King Gyeongdeok

The 35th king of Silla, Korea (reigned 742-765). His given name was Heon-yeong. He was the full brother of the previous king, King Hyoseong, and his father was King Seongdeok. He focused on managing the area south of the Daedong River that had been acquired during the reign of King Seongdeok, and implemented government reforms modeled on the Tang Dynasty system, among other things, in an effort to strengthen the ruling system. It is said that Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto were also built during his reign, marking the height of the blossoming of Silla culture, which was centered on Buddhism. On the other hand, however, the contradictions of the centralization that had been underway since the unification of the Three Kingdoms also became apparent, and the rokuyu system (a type of salary system, whereby specific regions were designated as rokuyu and used to cover expenses such as salary), which had once been abolished in order to deny the regional control of the aristocratic bureaucrats, was reinstated in 757, paving the way for the expansion and strengthening of the power base of the aristocratic bureaucrats. These contradictions eventually gave rise to conflicts between the various factions, and during the reign of the next king, King Huigong, civil wars became frequent.

[Makoto Kimura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

朝鮮、新羅(しらぎ)の第35代王（在位742～765）。諱(いみな)は憲英。前王孝成王の同母弟、父は聖徳王。聖徳王代に獲得した大同江以南の地域に対する経営に力を入れるとともに、唐の制度に倣った官制改革を実施するなど、支配体制の強化に努めた。また仏国寺と石窟庵(せっくつあん)は、この王の代に創建されたと伝えられるように、仏教を中心とした新羅の文化が大きく花開いた最盛期であった。しかし、一方では、三国統一以来進められてきた中央集権化の矛盾も顕在化し、貴族官僚の地域支配を否定するために一度は廃止された禄邑(ろくゆう)制度（俸禄(ほうろく)制度の一つ。特定の地域を禄邑に指定し俸禄などの経費にあてた）が、757年に復活し、貴族官僚の勢力基盤の拡大、強化に道を開くことになった。こうした矛盾はやがて諸勢力の対立を生み出し、次の恵恭王代には内乱が多発するようになった。

［木村　誠］

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