 21:3 (November 1993): 1-6.
Rhee, Song Nai. "Kaya: Korea's Lost Kingdom". Korean Culture. Vol. 20 No. 3 (Fall 1999):4-13.
Tikhonov, Vladimir. "On
the Problem of International Status and Stages of the Socio-Political
Development of Tae-gaya in the Late 5th and Early 6th Centuries." Transactions
of the Korea Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 73 (1998): 55-87.