Silla Kingdom

Timeline

1. 501–527Geumseong (Gyeongju) · Korean PeninsulaIn 521 King Beopheong formally took the title of 'king', breaking the earlier restriction to the designation 'minister'; in 527 he made Buddhism the state religion, established monastic offices such as the isabu, and promoted religious construction including Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa, re-integrating royal power with aristocratic and religious forces.
2. 528–576Han River basin · Han River basinDuring King Jinheung's reign the 'Ten Provinces' were established and the Hwarang training system was reorganized; in 550 he captured Baekje's Hansan, and in 553 seized Goguryeo's Gwanseong, pushing Silla's power north of the Han River, transforming it from a corner of the peninsula's southeast into a leading contender among the Three Kingdoms.
3. 577–600Geumseong (Gyeongju) · Korean PeninsulaAfter King Jinheung, Kings Jinji and Jinpyeong reigned; Silla consolidated its rule south of the Han River and maintained complex diplomacy with Baekje, Goguryeo, and the Sui dynasty in the Central Plains. By the turn of the 6th century the kingdom's administrative, military, and Buddhist cultural systems had matured, creating the conditions for the Tang-Silla allied armies to destroy Baekje and Goguryeo in the 7th century.