Talhae of Shilla (?-80, r. 57-80) was the fourth king of Shilla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He is commonly called Talhae Isageum, isageum being the royal title in early Shilla.
[edit] Background
He was a member of the Gyeongju Seok clan, one of the noble clans that shared the Shilla throne during the early Common Era.
He was born in a small kingdom 1000 li northeast of Wa (Japan) (三國史記 卷第一 新羅本紀第一 脱解尼師今, 脱解本多婆那國所生也 其國在倭國東北一千里) (三國遺事 紀異 卷第一 脱解王, 我本龍城國人 亦云正明國 或云琓夏國 琓夏或作花厦國 龍城在倭東北一千里) (The name of the kingdom is Dapana-guk (다파나국) (多婆那國 ) according to Samguk Sagi, or Yongseong-guk (용성국) (龍城國) according to Samguk Yusa.) His father was a king of this kingdom, his mother was a queen or princess of another small kingdom.
According to the Samguk Sagi, when he was born as an egg, his father considered it an ill omen and had it boxed and floated at sea. The egg floated past Geumgwan Gaya and landed east of Gyerim (near today's Gyeongju, South Korea), where he was raised by an old man as a fisherman. His family is said to have taken over a high official's house by claiming to be metalsmiths.
His birth year is unknown, but he was probably an old man when he assumed the throne, having married the daughter (or younger sister) of Silla's King Namhae in the year 8. He was offered the throne as successor to the second king Namhae, but the older Yuri served as king first. Yuri in turn designated Talhae his successor.
In 64, the rival Korean kingdom Baekje attacked several times. Shilla battled the Gaya confederacy in 77.
According to legend, in 65 the infant Kim Alji, ancestor of the Gyeongju Kim family, was found by Hogong in a golden box in the royal Gyerim forest. Talhae named his kingdom Gyerim at this time (the name Shilla was officially adapted much later).
A tomb believed to be Talhae's is located in northern Gyeongju City.
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