Hangul 변한 or 변진 Revised Romanization Byeonhan or Byeonjin | Hanja 弁韓 or 弁辰 McCune–Reischauer Pyŏnhan or Pyŏnjin | |
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Byeonhan (Hangul: 변한; Hanja: 弁韓; RR: Byeonhan, [pjʌn.ɦan]), also known as Byeonjin, (Hangul: 변진; Hanja: 弁辰; RR: Byeonjin, [pjʌn.dʑin]) was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from around the beginning of the Common Era to the 4th century in the southern Korean peninsula. Byeonhan was one of the Samhan (or "Three Hans"), along with Mahan and Jinhan.
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History
This early part of the Three Kingdoms period is sometimes called the Proto–Three Kingdoms period. Byeonhan, like the other Samhan confederacies, appears descended from the Jin state of southern Korea.
Archaeological evidence indicates an increase in military activity and weapons production among the Byeonhan in the 3rd century, especially an increase in iron arrowheads and cuirasses (Barnes 2000). This may be associated with the decline of Byeonhan and the rise of the more centralized Gaya Confederacy, which most Byeonhan states joined. Gaya was subsequently annexed by Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Culture and trade
The Chinese Records of Three Kingdoms state that the language and culture of Byeonhan was essentially the same as Jinhan, and archaeological artifacts show little difference. Byeonhan may have simply referred to the chiefdoms in the south and west of the Nakdong River valley which were not formal members of the Jinhan confederacy.
According to the 3rd-century Chinese chronicle Records of Three Kingdoms, Byeonhan was known for the production of iron; it exported iron to the Han commanderies to the north, Yamato Japan and the rest of the Korean peninsula. It was also a center of stoneware manufacture.
Member statelets
According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Byeonhan consisted of 12 statelets: