Queen Seondeok of Silla
606- 647 CE
Queen Seondeok was the first female ruler of Silla. She was born in 606 CE in the Silla Kingdom in Korea. Her father was King Jinpreong and her mother was Queen Maya. She was a very successful and intelligent diplomatic ruler which aided her kingdom greatly during and after her lifetime.
Queen Seondeok is linked to the conflict of the Three Kingdoms Period of Korea and the compromise of the unification of Ancient Korea. She started her reign in the year 632 AD, towards the end of the violent period of power struggle. Queen Seondeok formed a great alliance with the Chinese Tang dynasty in the 7th century. This compromise lead to the defeat of Silla’s rivals the unification of the Korean Peninsula after the queen’s death in 688 CE and a golden age for the United Silla Kingdom.
The Queen’s plans for General Kim Chun-chu and General Kim Yu-sin also played a role in the unification of the Korean Peninsula. She married Chun-chu and Yu-sin’s sister which brought the two families together. This arrangement proved effective when the two men fought together in battle for Silla.
Without Queen Seondeok, the alliance would not have been formed and the outcome of the Three Kingdoms Period would be very different.
The Queen’s plans for General Kim Chun-chu and General Kim Yu-sin also played a role in the unification of the Korean Peninsula. She married Chun-chu and Yu-sin’s sister which brought the two families together. This arrangement proved effective when the two men fought together in battle for Silla.
Without Queen Seondeok, the alliance would not have been formed and the outcome of the Three Kingdoms Period would be very different.