Queen Seondeok of Silla
| Queen Seondeok 선덕왕 善德王 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rock-carved Seated Buddha in Bulgok Valley of Namsan Mountain, Gyeongju, also known as Grandmother Buddha (할매부처), was claimed that Queen Seondeok was the model for this statue by Professor Kim Ki-heung (김기흥). | |||||||||
| Queen of Silla | |||||||||
| Reign | 632–647 (15 years) | ||||||||
| Coronation | 632 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Jinpyeong of Silla | ||||||||
| Successor | Jindeok of Silla | ||||||||
| Born | ? | ||||||||
| Died | 20 February [O.S. 17 February] 647 8th day of the 1st lunar month of the 14th year of Inpyeong 仁平14年正月8日 (인평14년 정월 8일) Silla | ||||||||
| Burial | Seondeogyeowangneung, Gyeongju, South Korea | ||||||||
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| Father | Jinpyeong of Silla | ||||||||
| Mother | Queen Maya of Silla | ||||||||
| Queen Seondeok of Silla | |
| Hunminjeongeum | 선덕여왕, also 선덕왕 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 善德女王, also 善德王 |
| Revised Romanization | Seondeok yeowang, also Seondeok wang |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sŏndŏk yŏwang, also Sŏndŏk wang |
Queen Seondeok (Korean: 선덕여왕 Korean pronunciation: [sʌn.dʌk jʌ.waŋ]; ? – 20 February [O.S. 17 February] 647; 8th day of the 1st lunar month of the 14th year of Inpyeong [인평 14년 정월 8일; 仁平14年正月8日]) reigned as Queen Regnant of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first reigning queen. She was the second female sovereign in recorded East Asian history and encouraged a renaissance in thought, literature, and the arts in Silla. In the Samguk sagi, Queen Seondeok was described as "generous, benevolent, wise, and smart". According to the Legend of Jigwi, she was also beautiful. She developed Buddhist culture, selected great talent, and established diplomacy with the Tang dynasty, laying the foundation for the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Queen Seondeok is known as a wise and kind monarch, making her one of the most prominent monarchs in Korean history.