Tamna

For the town in Burma, see Tamna, Burma. For the commune in Romania, see Tâmna.

Tamna
탐라국 (耽羅國)
Vassal state of Baekje (476-660) Vassal state of Silla (662-925) Vassal state of Goryeo (938-1105) Local autonomy administration (1105-1404)
?–1105
Capital		Jeju
Languages		Korean, Jeju
Religion		Korean shamanism
Government		Monarchy
History
•	Establishment	?
•	Fall	1105
Succeeded by Goryeo

Tamna
Hangul	탐라국
Hanja	耽羅國
Revised Romanization	Tamna-guk
McCune–Reischauer	T'amna-guk

The kingdom of Tamna or Tamna guk ruled Jeju Island from ancient times until it was absorbed by the Korean Joseon Dynasty in 1404. This kingdom is also sometimes known as Tangna (탁라), Seomna (섭나), and Tammora (탐모라). All of these names mean "island country".

Legends of founding

There is no historical record of the founding or early history of Tamna. One legend tells that the three divine founders of the country—Ko (고), Yang (양), and Bu (부)—emerged from three holes in the ground in the 24th century BC. These holes, known as the Samseonghyeol (삼성혈), are still preserved in Jeju City.

According to legend, after Yang Ul-la (양을나/良乙那; modern-day 楊乙那) came to Jeju Island, a semi-mythical box washed up on the shore of the island. Yang Ul-la searched in the box and found three women, horses, cows, and agricultural seeds such as rice, corn, grain, millet, barley, and bamboo. From these beginnings, the three men established the kingdom of Tamna. He is regarded as the legendary ancestor of Yang Tang, the founder of the Jeju Yang bon-gwan.

Historical and archaeological records

Archaeological evidence indicates that the people of Tamna were engaging in active trade with Han Dynasty China and Yayoi Japan, as well as mainland Korea, by the 1st century AD. The first historical reference to the kingdom may come in the 3rd century AD, in the chronicle of the Chinese Three Kingdoms period called the Sanguozhi. The Sanguozhi reports a strange people living on a large island near Korea, which it calls Juho (州胡, literally "island barbarians"). These people, who had a distinctive language and culture, engaged in trade with the Mahan people of the mainland. However, the identity of Juho with Tamna has been disputed by authorities such as the North Korean scholar Yi Jirin (이지린), who claims that Juho was a small island in the Yellow Sea. Tamna is pronounced Dānluó (Wade-Giles: Tan¹-luo²) in Standard Mandarin Chinese.

In 476, according to the Samguk Sagi, Tamna entered into a tributary relationship with Baekje, which controlled the southwestern Korean peninsula as Tamna gives military aides with some sort of money and enjoyed strong ties with Japan. It was thus a natural partner for Tamna. As Baekje waned, Tamna turned to Silla instead. At some point near the end of the Three Kingdoms period, Tamna officially subjugated itself to Silla. Silla then conferred on the three princes of Tamna the titles which they would hold for the remainder of the kingdom's history: Seongju (성주, 星主), Wangja (왕자, 王子), and Donae (도내, 都內). Some sources indicate that this took place during the reign of King Munmu of Silla in the late 7th century AD.[1]

Tamna briefly reclaimed its independence after the fall of Silla in 935. However, it was subjugated by the Goryeo Dynasty in 938, and officially annexed in 1105. However, the kingdom maintained local autonomy until 1404, when Taejong of Joseon placed it under firm central control and brought the Tamna kingdom to an end. One interesting event that took place during these later years of Tamna was the Sambyeolcho Rebellion, which came to a bloody end on Jeju Island in 1274.

Sovereigns and governors of Tamna

The Go is word which means highness, held by The first King and also the Governor after Tamna becomes vassal of Joseon.

Kings of Tamna	Hangul	Hanja
King Go Eulla	고을라왕	高乙那王
King Geon	건왕	建王
King Samgye	삼계왕	三繼王
King Ilmang	일망왕	日望王
King Doje	도제왕	島濟王
King Eon-gyeong	언경왕	彦卿王
King Bomyeong	보명왕	寶明王
King Haengcheon	행천왕	幸天王
King Hwan	환왕	歡王
King Sik	식왕	湜王
King Uk	욱왕	煜王
King Hwang	황왕	惶王
King Wi	위왕	偉王
King Yeong	영왕	榮王
King Hu	후왕	厚王
King Dumyeong	두명왕	斗明王
King Seonju	선주왕	善主王
King Jinam	지남왕	知南王
King Seongbang	성방왕	聖邦王
King Munseong	문성왕	文星王
King Ik	익왕	翼王
King Jihyo	지효왕	之孝王
King Suk	숙왕	淑王
King Hyeonbang	현방왕	賢方王
King Gi	기왕	璣王
King Dam	담왕	聃王
King Ji-un	지운왕	指雲王
King Seo	서왕	瑞王
King Damyeong	다명왕	多鳴王
King Dam	담왕	談王
King Cheseam	체삼왕	體參王
King Seongjin	성진왕	聲振王
King Hong	홍왕	鴻王
King Cheoryang	처량왕	處良王
King Won	원왕	遠王
King Pyoryun	표륜왕	表倫王
King Hyeong	형왕	逈王
King Chido	치도왕	致道王
King Uk	욱왕	勖王
King Cheonwon	천원왕	天元王
King Hogong	호공왕	好恭王
King So	소왕	昭王
King Gyeongjik	경직왕	敬直王
King Min	민왕	岷王
King Jagyeon	자견왕	自堅王

Governors of Tamna	Hangul	Hanja
Go Jagyeon	고자견	高自堅
Go Malo	고말로	高末老
Go Yu	고유	高維
Go Jogi	고조기	髙兆基
Go Jeongik	고정익	髙挺益
Go Jeok	고적	髙適
Go Yeorim	고여림	髙汝霖
Go Jeongan	고정간	髙貞幹
Go Soon	고순	髙巡
Go Boksu	고복수	髙福壽
Go Indan	고인단	髙仁旦
Go Sujwa	고수좌	髙秀佐
Go Seok	고석	髙碩
Go Soonryang	고순량	髙順良
Go Soonwon	고순원	髙順元
Go Myeongeol	고명걸	髙明傑
Go Singeol	고신걸	髙臣傑
Go Bong-ye	고봉예	高鳳禮

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• History of Korea
• Three Kingdoms of Korea

External links

• Naver Encyclopedia article (in Korean)
• Jeju Government's History and Culture of Tamna site (in English)