Korean History › Unified Silla & Balhae
Balhae
698–926· Empire, kingdom or state· Rulers & states
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
A kingdom founded in 698 by Goguryeo and Mohe peoples that ruled Manchuria and northern Korea until the Khitans conquered it in 926.
See it on the Korean History map →What happened
Balhae (발해) began when Dae Jo-yeong defeated a Tang army and set up a state near today's Dunhua, Jilin. At its height it spanned northern Korea, much of Manchuria and Russia's Maritime Province. Its main capital, Sanggyeong, was laid out like Tang's Chang'an. Chinese records called it 'the flourishing land in the east' (Haedong seongguk). In letters to Japan its kings claimed Goguryeo's heritage. The Khitan Liao state conquered it in 926.
Why it matters
It carried Goguryeo's legacy in the north for over two centuries; when it fell, many refugees and a crown prince joined Goryeo.
How we know
Chinese histories, Japanese records of more than 30 embassies, and excavated capitals and tombs in China, North Korea and Russia; no history written by Balhae survives.
Still debated
Its identity is disputed: Korean scholars stress Goguryeo heritage, Chinese scholars call it a Mohe regional state under Tang, and Russian scholars an independent Mohe state.
Inside this (1)
Connections (6)
▸Fall of Goguryeo led refugees to found BalhaeMostly agreed
The connection
Goguryeo's fall left many of its people under Tang rule or deported west. Thirty years later, a group of Goguryeo and Mohe people deported to Yingzhou broke free and founded Balhae on Goguryeo's old northern lands, claiming to restore Goguryeo's heritage.
When and how
668–698, from Pyongyang to Yingzhou (in Liaoning) to the Dongmo Mountain area near Dunhua, Jilin.
How sure are we?
Tang histories describe the founders' Goguryeo links; Balhae's letters to Japan claimed Goguryeo's legacy.
Debates and open questions
How large the Goguryeo share of Balhae's founders and people was, compared with the Mohe, is disputed.
▸Dae Jo-yeong, founder of Balhae founded BalhaeWell documented
The connection
After defeating Tang at Cheonmunryeong, Dae Jo-yeong built a state near Dongmo Mountain, gathering Goguryeo refugees and Mohe tribes. He first called it Jin; from 713 Tang recognized him as king of Bohai, and the name Balhae stuck. His Dae clan ruled until 926.
When and how
698, near today's Dunhua in Jilin, China; Tang recognition followed in 713.
How we know
The Old and New Tang histories describe the founding; early Balhae sites near Dunhua have been excavated.
Debates and open questions
Exactly where the first capital stood, and how independent of Tang the early state was, are still debated.
▸Balhae claimed succession to GoguryeoWell documented
The connection
Founded in 698 by former Goguryeo people and Mohe tribes, Balhae saw itself as Goguryeo's heir. In a 727 letter to Japan, King Mu wrote that Balhae had restored Goguryeo's old lands, and King Mun later styled himself 'King of Goryeo', Goguryeo's other name.
When and how
Manchuria and northern Korea, 698–926; letters to Japan's court from the 720s to 750s.
How we know
Balhae's diplomatic letters preserved in Japan's Shoku Nihongi; Goguryeo-style tombs, roof tiles and ondol heated floors at Balhae sites.
Debates and open questions
Whether Balhae was mainly a Korean or a Mohe state is contested; Chinese historians treat it as a regional Chinese polity, Korean historians as Korean.
▸Balhae coexisted uneasily with Unified SillaWell documented
The connection
For two centuries Balhae in the north and Silla in the south shared a frontier in what is now North Korea. A road with 39 relay stations linked them, but contact was limited: Silla built a northern wall in 721, attacked Balhae at Tang's request in 733, and their envoys competed for rank at the Tang court.
When and how
698–926, along a frontier running roughly from the Taedong River to the Wonsan region.
How we know
The Samguk sagi notes the 39-station route, citing a Chinese source, and the 733 attack; Tang records mention seating disputes between their envoys.
Debates and open questions
Whether Silla saw Balhae as fellow heirs of Goguryeo or as foreigners is debated; the 'North–South States' label comes from an 18th-century scholar.
▸Balhae fell to the Khitans before the Goryeo–Khitan WarsWell documented
The connection
The Khitan Liao state conquered Balhae in 926 and became Goryeo's northern neighbor. Goryeo saw Liao as the destroyer of a kindred state: in 942 Wang Geon exiled Liao envoys and starved their gift of 50 camels under a bridge. Rival claims to the old Goguryeo–Balhae lands set up the war that began in 993.
When and how
926 to 993, along Liao's eastern frontier and Goryeo's northwest; the 942 'Manbu Bridge' incident took place in Kaesong.
How we know
The Liao history records Balhae's conquest; the Goryeosa records the camel incident and Wang Geon's words calling Liao lawless for destroying Balhae.
Debates and open questions
Whether Liao invaded in 993 over Balhae's old lands, over Goryeo's ties to Song China, or to secure its flank before fighting Song is debated.
▸Balhae sent refugees and its prince to GoryeoWell documented
The connection
As Balhae collapsed, waves of its people fled south to Goryeo from the 920s into the 970s. The Goryeosa says the crown prince, Dae Gwang-hyeon, arrived with tens of thousands of followers; Wang Geon gave him the royal surname Wang, a place in the royal register, and the right to keep up rites for his ancestors.
When and how
In waves from about 925 to 979; the Goryeosa dates the prince's arrival to 934, though some records suggest 925.
How we know
Repeated Goryeosa entries record groups of arrivals, often with numbers; several Goryeo families later traced their descent to Balhae refugees.
Debates and open questions
How many came in all is unknown, and estimates vary widely; whether Goryeo welcomed them as kin or as useful manpower is debated.