Unified Silla, 668–780 CE

Autocracy · Monarchy · East Asia · Early Middle Ages era

Unified Silla, the Korean kingdom that unified the peninsula under a bone-rank aristocracy and a Buddhist, Tang-influenced monarchy.

Having unified most of the Korean peninsula with Tang help and then resisted Tang domination, Unified Silla governed through a rigid "bone-rank" aristocracy under a Buddhist monarchy influenced by Tang institutions. The capital at Gyeongju became a center of Buddhist art and learning. Central authority later weakened as aristocratic lineages competed for power.

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Dominant patterns

  • Regime Stabilization
  • Democratization
  • Great-Power Rivalry
  • Militarization

Political-science factor profile

Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).

Centralization of Power66
Media Control50
Repression48
Nationalism55
Militarization58
Economic Stress40
External Conflict50
Cult of Personality66
Elite Fragmentation45
Institutions60
Social Polarization52
Corruption & Patrimonialism50
Ideological Mobilization60
External Sovereignty88

Economy & society

GDP per capita$650 (intl-$)
Population3.5M people
Share of world population1.7%
Territory~200k km²
Capital population~80k

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles Unified Silla 668–780 CE, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. Kingdom of Hungary, 1000–1038 CE – similarity 98/100 · shared: Regime Stabilization, Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Militarization
  2. France, 1226–1270 CE – similarity 92/100 · shared: Regime Stabilization, Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Militarization
  3. Spain, 1759–1788 CE – similarity 92/100 · shared: Regime Stabilization, Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Militarization
  4. Kingdom of Aksum, 330–370 CE – similarity 89/100 · shared: Regime Stabilization, Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry, Militarization
  5. Khmer Empire, 1000–1050 CE – similarity 86/100 · shared: Regime Stabilization, Great-Power Rivalry, Militarization
  6. Himyar, 320–380 CE – similarity 84/100 · shared: Regime Stabilization, Democratization, Militarization
  7. Srivijaya, 650–750 CE – similarity 84/100 · shared: Regime Stabilization, Democratization, Great-Power Rivalry
  8. Inca Empire, 1438–1533 CE – similarity 84/100 · shared: Regime Stabilization, Great-Power Rivalry, Militarization

What followed

  • A cultural and Buddhist florescence.
  • A unified Korean state under Silla.