Jinhan: Map & History
Jinhan was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from around the 1st century BCE to the 4th century CE in the southern Korean peninsula, to the east of the Nakdong River valley, Gyeongsang Province.
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Jinhan was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from around the 1st century BCE to the 4th century CE in the southern Korean peninsula, to the east of the Nakdong River valley, Gyeongsang Province. Jinhan was one of the Samhan, along with Byeonhan and Mahan. Apparently descending from the Jin state of southern Korea, Jinhan was absorbed by the later Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Modern Countries Once Part of Jinhan
At its mapped extent, Jinhan covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Jinhan's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Jinhan in Depth
History
Jinhan, like the other Samhan confederacies, arose out of the confusion and migration following the fall of Wiman Joseon in 108 BCE. Thus, Jinhan's 12 countries are records of quasi-independent countries that have weakened since the defeat of Silla during the Cheomhae Isageum era.
Before the 3rd century, it was presumed that there was no distinction between the Jinhan (辰韓) and Byeonhan (弁韓 or 弁辰). It is said that the people of Jinhan and Byeonhan intermingled and immigrated quite frequently (雜居), ultimately making it difficult to differentiate the two states culturally.
Book of Wei - Volume 30's some part are record left by Wei envoy who visited Okjeo and Jinhan after the victory of the Goguryeo–Wei War and the Battle of Giryeong at the late 3rd century.
Culture
Its relation to the earlier state of Jin is not clear, although the contemporary Chinese chronicle Records of the Three Kingdoms alleges that Jinhan was identical with Jin (while another record describes Jin as the predecessor of the Samhan as a whole). Jinhan and Byeonhan shared essentially the same culture, with varying religious customs, and apparently were not separated by a clear boundary.
Many of the archeological evidence found in the area lack distinguishable differences with the evidence found in the neighboring kingdoms, suggesting that the cultures were mostly similar across the southern part of the peninsula.
Little is known about the daily lives of the Jinhan people. The religion appears to have been shamanistic which played an important role in politics as well.
Location
Most theories indicate that Jinhan was located in the area later occupied by the Silla kingdom: the Gyeongju Basin and adjacent Sea of Japan coast. It would have been neighbored by the Byeonhan confederacy on the southwest, and by the much larger Mahan confederacy on the west. On the north it would have been bounded by the Chinese commanderies and the small coastal state of Dongye. However, some scholars place Jinhan in the Han River valley, bounded by Mahan on the north and Byeonhan on the south.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Jinhan confederacy (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Jinhan: Key Facts
| Dissolved | 356 CE |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q701273 (CC0).
Jinhan Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Jinhan appears, with the other states of the time.
Jinhan Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 23,506 km² in 375 CE.
Jinhan: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Jinhan exist?
Jinhan is dated to 91 BCE – 377 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
How large was Jinhan at its peak?
At its peak in 375 AD Jinhan covered about 23,506 km².
How did the map of Jinhan change over time?
Jinhan appears on 4 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1 CE to 300 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.